Hysteria In The Crucible

"First they came for the Communists, - but I was not a communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, - but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, - but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me." Although this poem by Martin Niemoller speaks about the failure of good people to act soon enough against the Nazis, it could also apply to the characters of Salem Village in Arthur Miller's play, "The Crucible" and also about the instigators and victims of McCarthyism, which the play purports to expose. Severe tests in town create massive hysteria, everyone starts blaming neighbors and enemies for witchcraft and many innocent people get tried for witchcraft. In the Crucible, Arthur Miller illustrates hysteria while there are severe tests going on in Salem. A group of girls are found in the forest naked and …show more content…
One of the girls said, “I danced for the devil; I saw him, I saw Sarah Good and Goody Osburn with the devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (Miller 111).The girls saw Abbigail Williams accuse other people when the Reverend was asking her so they thought it would be easy to blame other people to get out of trouble. John Proctor had to decide whether he would lie, and lose his name to live or keep his name and die a truthful man. Proctor said he didn’t want to give up his name because, “…it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (Miller 143). He chose not to confess because he would’ve had to sign his name and it would have been posted for everyone to see and he didn’t want to live a lie so he chose to die with his