The play, The Crucible written by Arthur Miller demonstrates the power of an individual to create hysteria as well as our willingness to go along with it. It also shows the fact that a character’s motivation plays an important role in their ability to cause hysteria. Written in 1952, The Crucible is a play retelling the events of the Salem Witch Trials and the hysteria that affected the whole town of Salem. The Witch Trials lasted from March to September of 1692, and a total of 19 people were killed. The Crucible alludes to the fact that a character’s motivation for power may be played off the fear of others in order to create hysteria.
It is demonstrated in The Crucible that an individual can have great power to cause mass hysteria. Tituba …show more content…
First and foremost, the people who lived in Salem at the time were extremely religious. This means that they had a large fear of the Devil and the dark arts. The fear that most people in Salem at this time possessed, contributed to the fact that they took the Witch Trials very seriously. Arthur Miller discusses the theocracy in which the town of Salem was built upon, “The people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together,” (7). This quote reveals the importance of religion to the Salem community. The religion that added to people’s willingness to go along with the mass hysteria. Anything that involved the Devil or Dark arts was taken very seriously because of the culture at the time. People were more likely to believe the stories they hear of witchcraft because to them, it was a real threat. Mob mentality contributed greatly to people’s willingness to go along with the hysteria as well. Mob mentality is describing the change in people’s behaviors when they are influenced by others around them. In the beginning of The Crucible, only a handful of people were aware of the accusations of witchcraft. Soon, a group of people had gathered at Reverend Parris’s house. The news of witches spread like wildfire throughout Salem, and after a short …show more content…
A character’s ability, the public’s reaction to it, and the motivation of the character all play an important role. It is demonstrated in The Crucible that Abigail had the power to create a hysteric outbreak of witchcraft, the fact that the rest of the town was willing to go along with the hysteria can be attributed to religious beliefs and mob mentality, and Abigail’s motivation for power added gravity to the situation. The Crucible alludes to the fact that a character’s motivation for power may be played off the fear of others in order to create
It is demonstrated in The Crucible that an individual can have great power to cause mass hysteria. Tituba …show more content…
First and foremost, the people who lived in Salem at the time were extremely religious. This means that they had a large fear of the Devil and the dark arts. The fear that most people in Salem at this time possessed, contributed to the fact that they took the Witch Trials very seriously. Arthur Miller discusses the theocracy in which the town of Salem was built upon, “The people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together,” (7). This quote reveals the importance of religion to the Salem community. The religion that added to people’s willingness to go along with the mass hysteria. Anything that involved the Devil or Dark arts was taken very seriously because of the culture at the time. People were more likely to believe the stories they hear of witchcraft because to them, it was a real threat. Mob mentality contributed greatly to people’s willingness to go along with the hysteria as well. Mob mentality is describing the change in people’s behaviors when they are influenced by others around them. In the beginning of The Crucible, only a handful of people were aware of the accusations of witchcraft. Soon, a group of people had gathered at Reverend Parris’s house. The news of witches spread like wildfire throughout Salem, and after a short …show more content…
A character’s ability, the public’s reaction to it, and the motivation of the character all play an important role. It is demonstrated in The Crucible that Abigail had the power to create a hysteric outbreak of witchcraft, the fact that the rest of the town was willing to go along with the hysteria can be attributed to religious beliefs and mob mentality, and Abigail’s motivation for power added gravity to the situation. The Crucible alludes to the fact that a character’s motivation for power may be played off the fear of others in order to create