Hysteria

obstacle in Abigail’s mind. The use of choral speaking emphasises how effective the conscience can be. In session 4 we explored mass hysteria. As a class we discussed mass hysteria topics that have made the news. We used volume, space, pace of speech, rhythm of speech to show how mass hysteria can rapidly spread from one end to another which shows how uncontrollable hysteria…

revenge all play vital roles in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, by motivating the citizens’ accusations, rebellion, and mass hysteria. Without these elements, the witch trials would not have taken place. The religion of the Puritans, and their theocratic society caused the witch trials to worsen, citizens to make drastic choices, and fed the spread of mass hysteria throughout Salem. Since no separation between church and state existed, the people were forced to live a godly life in order to…

Americans are terrified and frightened by the idea of granting asylum to the refugees. Americans believe that “terrorists” can go undetected and possibly act as Syrian refugees thanks to the political hysteria and false information. As stated by OpEd news, “[Americans’] reasoning is based on political hysteria and not grounded in any rational policy considerations.” (Cole, OpEd News). Many republican aspiring presidential candidates are misinforming the public by giving them false information…

This short story tells the tale of a young woman Miss Helen Stoner who fears for her life after hearing suspicious noises in her bedroom as these sounds also occurred before the death of her eldest sister, having a suspicion that it is her stepfather, Miss Stoner then goes to Sherlock Holmes for help. This short story is set in a crumbling, secluded manor house in the country a setting that fits in perfectly with the Gothic Genre. This mansion is described using negative adjectives as a “family…

In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Salem is put into a state of insanity and a constant plague of hysteria in the late 1600’s from the idea of witches. The book takes a dark and serious tone by showing the hangings of innocent people who have been convicted of being witches. However, in The Crucible the main character, John Proctor is hung at the end of the story which marks the end of the play. Ironically, John Proctor is the biggest reason for his own execution. After being turned on by Mary…

conventional Christians, the Bible dictated the laws and the way of life. (McKeon #9). Going against the Bible, would result in serious punishment. The individual would be punished or executed by hanging. Throughout The Crucible and even before witchcraft hysteria arose, individuals like John Proctor stood against the norm of society. For instance, he chose to fight against the court in proving that the entire thing is fraud. During this chaotic period, Abigail forces Mary Warren to participate…

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a finely nuanced play about the Salem witch trials, and crowd hysteria. The main characters include John Proctor, an upstanding man in the community; Abigail Williams, a prime witness and accuser of witches; Elizabeth Proctor, John’s wife and an accused witch; and many more characters. These characters are mentioned outside of the play itself, in the Act 2, Scene 2. Arthur Miller had originally annexed this scene, and reading The Crucible with and without it…

The Crucible & Xenophobia It is often hard to find American literature that is still as relevant today as it was when it was written. This is especially the case when it comes to pre-constitutional america. As the country is constantly changing and evolving, sometimes the constitution itself seems to reflect the needs of a different time. With regards to this, A play such as the crucible stands as a reminder that there will always be “witch hunts” as long as there are people in positions of…

gives in the fear when she is being accused by Abigail and the other girls. Mary Warren is one of the many examples in the playwright The Crucible of people who caved into their fear. Similarly, the “Red Scare” had many examples of fear leading to hysteria. One such example is on October 20, 2015, when actors, actresses, writers, and directors from Hollywood were brought in the court and were questioned about communism. Many people believed that there were productions in Hollywood that were…

Recently there has been tremendous hysteria over the “Killer Clown Craze” that has become a social contagion across the global. These unusual clown encounters and sightings have occurred across North America, UK, Australia and Brazil. Individuals have been recording and publishing their fearful encounters online; and this has generated tremendous fear in the public, to such and extent that even big corporations such as McDonalds are taking action. The fast food chain McDonald’s, had recently…