Hysteria And Pandemonium In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Hysteria and pandemonium characterized Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trials of the 1690s. Generally, the Salem witch trials acted as a catalyst for revenge as citizens accused neighbors of cooperating with the devil. Throughout this chaotic time period, the town immediately arrested anyone who was accused of witchcraft. Government officials sentenced those who failed to confess, and they were hanged. Unfortunately, many innocent individuals lost their lives because they refused to confess in fear of ruining their reputation. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, exemplifies this chaotic period, and Abigail Williams carries the most blame for the turmoil. Initially, the reader learns that Abigail has an affair with John Proctor. She …show more content…
Initially, she manipulates the other girls into lying about the forest incident by threatening them. For example, she declares, “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you” (Miller). Abigail does not want the other girls to speak about drinking blood as a charm to kill Elizabeth Proctor. Therefore, she threatens them to remain quiet about the situation. However, this intimidating mood ultimately causes the girls to call out names of individuals who were with the devil. By threatening the girls, Abigail causes more mayhem to transpire as they follow her lead and accuse women of witchcraft. For example, Betty states, “I saw George Jacobs with the Devil! I saw Goody Howe with the Devil!” (Miller). Since Abigail manipulatively threatens the girls to obey her, hysteria spreads as they accuse more individuals of witchcraft. The girls are following Abigail’s example and they are required to attend court to identify who is bewitched. Mary Warren also feels threatened by Abigail. If she tells the truth about the poppet, she feels that Abigail will kill her as she holds great power and esteem in Salem. When she threatens Judge Danforth, the reader can truly understand that Abigail is at the center

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Hysteria And Pandemonium In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

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