The town of Salem falls into mass hysteria, a condition in which community-wide fear overwhelms logic and individual thought and ends up justifying its own existence . ... In The Crucible, hysterical fear becomes an unconscious means of expressing the resentment and anger suppressed by strict Puritan society.
What are some examples of mass hysteria in the crucible?
The fact that the girls have whipped the entire town up into a frenzy about witches is one example of mass hysteria. Within the scene, when Abigail points to an imaginary yellow bird flying overhead and whips the other girls into a near trance, this is an example of mass hysteria induced by Abigail’s lies.
What were the causes of mass hysteria in the crucible?
The trials caused mass hysteria among the people, as the one caused by HIV . Ignorance played an important role in the story, because people were ignorant about the effects and symptoms of witchcraft. They were extremely superstitious and accounted every event they called supernatural to witchcraft.
What does hysteria do in the crucible?
Hysteria supplants logic and enables people to believe that their neighbors, whom they have always considered upstanding people , are committing absurd and unbelievable crimes—communing with the devil, killing babies, and so on.
What is the mass hysteria?
Mass hysteria — in which various people in a common group (such as students within a school) spontaneously exhibit an outbreak of physical symptoms caused by psychological stress — has been documented frequently over the ages, dating all the way back to the 14th century.
Who is responsible for the mass hysteria in the crucible?
In the Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams is to blame for the mass hysteria in Salem because she wants to be with John Proctor, she tries to kill Elizabeth, and she tries to save her name.
What are examples of mass hysteria?
An outbreak of fatal dancing fits among members of the same community, men suddenly gripped by the sickening fear of losing their genital organs , and teenagers having mysterious symptoms after watching an episode of their favorite TV series — these are all instances of what we often refer to as “mass hysteria.”
What are some examples of hysteria in the crucible Act 3?
One specific example of hysteria occurs in Act III when the girls, led by Abigail, accuse Mary Warren of witchcraft to prevent her from testifying against them . Though multiple people (including Mary) have claimed that the witchcraft accusations are false, the court refuses to be swayed.
How does Proctor cause hysteria?
His lust for Abigail Williams led to their affair (which occurs before the play begins), and created Abigail’s jealousy of his wife, Elizabeth , which sets the entire witch hysteria in motion. ... When this attempt fails, he finally bursts out with a confession, calling Abigail a “whore” and proclaiming his guilt publicly.
Who is to blame for the hysteria in the crucible Act 1?
Both Abigail and Tituba are responsible for the hysteria after falsely accusing innocent citizens in order to avoid being punished for questionable behavior. Abigail holds the most responsibility for the spread of hysteria, as she threatens the other girls into corroborating her story and acts as their leader.
How is hysteria shown in the crucible Act 4?
Hysteria in Act 4
In Act four, John refuses to sign a paper for his confession of the fear of his name being diminished . ... Tell them I confessed myself; say Proctor broke his knees and wept like a woman; say what you will, but my name cannot-“(Miller 143) This is because of his fear of his name being ruined.
What is the danger of ideology in the crucible?
Terms in this set (5)
In the play, Miller presents the dangers of ideology as being life destroying for anyone who sees beyond the shallow, delusional world of Puritanism . The Church was too closely linked to the state to do anything but harm to the people of Puritanism.
Why is reputation so important in the crucible?
By Arthur Miller
Reputation is extremely important in a town where social standing is tied to one’s ability to follow religious rules . Your good name is the only way you can get other people to do business with you... or even get a fair hearing.
What is hysteria today?
Today, those exhibiting hysterical symptoms might be diagnosed with a dissociative disorder or a somatic symptom disorder. Hysteria can be defined as a feature of some conditions that involve people experiencing physical symptoms that have a psychological cause.
How does mass hysteria spread?
Mass psychogenic illness (MPI), also called mass sociogenic illness, mass psychogenic disorder, epidemic hysteria, or mass hysteria, is the rapid spread of illness signs and symptoms affecting members of a cohesive group, originating from a nervous system disturbance involving excitation, loss, or alteration of ...
Who was responsible for the Salem witch trials?
Abigail Williams (born c. 1681) was an 11 or 12-year-old girl who, along with nine-year-old Betty Parris, was among the first of the children to accuse their neighbors of witchcraft in 1692; these accusations eventually led to the Salem witch trials.
