Hysteria in The Crucible

In The Crucible by Arthur Miller there are many literary themes used to make the story more appealing and life like. The theme that is the most highly expressed is that of Hysteria. In the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, a town existing most of Puritans, any sign, word, or even thought of the devil was considered immoral. One evening, many girls were found dancing, naked in the woods, with incriminating devil worshiping paraphernalia. When …

…tell the truth. She told John Proctor the truth about the girls lying and he went against the court to protect his wife. This caused a hysterical outbreak in the court and soon the whole town was being accused of witchcraft. As you can see, hysteria played a major role in the plot of the story. The girls not only cause hysteria in the town, but the were hysterical in their own way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**