During the Cold War, members of the United States government, military, and even citizens were accused by Senator Joseph McCarthy of being communist and Soviet spies and sympathizers. These trials persisted throughout the 1950s until Senator McCarthy was flayed by Congress. Similarly, in the 17th century, many residents of Salem, Massachusetts were accused of witchcraft, with a total of nineteen hangings during what became known as the Salem Witch Trials. These trials were conducted similarly to Senator McCarthy's hearings, and many of these accusations were not fought because the circumstances of the time made these claims possible. Arthur Miller's The Crucible sheds new light on the mysterious Salem witch trials and why so many members of the small community were hanged. Although some Salemites believed that the Devil had come to Salem, Miller's The Crucible depicts the witch trials as motivated by self-interests of greed, jealousy, and pride. To cover their personal needs, some Salem men, such as Mr. Putnam and Dr. Walcott, accused men and women of witchcraft in an attempt to purchase their land or receive compensation once the landowner was found guilty. Mr. Putnam, a key example of greed in Salem, first demonstrates his own when Proctor says he must leave Parris' house to move lumber in the first act. When Proctor tells Putnam that Proctor is dragging wood from the forest to the river, Putnam responds, "Well, we sure have gone crazy this year." What anarchy is this? This tract is within my limits, it is within my limits, Mr. Proctor” (30). This response prepares the audience for the third act, as Putnam will later manipulate judges caught up in the witchcraft craze to accuse a key landowner in an attempt to...... middle of paper ......g to other villages, just like a real crucible with glass heated to extreme temperatures would do. Despite this, mass hysteria has still occurred throughout U.S. history, from the communist trials of Senator McCarthy in the 1970s to the present, with many Americans drawing their suspicions from stereotypes of terrorists. Although suspicions today often do not end in hangings, prominent figures in society continue to exploit the emotions of human nature to get what these men desire. These influential men are motivated as the men of Salem were; greed pushed them to acquire more; jealousy, to take revenge; pride, to be right. Even if these influential men claim that they are acting on principle and not for personal reasons, such as those described above, the opportunities available to these men to exploit the people in a state panic will surely not go unexploited..