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  • Essay / Mass hysteria, fear and paranoia and their effects on people

    Hysteria, fear and paranoia are constantly exhibited by societies around the world and have led to some of the most brutal behaviors on the part of man, as well as some of the most significant disasters. of organized society. In "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, the Salem Witch Trials took place in the town of Salem. People began to blame others for the presence of witchcraft because everyone was unaware of what was happening and who was actually involved in witchcraft, thus leading to mass hysteria. In the play, innocent people were accused of witchcraft by others because they were of a different race or ethnicity; they were poor or rich; or they were poorly ranked in their society. This relates to the incidents of 9/11, where people blamed innocent people for their ethnicity. Hysteria, fear, and paranoia can degrade lucid thinking and eventually disrupt civilized behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayIn the Crucible, fear begins to arise after the girls of Salem are caught dancing.When the girls are caught, they blame their actions on the devil and Tituba. Everything went downhill when the girls refused to confess, leading to mass hysteria. “It’s a providence, the thing is out now!” It’s a providence!’. - Mr. Putnam. This will fuel mass hysteria in the room because the villagers begin to blame each other for the witchcraft. “Believe me, Mr. Nurse, if Rebecca Nurse is contaminated, then nothing will stop the entire green world from burning.” This quote shows that innocent people are being blamed because of the rumors circulating in the village. Hale now begins to recognize the intensity of everything that is happening, but fails to see the flaws in the accusations. During the tragedy of September 11, Osama bin Laden was the leader of this attack. The soldiers he commanded were Muslims, and since mass hysteria, "citizens around the world have in the past blamed Muslims for tragedies." “The Crucible” and 9/11 have many connections that were major events in history brought about by tensions, impacts, and people's reactions. “The Crucible” proved that mass hysteria and fear was a weapon used by those in power to control their enemies and was used to silence opposition and coerce others into false testimony. Hysterical fear has become an unconscious way of expressing anger. The people of Salem become paranoid and begin to believe that the devil is attacking them. “I want to open up!” . . . I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw it, I wrote in his book; I come back to Jesus; I kiss his hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil! Abigail admits to having been with the Devil. Then, as a next step to absolve herself of her sin, she accuses others of being witches, thus shifting the burden of shame from her shoulders to those she names. Seeing Abigail's success, the other girls follow suit, and with this pattern of hysterical and selfish accusations, the witch trials begin. Concerning fear, Danforth told Reverend Hale, "No uncorrupt man can fear this court, Mr. Hale!" None!' He believes that the residents of Salem have nothing to fear if they have nothing to hide. If,.