In the modern world today deals with all emotions that can consume the human body. A few are love, hate, happiness, fear and suspicion. In Arthur Millers >The Crucible=, Miller clearly feels that fear and suspicion lead to a mass hysteria that causes innocent deaths. Today we have a highly sophisticated judicial system and people aren=t being killed innocently like they were in the 1600=s. A climate of fear had settled over Salem, Mass. in 1692 and 20 people were innocently killed because someone said they were witches.
Fear takes over when you think you are in trouble; a flight or fight response kicks in. The adrenaline rushes through your veins and within a second you choose which response is going to take over. In Abigail Williams case the fight response took over and when she is questioned she blames someone else. Abigail calls out Tituba and she says that Tituba made her dance in the woods. Betty, a girl who is supposedly sick, sits up and calls out names also. Accusations start to fly, "Betty: I saw Marha Bellows with the Devil. (Abigail): I saw Goody Sibber with the Devil!@(p. 1198). This continues with ABetty: I saw Alice Barrow with the Devil!@(p. 1198). Not to be outdone Abigail cries out, AI saw Goody Hawkins with the Devil! Betty: I saw Goody Bibber with the Devil! Abigail: I saw Goody Booth with the Devil!@ (P. 1198). Fear had taken over Abigail and Betty and they took matters into their own hands.
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In the case of suspicion, in Act II when Reverend Hale is received at the Procter house, Procter is being very cold and resentful to Hale. When Hale starts asking questions, Procter starts sweating bullets. He is afraid to be found out about his adultery and Hale seems not to believe his answers. Procter is asked to recite the ten Commandments and he cannot remember one and Hale replies,@ Theology, sir, is a fortress; no crack in a fortress may be accounted small.@ (p. 1211). Hale is disappointed and suspicion because he also points out that he hasn=t been to church and that Procter=s last son wasn=t baptized.