Hysteria

Lewis, Johnstone, Jonny and

Milly.
 What is Hysteria?
• Hysteria is defined as a state where a
person’s emotions become
overwhelming and prompt them to act
in strange ways.
 Hysteria in The Crucible
• Hysteria is a huge part in prompting
the extreme behaviour in The Crucible.
• Hysteria’s influence is felt strongest in
the courtroom of Salem, where people
break all of their previous moral
standards and condemn those who
were previously friends.
 The Yellow Bird
• After Elizabeth claims that John was
not unfaithful to her, Abigail claims
that Mary Warren has turned into a
yellow bird and is attacking her.
• This highlights the theme of hysteria
as virtually everyone in the
courtroom, the girls and the other
citizen’s alike take in Abigail’s story
as truth, highlighting that they are
not thinking clearly.
 Connotations of Yellow
• Yellow is a colour that is typically
referred to in literature as signifying
cowardice or ‘snitching’ on others –
exactly what Abigail believes Mary was
doing.
• This could also refer to the way that
those in the court are highly passive
and wish to be led, a reflection on the
Salem society.
 Martha Corey being Tried
• At the beginning of act three, Martha
Corey is being tried on suspicion of
reading fortunes, an awful sin in
Salemite society.
• As Martha is being tried, the people of
the town routinely shout and jeer while
Giles Corey is giving evidence to save
his wife.
 Effect of Martha’s Trial
• The crowd's reaction highlights that
the people of Salem see the trials as
some bizarre cabaret act, showing the
theme of hysteria as the entire town
has been emotionally compromised by
the acts of these children, heightening
the impression of hysteria given by
Miller.
 The First Mass Calling
Out
• Soon after the arrival of the reverend
Hale, the girls make their first large
scale calling out.
• The girls start with accusing those
weak in the Salem society and
eventually move into targets that are
higher in the Salemite hierarchy.
 Effect of the Mass Calling
Out
• The mass calling out presents the most
dramatic representation of hysteria as
the act ends upon the screams of the
girls – this highlights the sheer mass of
emotions that are corrupting the girls
and a parallel can be drawn to the
hysteria of the Salem society also.
 In Closing
• Hysteria is one of the most vital parts
of the Crucible and it’s a concept that
goes through the play.
• Hysteria is felt most strongly whenever
the girls are involved due to the great
power that they exert over Salem – due
to their theological society and their
naivety.