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In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible he discusses one event in history, The Salem, Massachusetts, Witch Trials of the fifteenth century, as a symbol of the communist “witch trials” of the 1950s. While he writes about only one time in history, he is really writing about how a few people or events can cause mass panic throughout history. In almost every case in history there are constants, things that remain the same, within each event, such as someone that leads the events; media propaganda; and, oral propaganda. However, the fear of losing one’s life, freedom, and family by war, disease, wrongful accusations, or terrorist attacks reign highest on the list of things that cause mass hysteria. Mass hysteria, as shown in The Crucible, is seen in instances throughout history, the twentieth-century world, and has the possibility to arise in contemporary America. In continuation, history is alive with cases of widespread pandemonium and hysteria. For instance, in 1346 a colony on the coast of Genoa raided another colony on the Black Sea, devising a plan to destroy the township. The Genoese threw the dead corpses of hundreds whom died from the black plague over the walls of the small municipality, unleashing the deadly outbreak onto the unfortunate city. However, managing to take the disease back with them to Sicily on the Italian coast, ravaging even more than just the small borough the Genoese tried to destroy, achieving their goals; but, meanwhile sending the Europeans into a panicked frenzy of killings and quarantines.
Approximate Word count = 842
Approximate Pages = 3.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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