The Salem Witch Trials that went through the town of Salem, Massachusetts in the 1690’s put the town through a period of tribulation. In Act III of The Crucible, written to take place during the trials, playwright Arthur Miller creates a hysterical mood amongst the characters in the courtroom through his use of stage direction and exclamatory sentences. Based off the actions of the girls, led by Abigail, and the response of those in attendance, an increasing panic settles upon the courtroom. At the beginning of the scene, Abigail makes a “chilling cry, [and] screams up to the ceiling” (114). Being such a sudden interruption, Abigail immediately alarms the the courtroom and creates a growing dramatic tension. As the trials ensue, the townspeople …show more content…
Mary Warren pleads to Abigail that it is not her spirit, screaming “Abby, you mustn’t!”, in which Abigail and the group of girls echo the same phrase in perfect unison (115). The fear of accusations on themselves blinds the girls and traps them in a situation that they no longer control. Their outcries confuse many of the attendees, the delirium flowing into the crowd and driving them to the point to where they must believe that the devil is in the room, or else risk being convicted of compacting with the devil themselves. Judge Danforth also adds to the frenzy when he continually questions at Mary Warren, once yelling, “Draw back your spirit out of them!” (116). Danforth plays into the situation at hand by continuing the false accusations. He questions Mary Warren by using intimidation and forcing answers out of her that he wants to hear. He is scared of the truth himself because it will make his previous accusations untrue, and the lies he generates from Mary sends everyone into state of paranoia. The constant shouting that takes place in the courtroom builds a tension impossible to