The Crucible – How does Miller make vivid the triumph of superstition over reason and common sense?
In ‘The Crucible’, Miller creates an atmosphere in Salem where hysteria rules the village while reason and common sense are put aside. The superstitions of a few young teenage girls are taken seriously by the largely Christian village; to the point of a broken theocracy and where all reason is lost.
In Act III, there are many dramatic scenes in the courtroom which show the power of the girls’ overbearing superstitions. At the beginning of the play, Mary Warren joined in with the other girls in the forest with their hysteria and witchcraft. However, she converts to Proctor’s side and in court says “It were pretence, sir” to Danforth. She tries to save Proctor by turning in the girls and admitting that Abigail had been telling lies. This comes to no avail and then Abigail, with the other girls, puts on an act and starts copying Mary Warren as if Mary had bewitched her. Mary gives in and turns on Proctor saying “You’re the Devil’s Man!” Mary tried to have reason and common sense by defying the girls but the way she gave in to their act of hysteria shows how superstition triumphs over reason and common sense.