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In the past, present, and undoubtedly in the future, deceptive individuals take advantage of the anxieties and fears of society. When a society's insecurities are exposed and raw, a disconcerted mood spreads throughout the people. This contagion can engulf an ent ....

Middle of Essay
.... for instance, has a love affair with John Proctor, and wants Proctor to leave his wife Elizabeth for her. Another character with a hidden agenda is Mr. Thomas Putnam, who hopes to take over some of his neighbor's land. To amplify the situation, a group of girls are questioned by ministers for performing witch-like rituals in the forest. A Puritan belief of the 17th century is that the devil and other demons live in the forest, and that witchcraft is performed there as well. Dissembling citizens begin to accuse others of witchcraft, with a very selfish motive. As John Proctor describes the hysteria that ensues, "vengeance is walking Salem" (1079) ....