What could any of the characters in The Crucible have done to end the hysteria in Salem?
Begin by choosing a position and stating a claim. Then use specific details from the monsters are due on maple street and the crucible and historical examples
Position: John Proctor could have taken a stand to end the hysteria in Salem.
Claim: If John Proctor had confessed to his affair with Abigail Williams and publicly denounced her as a fraud, he could have quelled the hysteria in Salem.
Specific details and examples:
1. In Act III of The Crucible, John Proctor has the opportunity to expose Abigail as a liar during the court proceedings, but he chooses to keep his affair with her a secret. If he had confessed to his wrongdoing and exposed Abigail's deceit, it would have discredited her testimony and possibly stopped the witch trials.
2. By denouncing Abigail as a fraud, John Proctor could have undermined her influence over the other girls who were accusing innocent people of witchcraft. This could have spurred others in Salem to question the validity of the accusations and put an end to the hysteria.
3. Historical example: In the real-life Salem witch trials of 1692, it took the confession of several accused individuals to bring an end to the mass hysteria. People like Tituba and Giles Corey who admitted to false confessions helped to expose the flaws in the legal proceedings and eventually led to the downfall of the trials.
Overall, if John Proctor had taken a stand and exposed the lies and deceit at the root of the hysteria in Salem, he could have potentially put an end to the witch trials and saved the lives of innocent people.