One motif in The Crucible is hysteria. The final scene in Act One shows the girls hysterically yelling out the names of people they have seen with the devil. While it is possible that each of the girls is simply lying, it is also possible that they, or at least some of them, are in the grip of hysteria. Eventually, much of the town succumbs to this hysteria. What reasons can you generate for the girls' hysterical behavior? Brainstorm possibilities in the margin and share your ideas with your group.