This question can be answered in a way that both considers the historical setting of the play (the Salem Witch Trials) and its allegorical setting, the McCarthy Hearings. The main reason people remained blind to the truth, i.e., failed to recognize that the accusations being made were false, was an unwillingness to rise above the atmosphere of hysteria. The emotional intensity surrounding both situations caused people to believe outrageous statements without benefit of physical evidence...
This question can be answered in a way that both considers the historical setting of the play (the Salem Witch Trials) and its allegorical setting, the McCarthy Hearings. The main reason people remained blind to the truth, i.e., failed to recognize that the accusations being made were false, was an unwillingness to rise above the atmosphere of hysteria. The emotional intensity surrounding both situations caused people to believe outrageous statements without benefit of physical evidence or even logic. Being swept up in hysteria, which can also include feelings of fear, helplessness, vulnerability and horror, meant that people were willing to let others take control of the situation if it would alleviate their anxiety.
In this way, people in positions of authority (like the court officials or clergy in Salem, or the girls whose antics were on display in the trials, or the government officials during the McCarthy hearings) were able to advance an agenda that might not have found acceptance if it had been introduced within a less emotionally-charged situation. This same kind of situation can be seen following upsetting occurrences in more recent times: for example, the willingness of people to support the invasion of Iraq (a politically-motivated action on some level) following the 9-11 attacks (an event that incited widespread fear, grief, horror and anger).
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