Final answer:
Arthur Miller perceived a correspondence of societal conflict and hysteria between the 17th-century Salem Witch Trials and the 1950s McCarthyism in his play, The Crucible, highlighting the dangerous consequences of such mass frenzies on rationality and justice.
Step-by-step explanation:
Arthur Miller identified a strong correspondence between the events of the Salem Witch Trials in the 17th century and the McCarthyism of the 1950s in America as he wrote his play, The Crucible. This correspondence is best encapsulated as b) Societal conflict and hysteria. In both periods, fear fueled a frenzy of accusations, distrust, and the suspension of rational judgment. The chaos of the Salem Witch Trials, with its baseless accusations of witchcraft, mirrored the Cold War hysteria where any suspected affiliation with communism could lead to public condemnation and legal repercussions. Through The Crucible, Miller parallels these two historical events to critique the tactics of McCarthyism—such as guilt by association and the lack of evidence in convictions—and to examine the impact of such hysteria on society, where dissent could dangerously be equated to treachery.