How does fear influence the way people behave in Act Two of The Crucible?

Fear influences how individuals act in the Second Act in a
variety of ways.  One such way is that it prevents people from taking action in what
they know is right.  John, himself, shows this.  On one hand, Elizabeth is right in
terms of her insistence in John telling the authorities that the witchcraft accusations
are false.  Yet, John does not go because he is afraid that no one will believe him in
that he cannot offer proof of what transpired between them.  The idea here is that fear
of being believed prevent John from doing what he and his wife know are right.  The
escalation of the accused and the punishment meted out to them is also causing fear in
the town, increasing both silence and complicity in the second scene.  The fear that is
taking hold of the town, with Abigail at its helm, helps to create a setting where the
pursuit of truth will invariably come at a significant and painful
cost.