How does Brooks depict a scene of mass hysteria? Note some of the words and phrases that show us how people were behaving

Mem Gowdie has been tied up and is being beaten by a number of drunk villagers. They are accusing her of witchcraft, saying that she cursed the village, causing it to suffer from the plague. Anna interrupts the mob and begs the townspeople to reconsider their actions, but the mob is too agitated to listen to reason. Anna is pushed to the ground and knocked unconscious for a short time. The mob throws Mem into a nearby well to see if she sinks or swims; if she were to float, the mob would attest that she is a witch and is using magic to save her life. Mem begins to drown, however, and the group begins to lament that they have murdered an innocent woman.