Have you ever done something out of pure emotion? Have you ever tried to get the blame off of you in a difficult situations? Abigail has done these very things to her full extent in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. In Salem, a small village located in Massachusetts, the daily life consists only of work and prayer. When Betty, the daughter of Reverend Parris becomes ill, word quickly spreads of witchcraft, and the town goes into mass hysteria. The niece of Parris, Abigail, soon becomes the center of attention when evidence comes forth of her and a group of girls danced in the woods. To take the attention off herself she begins to blame other people of the village that they are one with the devil. Then, Abigail blames Elizabeth Proctor, in hopes …show more content…
Abby has a concrete motive, her love for John Proctor and fear of punishment. Although religion may have be factored into the belief of satan, Abby is the one that fuels the fire of the frenzy brought on in Salem. Abby does use religion on her side, but religion is not the key player. After Tituba's confession offers a way out, Abigail decides to also do a confession of her own. “I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book…”(Miller 48). Abby uses the strict beliefs of Puritanism to sway the town towards her side, but religion is not solely to blame. Some may say: Well the court is based off religious laws to, and any relevance to the devil is a crime. Abby knows this, and uses it to her advantage with the outbreak following Mary Warren's confession. If Abby had not said anything and had nothing to do with the trials, then the trials would not have be as crazy as they are. She takes advantage of the religious court when she sights the bird, the spirit of Mary Warren and says to Marr that “this is a black art to change your shape”(Miller 115). So although religion is involved in the witch trials of salem, Abigail is the one who originally uses it to get her
Abby also is very manipulative. While, the witch trials are holding place in Salem, Abigail uses this characteristic to her advantage. When Danforth asks a question to Abigail, she responds, “’Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits?’”(Miller 108). Abby is clearly demonstrating that she is manipulative because she turned the table and started to ask the Judge if he doubted her of lying.
Abigail is quick to temper when people gets in her way so she accuses them of witchcraft to get them killed. Abigail said, “Why do you come, yellow bird” (Miller 120). This quote is Abigail accusing Mary Warren of sending her spirit to attack her. She accused her of sending her spirit because Mary Warren told the court that Abigail and the other girls was lying about all of the witchcraft.
Abigail uses the fact that every person shes accused has been a witch to secure her position as a trust worth witness in court. As seen when the suspension is raised to her, Abigail says, “I have been hurt, Mr. Danforth; I see my blood running out! I have been near to murdered every day because I have done my duty pointing out the Devil’s people -- and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a --” (113). She uses the fact that there is a perceived danger in callout witches as one can try to kill her because they feel threated or that she 's been hurt by witchcraft when it was just self-inflicted wounds.
A lesson that can never taught enough is to be careful of what you say about others. Miller demonstrates this with the characters of Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams, they are foil characters, meaning they are polar opposites and bring out the worst in each other. Elizabeth is a strong Christian woman who doesn 't hardly hold a grudge against anyone, always tells the truth, and is selfless. Abigail however is full of hate and revenge, lies to get what she wants, and thinks she runs the town of Salem during the trials. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play set in the 1600’s in the puritan village of Salem, Massachusetts.
In Arthur Miller’s book The Crucible, Abigail is the one to blame. This book took place in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. 1692 was a period of time where which trial took place, and in Arthur Miller’s book eighteen year old Abigail Williams is the blame behind it all. Abigail is lustful, arrogance, mendacity and is now the blame behind this story. Abigail’s flaw of lustful goes along with the affair that her and john proctor had going on at one point.
In a small village called Salem, witchcraft and sorcery exist, however everyone is pointing fingers but not a single soul knows who is actually to blame for this nonsense. During this time period of hysteria, there are multiple scenes that are very questionable due to one person and one person only. Abigail is the one most responsible for the hysteria and witchcraft in Salem. She threatens the group of girls that accompanied her in the woods while they all danced. She has also lied about many things on multiple occasions in which causes an extreme amount of suspicion.
Arthur Miller’s portrayal of a town in the midst of a downfall “The Crucible”, tells the story of how mob mentality and hysteria can significantly influence not only individuals but the whole town. This mob mentality leads to unthoughtful acts and false accusations. Two characters who demonstrate how mob mentality can lead to the demise of Salem are Abigail and Mary Warren. As Abigail begins to be accused she is pressured to deter from the truth. While Mary Warren gets pressured by Proctor to reveal the truth about Abigail, but the overwhelming pressure from the mob makes her turn from the truth.
The Spread of Hysteria in Salem In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, multiple factors fueled the hysteria leading up to the Salem witch trials, such as Abigail’s deceiving plots, Reverend Hale not establishing the truth, and citizens’ mindless accusations. Abigail is the most guilty of causing outbreaks of panic starting with dancing in the woods with other girls, then moving to framing Mary Warren with a doll, and fake acting out seeing otherworldly entities. One example of Abigail’s manipulation is when she stabbed herself with a needle to frame Mary Warren: “Stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out” (176). Abigail also has a habit of accusing falsely and gets to girls to gang up during hearings, but everyone believes
One night he finds Abigail dancing in the woods with some of her friends, mainly Betty, Tituba, and Mary Warren. They are accused of witchcraft, then they start blaming other people to stay out of trouble. Abby starts to blame people of them bewitching them to stay out of trouble and later i in the book to have some power because they are unmarried woman. Unmarried woman at the time had no to little power. This is how Abby is part of it but not the main reason behind it.
Abigail believed that Proctor actually loved her and she waited every night for him. She was brainwashed to think he would leave his wife for her. The witchcraft accusation came from the beginning of the story when Abigail and the girls were dancing naked in the woods and chanting. She made false accusations that people in the village were worshipping the devil to cover what she had done. Many lives were taken but Abigail had no empathy for anyone who was hanged.
During a session in court, John openly admits to giving Abigail Williams a motive to cause The Witch Trials. Proctor states, “I have known her, sir. I have known her… A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now, I beg you, sir, I beg you—see her [Abigail] what she is” (Miller, 110). The judge is astonished by the information at hand and demands Elizabeth to confirm the claim.
Abigail’s felling for John started the event known as the Salem Witch
The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller. It takes place during the Salem witch trials. Salem is an isolated town in the Boston area that is set up perfectly for witchcraft accusations. Abigail is being accused of witchcraft and she is a manipulative girl. Abigail has been accused of committing witchcraft in the woods and she plans to bring other people down with her.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play which contains a multitude of complex characters . In the play, the characters’ motivations and inner processes are explored. Because of the historical setting, the characters live in a society of judgement and extreme religious devotion. This is a factor that places any of the characters’ choices and morals in a public balance to be judged by others. Abigail Williams is the main character of the play and acts with an utter selfishness and obsession.
Abigail Williams, the main antagonist of the play, uses her sharp wit and manipulative personality in order to gain power through causing hysteria and chaos in a restrictive 17th century Salem environment. The attention Abigail draws to herself through the accusations made in the witch trials generate a great source of power for her, when Abigail and John Proctor, of whom previously had an affair have a conversation regarding the witch trials she says, “I have a sense for heat, John, and yours has drawn me to my window, and I have seen you looking up, burning in your loneliness. Do you tell me you’ve never looked up at my window?”(Miller 21). Through her relationship with John Proctor, Abigail gains power due to the fact that they share a mutual liking for each other and John is married to