Examples Of Evil In The Crucible

Do the concepts of good and evil exist? Many people would say yes. In late 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts, these concepts were truly put to the test. In the Puritan culture that was descended from the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620, the people of New England were expected to live a life that was strictly devoted to Biblical dictates and ideals. Unfortunately, the Puritan mindset of the time period evolved in such a way that a belief in the possibility of the devil's interference in people's lives, in evil spirits, witches and warlocks, became a part of everyday life. As a result, the historical period that we know of as the Salem witch trials took place, where many innocent people were hanged for being suspected of practicing evil. There are several characters in The Crucible who can be seen as practicing evil. Those characters are Abigail Williams, Mary Warren, and Judge Danforth.

In the play the Crucible she was the head of the accusers. She and her group accused many townspeople of witchcraft leading to almost all of their impending deaths and a mass hysteria. Even if she herself did not accuse the victims she stood in trial as a witness and lied about many incidents. Her rampage started with a man known as John Proctor. John Proctor was Abigail's lover, even though he was a married man. When she asked him to divorce his wife so they could be together he refused, this was a major stepping point for Abby. Abby is evil although she isn't a witch because she is setting people up to be killed. “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.” Here we see Abby looking after only herself while threatening those who dare to go against her. This proves she will go to any lengths to keep herself safe and the evil that she is