From 1692 to 1693, the Salem witch trials had Massachusettes in shambles because of the rising hysteria and madness. This madness was caused by many factors, including a corrupted justice system, personal grudges against one another, and one's willingness to lie for pride. The Salem government was considered a theocracy, in which the government was ruled in the name of God and the hands of the priest. Judge Danforth exemplifies unprofessionalism when he decides he cannot pardon anyone because they have already hung many others, which would be admitting his wrongdoing. “You misunderstand, sir; I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just.” (Miller 4.246-248) This displays the feeling of superiority …show more content…
Reverend Hale is considered a well-educated and specialized man in the witchcraft theory. This leads to him having a high ego because of his experience. “We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, and I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of Hell upon her.” (Miller 1. 751-756) This implies that everyone should trust his judgment simply because of his prior experience and knowledge of witchcraft and the devil's practices. Another significant factor in the hysteria was people holding personal grudges against one another. The play displays Abigail's love for John Proctor and her hatred for Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail and Proctor had previously had an affair, and Abigail is now in love with him. During the play, it is noticed that Abigail has vendettas against Elizabeth and wants her dead. She also actively talks down about Elizabeth throughout the play. “She hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman!” (Miller
In Act 1, John Proctor leads Abigail on while he has a wife. Instead of leading Abigail on he had an opportunity to end the hysteria. At that point, he created drama since Abigail had gone so far to do witchcraft and drink blood in order to have Elizabeth killed in Act 1. In Act IV, Proctor confessed his sin which made the town go insane. Proctor's decisions caused Abigail and Elizabeth to hate each other for the reason they both were in love with the same man.
So she says. Abigail is the most responsible for the hysteria and the reason many innocent people are being hung to their death. Abigail goes to the woods to drink blood to curse Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail was the Proctors servant. Elizabeth found out about to adultery her and John have been doing and fired her.
The Salem Witch Trial is a historically located incident stirred by the accusations of an Indian slave woman, named Tituba, who confessed to the practice of witchcraft under the pressure and physical force of colonial slave owners in 1692. She escaped execution, unlike many accused women, because of her ability to acclimate to the culture and society of her oppressors. In Breslaw’s portrait of Tituba’s life starting with her ambiguous Amerindian-Caribbean roots, she shows how Tituba’s first step in acclimating to British-colonial society was to force her mother tongue to take a backseat to the language introduced and enforced by English colonizers who captured “American Indians to sell as slaves in Barbados” for the purpose of providing slave labor to British colonies in
Elizabeth and Abigail Williams, John Proctor’s one-time affair, have had a conflict throughout the play. From Elizabeth firing Abigail to Abigail naming Elizabeth as a witch. The conflict between the two has now become a life or death deal, where Abigail is willing to send Elizabeth to the gallows in order to be with John, her true love. The witch trials of Salem gave Abigail her opportunity to do just that. The conflict between the two could be resolved if Abigail were to succeed and Elizabeth dies, it is also possible if Abigail were to find a new man.
Abigail can be possibly motivated to “see” the devil for personal gains because in the court, Abigail Williams accuses John Proctors wife, Elizabeth Proctor. The only reason why Abigail indicts her is because she is madly in love with John Proctor and sees John’s wife as an obstacle to getting John for herself. Thus, the trials present the perfect opportunity for Abigail to get rid of Elizabeth Proctor
Among the obviously innocent is John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth. Abigail gains integrity for her “duty [of] pointing out the Devil’s people”, and therefore uses this to accuse Mrs. Proctor. Abigail’s ultimate goal is to get rid of Elizabeth in order to be with Proctor.
She spoke in tandem with Abigail and caused the Reverend to label her as a witch. This small act started a downward spiral in Salem, with their influence increasing rapidly with each conviction. Another test that happened was when John Proctor, a well known landowner, slept with Abigail earlier in the play causing her to gain an obsession with him. This started Abigail's hatred for Proctor's wife, Elizabeth, and it would not stop until she had John under her
The play is set during the witch trials in Salem, where innocent people were persecuted and executed for witchcraft due to mass panic and fear. The play depicts the desperation of the accused, who were willing to confess to crimes they did not commit to save their lives. Religion is shown to be a tool of manipulation, with individuals in power using faith to control others. John Proctor is portrayed as a rational individual who refuses to give in to fear and panic. Abigail Williams is a character who manipulates hysteria to gain power, falsely accusing innocent people of witchcraft.
REVIEW OF LITRATURE A.) SUMMARY SOURCE A Although the whole book had information on the Salem witch trials. The introduction, chapter 1 and 2 and the conclusion had information regarding the research needed • Introduction: states what the Salem witch trials where and who they accused.
For example, Abigail Williams had an affair with John Proctor who was married to Elizabeth Proctor at the time and got discovered. However, Abigail Williams still “loved” John Proctor and was rejected. Later, she accuses Elizabeth Proctor for witchcraft, an action she uses as her revenge. These acts of cruelty ultimately affect all the victims and their families in this play as their consequence is to be hung. The vulnerability and sense of helplessness are all revealed in the victims as they are facing their
Reverend Hale is motivated by the possibility of witchcraft. Hale said, “Have no fear now- we shall find him out if he has come among us and I mean to crush him utterly if has has shown his face” (39). This shows that
I think Abigail is to blame for the hysteria at the end of Act 1, because she accuses other people, lies, and tries to get what she wants. First, when Abigail says, “If they be questioning us tell them we danced- I told him as much already.”(18). Abigail is telling the other girls to lie to Reverend Parris about what happened in the woods that night he saw them. Fear is used to scare the girls into lying even though what they did was wrong, Abigail doesn’t want to lose the power of controlling and “witchcraft”. Secondly, Abigail is speaking to John Proctor saying, “Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be-.”(24).
Abigail is willing to accuse any one in her path of witchcraft even if it means taking the lives of those close to her. Abigail Williams’ emotional desire guides her actions even if it conflicts with morality. Abigail williams is driven to do unthinkable things because of her love for John Proctor. Abigail works in the Proctor’s home and while doing so she finds herself attracted to John. Abigail’s obsession with Proctor leads them to have an affair, which they try to keep
Elizabeth is the victim of Abigail’s heartless actions and affair. These two women are almost complete opposites. Both characters struggle and fight through the story in their own ways. Abigail is the villain in this play.
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