Abigail Williams The Crucible Essay

The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1952. The play is also an allegory to McCarthyism, which was occurring when the play was written. In the most simplistic way the play was about the Salem Witchcraft Trials. These trials caused a mass hysteria throughout Massachusetts. Abigail Williams plays a main role by manipulating others into killing the innocent because of her accusations of witchcraft. She can be described as threatening, deceitful, and even unstable.
Abigail proves herself to be threatening throughout the entire play. One can first see this when Betty, Reverend Parris’ daughter, wakes up and mentions how Abigail was drinking blood to kill John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth. Abigail screams and says, “-I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I

Considering all that Abigail does in the duration of the play it is safe for one to conclude that she is not alright in the head. To begin Abigail mentions the violent death of her parents in Act I. “-I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night-”(837) Being exposed to such a horrific event may have caused Abigail to believe violence is normal. On the other hand, Abigail has a fairly low social status in Salem because of Elizabeth, John Proctor's wife. She yells with a temper, “My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!”(834) Because of her low importance she seizes any chance to gain some type of power. As a result, she accuses witchcraft to get not only revenge, but attention. Lastly, her relationship with John Proctor prior to the beginning of the play causes Abigail to become irrational. She is so infatuated and upset that she can not be with him that she goes far enough to try and have his wife