Analysis Of Abigail Williams In The Crucible

Abigail Williams

“The Crucible” by Arthur Miller is a fantastic play with eloquent undertones underpinning all of the main themes and ideas. All of the subject matter when submitted to scrutiny displays a vast level of thought on Miller’s part, especially in regards to the individual characters. But the one with the most forbearance on modern society and the most substance to it is Abigail Williams and how she methodically forces the other characters to fend for themselves in ways that are less than moral.

Abigail Williams knows how to get exactly what she wants. When Betty says “You did, you did! You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor” (Miller 19), the reader can clearly determine that Abigail will take any measure to accomplish her selfish goals. This is as Abigail is trying to intimidate the other girls into not saying anything. “She is the consummate seductress; the witchcraft hysteria in the play originates in her carnal lust for Proctor” (Schissel 3). Abigail is the core of “The Crucible”, everything originates in her desire for Proctor, and the way she achieves her goals. “Abigail is the most complex of the girls in the town who cry out against their elders. Both clever and cunning, her intense cynicism toward the so called respectability of the town is partly supported in the way that we see them act” (Abbotson 1). She has so many layers to her character that we as readers can explore. When she says “My name is good in