“ I have seen them through their silly seasons, and when it come on them they will run the Devil bowlegged keeping up with their mischief ”. ( Miller 147) Rebecca Nurse has seen the silly season one too many times, but is this situation the children's silly season? Whether it was their silly season for the children or true witchcraft, the Salem Witchcraft Trials all revolved around 17- year old Abigail Williams. When Abigail feels threatened by Betty Parris, everything changes, for one slip up of the truth could end Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, and many other girls in the small village of Salem when dancing out in the woods with Tituba, Mr. Parris’s slave. Reverend Parris sneaks up on the girls and everything goes downhill. Ruth Putnam and Betty Parris fall unresponsive. Betty is still and worrying her father to death, for he is in fear that possible witchcraft in his daughter could ruin his reputation. When Betty wakes and Abigail is around, Betty immediately brings up the fact that Abigail drank a charm of chicken blood to kill Goody Proctor. When Betty threatens Abigail by bringing up what she has done, Abigail threatens Betty and the other girls. “ I have seen some reddish work done at …show more content…
After the little incident between Abigail, Betty and the other girls, Abigail and John went and talked. Abigail and John have a major past, which is why Abigail wants to kill Elizabeth. Abigail and John had an affair when Abigail was helping around the Proctor house when Elizabeth fell ill. Abigail tries to express her love for Proctor but he is not having it. Abigail is furious at his decisions and will do anything at this point to get him. She takes everything to the next level. Being rejected by the one whom she loves makes her devious mind sprout on the ways she can get him to be
Reverend Parris begins to question Abigail about what they were doing in the woods. Betty still could not wake so Reverend Parris sent for Hale. Hale specializes witchcraft things. Hale believe that there is something supernaturally wrong with Betty. When Reverend Parris questions Abigail it he brings up that Abigail was let go by the Proctors and has been re-hired in months.
In Salem, Massachusetts, Puritans were strong believers in the Bible. The Bible states, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” The Puritans beliefs led to them accusing 20 innocent people of being a witch, this resulted in their deaths in 1692. Even though the Puritans couldn’t see it at the time, their accusations were really based off jealousy, lies, and Salem being divided into two parts. One cause of the Salem witch trial hysteria was jealousy.
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.
Abigail is consumed by the idea that John Proctor loves her. She considers that John’s kind actions towards her are more than just lust. Her acknowledgement that it would be a sin for him to love another woman besides his wife reveals that she believes that John Proctor has such deep feelings for her, which are undeniable no matter how wrong it may be. Though Abigail appears to be caught up in her idea of their forbidden love, her romanticized obsession is not enough to prove that her actions are completely motivated by her obsession of
Reverend Parris, worried for his own job, explains to Abigail that her “punishment will come in its time. But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it.” Even the idea of witchcraft in Reverend Parris’s house could ruin his reputation in the town and therefore risk his job. By Betty being ‘afflicted’, she is holding power over her own father and his position in the town. She knows that the longer she is asleep, the more desperate her father is going to be blame someone for the witchcraft who is not her.
Abigail seeks vengeance after her affair with John Proctor. She is still madly obsessed with him. After John rejected her, she makes up lies in court in desperate attempt to get Goody Proctor hanged. She thinks if she gets rid of Goody Proctor she will be able to have John all to herself. One quote that supports this is “I do sir.
And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ head on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!” (Miller 12). This quote shows how Abigail has changed and what she’d do if she was confronted with such a situation. She made the decision quickly and opted to only save herself. Over the course of the book it gets represented pretty well that she is capable of doing everything to hold up her reputation.
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
The Salem witch trial hysteria of 1692 may have been instigated by religious, social, geographic and even biological factors. During these trials, 134 people were condemned as witches and 19 were hanged. These statistics also include 5 more deaths that occurred prior to their execution date. It is interesting to look into the causes of this stain on American History, when as shown in document B, eight citizens were hanged in only one day.
This sparks rumors about witchcraft within the town of Salem, as everyone looks toward the girls involved in the forest incident for an answer. Abigail Williams, Parris’s niece and another girl who danced in the forest, begins to take
Abigail forces the girls of Salem to dance in the woods with her to help conjure spirits and make the charm to kill Goody Proctor. Abigail threatens the girls right after Betty took fright by saying, “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.” (Miller, 144). Later on as the trials prolong Mary Warren turns on Abby and is telling the court that she lied. When Abigail then accuses Mary of witchcraft she turns back to Abby and obeys her once again.
Abigail fuels this situation even more with her manipulative personality. She is a very selfish girl and she is willing to do whatever she can to protect herself. Abigail “smashes her across the face: Shut it! Now shut it!” Abigail smacks Betty when she starts remembering what happened and that Abigail drank blood to kill John Proctor’s wife.
In the play Abigail only cares about herself and what she can do to protect herself. When the girls talk in Betty’s room and Mary shows weakness and wants to tell everyone about what they did in the forest, Abigail gets really angry. She threatens the girls and is not afraid to show what she is willing to do. “Now look you. All of you.
Nicole Schaefer Mr. Becker American Literature October 29, 2014 Two Women for Two Different Worlds In the novel the crucible, Elizabeth, wife of John Proctor, and Abigail Williams, mistress of John Proctor are two main roles. Elizabeth, a woman who is loyal and true, or manipulative and ruthless liar, Abigail. She pretends to see spirits and commands the other girls to pretend as well.
(Miller 467). But, after Mary Warren states “I never done none of it, Abby. I only looked!” (Miller 468), Betty Parris starts to stir and Abigail goes to her bedside.