”(Miller 100). At that point in time Mary Warren and John Proctor both tried to prove Abigail Williams and the other girls of faking it until, act 4 when she backstabbed John Proctor and made her own claim that John Proctor was satan. ”You’re the devil’s man.” (Miller 110). Mary knows what Abigail was always a threat and being on her side was an advantage, John Proctor was foolish for thinking Mary would keep her word and tell on the girls.
Instead of interrogating Abigail, he is silenced by her which most likely shows that he has accepted her demand of not being judged. At this point, there is a flip in power dynamics at the witchcraft trials, Abigail has overpowered Danforth in courtroom. Judge Danforth an honorable Judge of the supreme court has easily been dominated by a seventeen-year-old Abigail, proving that he is gullible to her lies. Lastly, right after the Andover witchcraft trial revolt, Abigail runs away and also steals Reverend Parris’s money (The crucible). The sheer act of fleeing away shows a sign of guilt and fear of punishment along with her act of stealing Reverend Parris’s money clearly speaks a lot about the criminal character of Abigail Williams.
The judge in the novel states that adultery is a serious crime with serious punishments and tries to get John Proctor's wife to admit he committed adultery by asking why she dismissed Abigail from her service. John admits to the crime of adultery to try to prove that Abigail is a liar, and all those people she accused of witchcraft are actually innocent. The judge asks John's wife if he is an adulterer, but she says he is not to protect him because she does not know he has confessed. Even before the Salem witch trials officially started, John told Abigail that he does not love her and that they can not see each other ever again, she still tries to prove to him that he loves her, and she loves him. Abigail also repeatedly tempts John to sleep with her even though he is still married.
“But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again” (Miller 146). This highlights John's hate for Abigail and how he would hurt himself than touch her again. John loves his wife and even though he cheated on her before he never wants to hurt her again. Abigail feels that John’s wife, Elizabeth, is an evil woman and is trying to blacken her name in the village.
This affair was never fully proven, but Proctor did say, “Abby, I may think of you from time to time but I will cut off my hand before I’ll reach for you again” (Miller 1140). Abigail was madly in love with Proctor and wanted Elizabeth out of the picture so she could have Proctor all to her self. Abigail was very jealous of Elizabeth. She thought that if Elizabeth would die, she would get Proctor all to her self. She accused Elizabeth of being a “cold, sniveling woman”(Miller 1140).
When Hale attends court with Mary and Proctor, so they can tell Danforth that all of the accusations are false, Hale starts to believe that the girls are all a fraud. Abigail and the girls begin in frenzy when they are accused of lying in the court and about all of the convicted they believe were partaking in witchcraft. At that point Hale becomes annoyed at the pity and belief that Danforth is giving them that he quits the court. Hale proclaims as he leaves, “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!” (1213).
but she also blames John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth. Abigail goes to Proctor and begs for him back and also confesses to the accusations being false. Many people start going to court and confess to signing their souls over to the devil. Proctor, to save his wife’s life, tells the truth but the court does not believe him and he is hung. The Crucible does a great job in showing the prejudice and hypocrisy in real life events.
Whether this is a false representation of what Proctor or not, it does not match the rest of the production. Abigail is shown being thrown to the ground by Proctor, while also threatening her by saying he will ruin her life if Elizabeth isn’t freed. He will have nothing to do with Abigail because she is already ruining his life by accusing his wife. This scene is a false representation of both characters, another reason it should be cut out of the movie.
In The Crucible, Abigail is driven by her jealousy of Elizabeth, a hunger for power and sense of belonging, and a yearning for John. Abigail continues to review and edit her memories until they accurately portray her as the center of John’s existence. This obsession and grave desire for revenge puts her in a delusional state, so much so that she develops a detailed plan to acquire John and stops at nothing to see her plan succeed. Abigail lies to conceal her affair, and to prevent charges of witchcraft. In order to avoid severe punishment for casting spells, having an affair and attempting to murder Elizabeth, Abigail shifts the focus away from herself by accusing others of witchcraft.
In the end, Abigail and John are both hanged and Elizabeth is jailed because she is pregnant and cannot be hanged. The emotion of envy led to throwing accusations at one another. These accusations and the envy of the relationship caused not only the death of the relationship but also one another. Greed is another character trait that does not work in relationships.
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the people of Salem rely heavily on their reputations, which in the face of witchcraft, leads to false accusations and hysteria. Abigail showed her fear of a blackened reputation through her hasty accusations when being accused herself. In The Crucible when Abigail is trapped in a web of her own lies, she is accused of calling the Devil. With all eyes on her, and a need to save her reputation, she quickly replies, “I never called him!
Lust can drive a woman insane A man cannot serve to masters. You can only serve one person and in this case is your spouse that you married and loved. Don’t let others interfere with your marriage or let them tempt you.
Abigail Williams Destined for Hell "The truth doesn't cost anything, but a lie could cost you anything." This quote by an unknown author perfectly sums up the way Abigail Williams acted and treated people. During the Salem witch trials Abigail Williams was no typical Puritan women. She was seventeen years old and did whatever she wanted.
Abigail Williams is Responsible for the Salem Tragedy The spring of 1692, the Salem witch trials began after a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by the Devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. The tragic death of many people was caused by just a few young girls just as it was in the play. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the main character responsible for the tragedy in Salem was Abigail Williams. Abigail was the reason for the start of many of the things that happened, such as: being caught in the woods, leading to the idea of witchcraft; pretending to get stabbed by Elizabeth’s spirit, leading to respected people being accused; and threatening people with her authority, leading to the death of many people.
In Arthur Miller's The Crucible Abigail- a young, jealous, and empowered girl- ambushes everyone around her with a method of destruction. The people in Abigail's town are religious; knowing this Abigail begins to implement her strategy, which involves accusing and sentencing people to death. Abigail starts her plan when she learns she can never be with John Proctor, who is married to Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail wants to be with John, so Abigail must get rid of Elizabeth; hence, the plan that will create a path for Abigail. Abigail's plan will lead to her gaining love as well as