To convict Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft would be like giving up our independance to the British simply because they said so, it wouldn’t quite make sense would it? Convicting Mrs. Proctor, with only accusations to go by, doesn’t make sense either. A real human being cannot possibly be willing to convict her when there is glaring evidence that supports her innocence. The accusation made by Abigail Williams that it was “Elizabeth’s familiar spirit” is just that, an accusation, it has no truth behind it. Abigail claims that it was Elizabeth who pushed the needle into her stomach and Cheever thinks that the poppet found in the Proctor home is proof of that; however, it was not Mrs. Proctor who made the poppet, it was Mary Warren. That night …show more content…
It’s obvious what has happened here, Abigail saw what Mary was making and conjured up a scheme to get Mrs. Proctor convicted of witchcraft. She knew that Mary would take that home and that if Mr. Cheever searched the Proctor's house hold he would find it there. It all adds up except for one flagrant question, why? What reason could there possibly be for Ms. Williams to have this sort of hatred towards Elizabeth? Could it be that she’s spiteful of Mrs. Proctor for dismissing her from her servitude? Or is it because she was in love with John and saw Elizabeth as nothing more than an obstacle in her way? What this jury doesn’t know is that John Proctor swears that he committed lechery on his wife with Ms. Abigail Williams. Abigail never denied this indictment, instead she said, “ If i must answer that, I will leave and I will not come back again!”. She refused to respond to the allegation, if she were innocent of the wrongdoing would she not want to reveal it? Judge Danforth brought out Elizabeth to confirm John’s story because John said that she had never lied in her life and never …show more content…
Would a woman not want to protect her husband from hanging? She knew not of John’s confession and therefore thought that if she told the court what had actually happened he would be sentenced to hang. What good would he do dead? The two of them have two kids together, the boys deserve and need a father, Elizabeth would not be able to raise them on her own and take care of their land at the same time. So she told a very reasonable lie to protect her husband who she had vowed loyalty to, and to help her kid’s lives.If John had not engaged in romantic events with Abigail why would he ruin his good name? What good would he be doing to himself or his family? There is absolutely no reason for him to indict himself of this crime if it did not happen, so again I propose to you that Abby planned this whole thing out of spite. She framed Mrs. Proctor in hope that she would hang and be out of John’s life, making it even easier for Abby to continue her relationship with John, someone she is very obviously infatuated with. So I leave you with this, we’ve executed seventeen people already, is it not time to stop the madness? Do what God has called upon us to do, see past the words of the unrighteous and stand up for the
She has the strong reputation of not telling a single lie throughout the play up until they were in court. Sometimes pressured situations push people to lie especially if it's for the people that they love. Elizabeth truly loved John Proctor and she was too kind hearted of a women to seek revenge on him or even Abigail. Another point is that out of all the people that would be guilty, Elizabeth would be the last on the list because of her devotion and genuine character. She also doesn't have a strong enough motive against Abigail besides the affair, which she had already moved on from.
One may say John Proctor only did what he did because Elizabeth was his wife and any man would stand up for his wife and sacrifice himself. Ultimately though, in a time like this, if John Proctor stood up for his wife he’d be, in the worst-case scenario, put to death. Most people in today’s age wouldn’t do something like that. In times like this, most town folk seemed ready to do whatever they could do to help someone who they cared about, even if it put them to death, which shows John Proctor’s ability not to fear death. With Abigail Williams, on the other hand, being the villain, she might not seem courageous because of her wicked ways.
Elizabeth Proctor is good wife with all kindness, moral and upright assembling in her personality. The only weakness of her is cold and indifferent emotion, and it is kind of the indirect cause of John Proctor’s affair with their housekeeper, Abigail Williams. Then she’s got a good reason to be kind of distant and suspicious. “You were alone with her? Why, then, it is not as you told me.
He hopes to save Elizabeth by confessing his lechery and to expose Abigail. He thinks Danforth and Hathorne will believe him because he has a high reputation in the community. They do not believe him because his wife did not validate his words. 6. How is Elizabeth’s testimony used against Proctor?
Guilt is emotional torture that transforms one's psychological operation. In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, before the Salem witch trials emerge, John Proctor cheats on his wife Elizabeth Proctor, with young Abigail. Causing him to live with an eternal shame that generates dispute. Proctor’s endeavour is to elude from his wrongdoing, but he cannot because of the disgrace he feels himself to be when around Elizabeth. Miller shows that John Proctor's emotional and behavioral conflict rises from his guilt.
If Abigail, John, and Elizabeth would have been honest to begin with then many innocent people would not have lost their lives and left the town in despair. Abigail Williams lied to many people a during the entire story. In Act 1, Abigail made Reverend Parris believe that she was dismissed from working for the Proctors was due to the fact that “She (Elizabeth) 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, 140).
Afterwards, she was willing to destroy anyone in the way of her getting to be with him. Proctor definitely wishes he had never laid with Abigail, and everyone else was paying for his mistake, as she ruined everyone’s lives, “I have known her, sir. I have known her.” (Act III, 378). A single lie snowballed, leaving death and terror in its wake, all because Abigail could not, and likely did not want to control herself.
The scene is needed to confirm that Abigail’s actions are motivated by her love for John Proctor. When John Proctor comes over to see what is wrong with Betty in Act One, Abigail believes that John has come to see her. She informs him that she knows that he truly lovers her. Proctor denies her ludicrous statement, but she doesn’t believe him claiming, “You love me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!” (Miller 22).
Abigail wanted to get her vengeance on Elizabeth Proctor for firing her as a maid. John Proctor screamed in rage at Judge Danforth, “She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave!... But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it…”(3.863-8). Abigail wanted to kill or blame Elizabeth for witchcraft to get her vengeance. She may have wanted vengeance, but that did not happen as much as scapegoating like when Abigail scapegoated Tituba.
The relationships between Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor are based on personal rivalries. Abigail is ready to do anything in order to get rid of John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, to replace her for him. The great majority of her actions is ruled by her selfish nature. In the very beginning of the play, the first thing Abigail does is tries to kill her rival with a special ritual. This night was a starting point
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
Also, in attempt to tell the truth about Abigail, John Proctor admits to cheating on his wife with Abigail, but Elizabeth lets her fear assist her in lying. John Proctor tells everyone in the court, previous to Elizabeth arriving, “she [has] never lied” (III.891.). With everyone now knowing that she does not lie, it makes her trustworthy and believable. Deputy Danforth then brings Elizabeth in to confirm what
When Elizabeth was first introduced into the play, there was a certain type of tension in the air between her and her husband, John Proctor. He had come in for a long day of working on the farms when they got to talking about the court trials for witches and Elizabeth had wanted John to confess to the court about his sin of adultery with Abigail. John does not want to confess though
In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is accused of performing witchcraft and contracting with the Devil. He is faced with the decision to either confess to or deny the accusations. Ultimately, Proctor chooses to deny the accusations and dies a martyr. Proctor’s decision to sacrifice himself is justified because he protected the reputation of those who died and risked being arrested to save his wife, Elizabeth Proctor. John Proctor’s death is justified because he was willing to sacrifice his life to protect the reputation of others.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play which contains a multitude of complex characters . In the play, the characters’ motivations and inner processes are explored. Because of the historical setting, the characters live in a society of judgement and extreme religious devotion. This is a factor that places any of the characters’ choices and morals in a public balance to be judged by others. Abigail Williams is the main character of the play and acts with an utter selfishness and obsession.