A tragic time in American history was the Salem witch trials of 1962, which took place in Salem, Massachusetts. Many innocent people were wrongfully convicted of witchcraft at this time and executed as a result. Abigail Williams, a young lady who played a crucial role in the events in Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible," was one of the main perpetrators of these false allegations. Abigail is shown in "The Crucible" as a manipulative and bitter character who will do anything to further her agenda. She is driven by jealousy and a desire for revenge against those who have wronged her. When word of the witchcraft trials spreads throughout Salem, Abigail seizes the opportunity. She falsely accuses anybody who gets in her way, including Elizabeth Proctor, her previous boss, …show more content…
False charges were common for Abigail. Abigail was speaking to Danforth. Abigail says, "I saw Goody Osborn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!" (Act 1. Line 481) When Abigail says this, she is falsely accusing Goody Osborn and Bridget Bishop of witchcraft despite having no concrete evidence to support her claim. She makes this claim to get eyes off of her, which is entirely false. Abigail is speaking to John Proctor and says, "I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now!" (Act 1. Line 189) When Abigail says this to John, it shows that Abigail is still in love with John after their previous affair. She will go to any lengths to get back together with John. One thing that could explain Abigail’s actions is her traumatic past. Abigail is talking to the other girls in the forest about her family's past. She states, "I saw Indians smash my parents' heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen the same reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!" (Act 1. Line 160) This quote elucidates how traumatic a past Abigail had. Trauma such as
Following with consequences she then has to face. Deception can be viewed in Abigail’s behavior throughout the play she’d go to great measures to deceive the townspeople of Salem, in order for her own selfish upcoming. Abigail is the main cause of accusing the townspeople of witchcraft whilst simultaneously
The Crucible Timed Write The Salem Witch Trials were an abnormal series of events that scars the history of the United States. Arthur Miller, in his play, The Crucible, portrays these infamous events. Throughout the play, many innocent lives are taken by execution as a result of various wily allegations made by a group of girls led by Abigail Williams.
The Crucible is a play that takes place in a town called Salem in the late 1600’s during the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of the people that were accused of witchcraft in Salem because of a group of girls that were dishonest about doing something they weren’t supposed to. Among this group of girls was Abigail Williams who manipulated the other girls into going along with the lie which shows how manipulative, dishonest and selfish she is. Abigail can be described as manipulative because of the many things she does to get her way.
She is a cold, sniveling woman…”(1.203). Abigail's attempt to get rid of Elizabeth is to spread the word of her evil ways and to accuse her of witchcraft. This method of manipulation is turning the entire society of Salem against Elizabeth, since eliminating Elizabeth is the key to John Proctor. She spreads lies to make everybody replicate her personal thoughts onto others: miserable and lonely. This demonstrates the manipulative side of Abigail that takes advantage of others throughout the story.
Abigail was speaking to Judge Danforth, one of the most respected in the town people, Abigail could be seen as the one who’s in the most control in the play. Abigail’s constant
As abigail says to the other girls “And mark this. 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.(Act 1) In this quote abigail is threatening and controlling these young girls to not say one word about anything or else she would kill them. Abigail and the girls got caught in the woods and abigail took charge in attempt to cover up what they were actually doing, with this she threatens the girls to speak of nothing. This quote shows how intimidating and controlling Abigail can be; she threatened to kill these girls if they said anything she was not okay with.
In Act 1 after Betty, Abigail’s cousin, is calling out for her dead mother, Abigail yells, “I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads 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!”. Abigail witnessing her parents’ deaths makes her change negatively. She constantly threatens others to make sure they listen to her and trust her. Even though her past affected her tremendously, her current experiences affect her too. Abigail and a man named John Proctor have an affair, which makes Abigail feel more powerful and convinces her that he is equally in love.
I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil! (Miller.1.1050). With Abigail's careless act, the town is in despair, every time she would create a lie it would turn people against each other. Even when these group of people have been living with each other years, with one action from Abigail they are automatically believing each person is associated with the Devil.
Abigail Williams is a very cruel and bitter young lady, however, she has the largest impact in the play with all of the lies she tells convicting innocent people to be witches which cost them their lives. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller is set in Salem and is based on the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. As one of the main characters, Abigail is the most misread person in the play because all of the lies she tells make it seem like she is telling the truth. Abigail is a victim of her strict Puritan society; witnessing the death of her parents, living under her uncle’s roof, and hoping for a life with John Proctor can all contribute to making her into the character she becomes.
She threatens the other girls with violence if they refuse to go along with her plans, and she does not hesitate to accuse them of witchcraft if their loyalty proves untrue: “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 19). In one of the court scenes, she claims, “Oh, Heavenly Father, take away this shadow!” (Miller 97), to prove that Mary Warren is threatening her with something evil. The hypocritical reference to God in order to trick the individuals in Salem reinforces Abigail’s cunning and devious character and the readers are given a sense of Abigail’s intelligence as she manages to perfectly manipulate the situation to her
In addition; we come to see that Abigail is out of her mind. Tibitua takes Abigail and many other young girls into the forest and they drink blood, do dances, and acts completely crazy. Reverend Parris, Abigail’s uncle, sees them doing these strange things in the forest therefore Abigail needs to make
The Crucible takes place in 1692, in Salem when several women have been accused of witchcraft including John and Elizabeth Proctor’s maid, Abigail Williams. Abigail was later fired, not for dancing naked in the woods and caught by Parris, but for having an affair with John Proctor. Once caught, they accused the townspeople and how witchcraft possessed them. A huge court session begins. To determine whether or not someone was innocent or guilty, the girls and Abigail would distress the ones they thought were guilty by screaming and fainting.
Abigail finally sees the outturn of her lies she has made for what she wants. Proctor is hanged which she didn’t attend to do, but now pays the price. She also found out what lying can do “They’re pretending, Mr. Danforth... Mary, please don’t hurt me!.”(miller 120-121). Lying has made her corrupt and is used to persuade to make harm with.
In addition to the movie, John and Abigail weren’t really working this whole witchcraft drama. Abigail started saying very rude compliments about Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail shouted to John, saying, “with a bitter anger: “Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be….She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me!
Abigail 's heartless attitude is shown in act two when she frames and accuses Elizabeth Proctor for witchcraft. She desired and longed for this revenge on poor Proctors innocent wife, aiming for her through out the play. Later on in Act Three she seems to lose her last attachment of society by destroying John Proctor, who she claims to love with all her heart. When John attempts and threatens to expose Abigail’s wrong doings, she skillfully manages to turn the whole problem around on him, sending him off