Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible Throughout the play “the Crucible,” we see the many different sides of Abigail Williams’ character. Arthur Miller has created an interesting and complex character with various personality traits, and her controlling and manipulative nature becomes evident for the audience during the very first scene. Abigail is first introduced as “seventeen, a strikingly beautiful girl, an orphan…”, already the audience is made to feel sorry for her as we find out that she has no parents. Also, because we are told she is full of “apprehension and worry,” leads us to like her because she appears genuinely concerned for the well-being of her cousin. Already, …show more content…
Parris then asks her why she was “discharged from Goody Proctor’s house”, which leads the audience to believe she may have done something wrong, such as had an affair with Goody Proctor’s husband. Again, Abigail denies these claims and condemns Goody Proctor as a “gossiping liar”. She soon manages to turn these allegations around, and asks her uncle, “Do you begrudge my bed?” Here we are seeing the manipulative side of her character, and her ability to influence what those around her think and do. As an audience, at this stage we have a mixed opinion of Abigail, and are unsure whether to like or dislike her. We still feel sorry for her because of her background, but at the same time we see the effects that her controlling and dominating nature can have on those around her. In the next scene, we see the complete control that Abigail has over her peers and the other girls her age in Salem. She is threatening towards Mary Warren and Mercy Lewis, “I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down…” which shows her ability to bully the others into not telling the truth, she also makes them feel intimidated because she commands them to obey her, “tell them we danced….no more” her authority is clearly outlined here, the others are scared since they are aware that if they refuse, they will suffer dire consequences. This Scene is important
Abigail Williams does not physically appear in Act 2 of The Crucible but she still casts a long shadow in the act. Abigail had a huge impact on the Proctors marriage. During court Abigail was sewing Mary’s doll and slipped a needle into her doll for a later reason. When Abigail later met John in the woods Abigail stabbed herself with a different needle to seek revenge on John Proctor's wife Elizabeth. Abigail testified that Elizabeth’s spirit pushed the needle into her.
In the crucibles Abigail is guilty of passing her faults onto someone else. Abigale is guilty of living an average American live, because in modern day we are all guilty of doing this. No matter how hard we try we all fall in the trap that Abigail has portrayed in the book.
In the Crucible, by Arthur Miller as the reader, you get to travel back in time and get a true taste of how the infamous New Salem witch trials went. How the witch trials all started and a proper understanding of how anybody can be accused of witchcraft whether you were a town “royalty” or just a nobody in the house next door. Throughout the Crucible, Arthur Miller indirectly characterizes Abigail in order to emphasize that jealousy can cause people to do unreasonable things. Throughout the beginning of the book you get a good understanding of who Abigail truly is and how she is not an innocent selfless person, although she does everything possible to convince people of such things and that she is the angel of the town.
Abigail Williams: The Crucible Alexis Vargas ENGL- 1301-S33- Composition October 20, 2015 Ms. V. Rodriquez Abstract Abigail Williams, the antagonist of the play and movie becomes well known and developed through The Crucible, which in theses circumstances is blinded of justice and of sin. Abigail takes advantage of the power she is given by the young ladies doing witchcraft in the woods. She becomes a manipulative and a threat to the individuals in Salem that know the truth about her. Abigail is not the only one to blame despiteful John Proctor led Abigail to believing he loves her even though married.
A person's sense of morality determines whether they are a good or bad person. Abigail acts immorally towards others, so she is the villain in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Firstly, Abigail manipulates the people around her to get what she wants. Secondly, Abigail questions anybody who tries to question her or expose her lies. Lastly, Abigail accuses innocent people of witchcraft, knowing they might die.
Abigail is the primary antagonist of Arthur Miller’s 1953 play, The Crucible. She is a seventeen year-old girl who is the niece of Reverend Parris and previously served as a servant for the Proctors' before being discharged by Elizabeth for having an affair with her husband, John. Abigail is portrayed as a vengeful, vindictive girl who, in attempt to protect herself from punishment after Parris catches them dancing in the woods, starts the Salem witch trials and remains in control of accusations. Abigail’s heartless nature stems mainly from childhood trauma, for she was raised as an orphan, who witnessed Indians smash her parents’ head on the pillow next to hers. Communitarianism clearly illustrates the role that Abigail
"He was the kind of man - powerful of body, even - tempered, and not
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, delineates many acts of self-indulgence and animosity. With clever accusations on one another for witchery, each character is able to derive the conflict away from themselves and appear innocent. A jealous and manipulative girl, Abigail Williams, falsely accuses Elizabeth Proctor for the sole purpose of seeking revenge, so she could have Elizabeth’s husband John Proctor. She is able to withhold her reputation by making herself appear as the victim in the court. Not only was Abigail a model of self cruelty, but Thomas Putnam is also a befitting example. Being a very acquisitive man, he accuses George Jacob for witchcraft to simply gain the land neighboring him. Both characters strive to achieve their goals, but they do it through many acts of greed. In society overall,
Patty Jenkins, an American film director and screenwriter wrote,“Every villain has their belief system that makes perfect sense to them.” This quote is reminiscent of Abigail Williams, a character in The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller. In Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, four girls were caught doing witchcraft. The girls accused other innocents of witchcraft, so they would not be framed for it. Due to the girl's actions, many of them, accused were hanged to death. Abigail Williams was a villain in The Crucible.
Being related to a priest doesn't mean you are a good person. Abigail Williams was the niece of Reverend Parris, but she was no Puritan. Arthur Miller understood and used this truth while writing his play, The Crucible. Abigail did some things that were not only unspeakable by Puritan standards, but also illegal at the time. She had Tituba use voodoo magic in an attempt to kill John Proctors wife, and had an affair with him while she was living there as a servant. To top it all off, she threatened the other girls who saw and knew what actually happened in the forest. These are all very strong reasons for why Abigail is not a true Puritan.
Within today’s society, an individual’s morals determines how one is scrutinized, judged, and reprimanded. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, Abigail Williams is a character with compelling moral principles. Abigail’s disoriented moral constitution allows the theme, the detrimental effects of mass hysteria, to be constantly reassured throughout the play. Through the egotistical, manipulative, and deceitful rhetoric of Abigail Williams, Arthur Miller is successful in conveying how the spread of misinformation can tear apart a small town.
During this essay I will introduce the main points involved in answering the proposed question. I will explore the certain aspects of Abigail’s personality and how it is an important role in portraying her reasons for her actions. I will also analyse the ways in which Abigail’s personality changes through the progression of the play. I will sum up which points have a bigger effect on her intentions and motivations and the effect she has on the characters of the play. I will support my reasons with quotations to justify its relevance.
In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, Miller demonstrated that it was Abigail’s flaws- lust, jealousy, and mendacity- that led her to be responsible the most for the tragedy of the witch-hunt in Salem. The Crucible focuses of the finding of young girls and a slave messing around in the woods, trying to conjure spirits from the dead. Rather than admit to their actions and face the consequences, the girls accuse everyone else of the crimes they were guilty of. Abigail Williams is the person who caused much of the drama in this story. She bears much responsibility for everyone meeting with Tituba in the woods. Once Parris discovers this meeting, Abigail attempts to keep her actions a secret because it would possibly reveal her affair with Proctor. Abigail lies to cover up her affair with proctor, and to stop the charges of witchcraft in order to prevent the terrible punishments that go along with the accusations.
In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible Abigail Williams, an unmarried orphan in the Massachusetts town of Salem, incessantly grows more jealous, her desire for vengeance only grows stronger, and her selfishness escalates. She repeatedly lies to save herself by denying her involvement in witchcraft. Abigail's Jealousy of Elizabeth Proctor intensifies in attempt to realize her desire for Elizabeth's husband John Proctor. In order to save herself she accuses the innocent, without any sense of ethical violation. Abigail proves to be a selfish antagonist in The Crucible that shows no sense of right and wrong.
her selfish and evil ways, causes the destruction of many people in the town of