Abigail Williams (The Crucible) | Villains Wiki | Fandom The powers of darkness were real forces to them, which could wreak havoc and destruction on society if unleashed. Abigail was a 17 year-old orphan whom was described as strikingly beautiful but outspoken. However, John did not want anything more out of that. People with this mental condition show no value for right or wrong, and they ignore the rights of others. average student. Fear can lead good people to do horrific acts, especially when religion is involved. Starting out, Abigail Williams was a 17 year old teenager who lived with her uncle Rev. Sarah Good and Goody Osburn were two local outcasts and were easy targets for Abigail. Even though magic powers are not real, everyone in Salem believes they are real. The trials are started by a group of girls who do not want to get in trouble for dancing and conjuring up spirits in the forest. 3. As an unmarried orphan, Abigail has little to no power in society. Abigail Williams, the niece of Reverend Parris, started rumors, an army of girls, and made accusations that turned the village of Salem upside-down. Abigail was the niece of the towns minister, Reverend Parris. Write a response on a separate sheet of paper. There is an infamous trait that many believe is a core part of human nature; humans only act in self interest. There is a lot of both those characteristics, but what mostly lacks in this play is one simple thing, the truth. Get inspiration for your writing task, explore essay structures, Parris is worried about his good name being ruined and insists he saw it. She also lies and cheats her way out of punishment, and is willing to do most anything to get her way. Power in the wrong hands is dangerous and can lead to the destruction of lives. Just send us a Write my paper request. Miller wrote this play as a response to the political environment in which he lived. The majority, however, valued their morals and refused to give into political pressure by lying. To what extent are the plays you have studied on this module concerned with issues of gender? Soon Abigail started to take advantage of this power and used it for evil. Once the accusations start flying, Salem goes into a state of turmoil. After the outbreak in court, Mr. Danforth makes the following short statement to Mr. Hale: 5. Throwing witchcraft unto everyone gives her all the authority and the power she wants because she has the judges and some of the people in the town in the palms of her hand. Abigail Williams manipulates an entire town to do her bidding, stemming from her want to save her reputation and to be able to finally have the man she lusts over. The Impact Of Power On Abigail Williams In The Crucible By Arthur The Puritans in the late 1600s believed that the preachers were the purest men on the face of the earth. When Abigail starts getting targeted, she, In The Crucible, I assume that the character Abigail is a static character. She moves back and forth between the pack of lying girls and the Proctors, drawn by the girls but knowing the Proctors are innocent. I saw Sarah Good with the devil! "The Crucible," took place during the witch trial in Salem, which was an isolated village in Massachusetts, U.S.A. Woman should not have been treated inferior; they should have been able to live their lives as they wanted, because they are no less than men. Parris that Dr. Griggs can find no cure for Betty's ailment. This happens in books as well; there are certain characters one might hate and others one might love. In this play, a girl named Abigail is given the power to prosecute anyone she desired for practicing witchcraft. Abigail was in fact drinking a love charm to kill Elizabeth Proctor- most likely so Abigail can have John Proctor. At the beginning of this Play, one can see the anarchy created by a group of girls. In the 1996 film adaptation of the play, she is portrayed by Winona Ryder. During the 1950's Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many American leaders of being communists. An old friends jealous caused a problem in my life at the beginning of freshman year. When rumors are spread about the town, the townspeople start accusing them of witchcraft. it is shown that her love towards him is in fact dangerous. During the writing of the Crucible Miller was questioned for the writing of the play. Based on the Salem witch trials of the late 17th century, The Crucible explores the vulnerability of a society and the difficulty of doing good' in the face of evil and tremendous social pressures. Abigail becomes one of the main antagonists of the play through her deceitful and selfish antics. What Are Abigail's Motives In The Crucible | ipl.org There is looks above(Miller 100). Abigail denied this and says, No one was naked! In the beginning he was a quiet farmer and now he is a brave man with a great deal of courage. 7. To do this, Miller portrays Thomas Danforth, who, in real life, did not even sit on the Court of Oyer and Terminer,(Linder 1) (A group dedicated to the prosecution to those accused witches) is a bitter, scrupulous, controlling old man set on keeping order, or, what he believes to be order. 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. While some of her ill behavior can be attributed to her tragic upbringing, ultimately, Abigail Williams is a manipulative harlot because she accuses others of witchcraft for personal gain, aggressively exerts her control over the other citizens in Salem, and purposefully attempts to wreck John Proctors, In The Crucible (1952) the author, Arthur Miller, makes it appear as though Abigail Williams, one of the accused, is guilty for starting the Salem Witch trials which started in 1692 and ended around 1693 the witch trials took a total of 20 lives with 19 being hung the other one was pressed to death. Much of my desperation branched, I suppose, from a typical depression-era trauma-the blow struck on the mind by the rise of European Fascism and the brutal anti-Semitism it had brought to power" (W.I.W.T.C 2). Abigail Abuse In The Crucible - 1838 Words | Bartleby The play took place during 1692 to 1693 in Salem Massachusetts. She is an important character in the play for many reasons, but the greatest is because without her, the Salem Witch Trials may not have happened. Using her involvement with John Proctor as an excuse towards her inner self is enough for her to outwardly show satisfaction of innocent people wrongly accused.She does not regard truth or compassion as a character that should be held in response to a good reputation. The citizens of Arthur Miller's Salem of 1692 would consider the very concept of a private life heretical. Miller makes her have many different personalities in the play. Abigail threatens the girls at the beginning of the story just to cover up her own actions of dancing in the forest a nude. I will not have it said my name is soiled! (12) She is motivated to cover up the rumors of, How Does Abigail Williams Obtain Power In The Crucible. Throughout this play. In the story we see how someone with morals vs someone with no morals functions and. The Crucible Essay Abigail Williams has the most power in The Crucible. "PROCTOR: You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. These childish behaviors and deceitful actions cause great upheaval throughout the text. Abigail being a manipulative and selfish person, accuses many innocent people of being witches to save her own skin. You mistake yourself, uncle!. Betty screams, You did, you did! Arthur Millers The Crucible explores the idea of what happens when gender roles are not strictly adhered to. She was driven by jealousy and ambition. I saw Bridget Bishop with the devil! (Miller, 1996, p.25) These are some of the false accusations that Abigail yells after Tituba confesses. During this time, young girls had expectations and limits to what they could do within society and had limited power because of this. Abigail Williams (The Crucible) | Pure Evil Wiki | Fandom Further on into the play, we see Abigail changing her feelings. After Elizabeth Proctor is called and she denies knowing about the affair Abigail grasps this opportunity to continue accusing Mary. Other than John Proctor who knew what was happening but he couldn't convince the others to believe him. Abigail is known to keep her own skin safe and because of this she starts accusing people who supposedly are involved with the devil. essay and paper samples. This goes to show us that one of the reasons he wrote the play was due to the political events happening in the real world. Both Abigail and have parallel characteristics that enable them to have power over peoples ideas and opinions. Around her hover Reverend Parris, her father and the minister of the Massachusetts town of Salem, his 17-year-old niece Abigail Williams, and his slave Tituba. Parris, also enters, along with Susanna Walcott, who tells Rev. Betty falls into a coma nothing can wake her. Since she has the support of all the girls, they back upshow more content It is common for humans to fear change and what is unknown, in the play The Crucible this is witchcraft and the devil, in more recent times it can. Best Abigail Williams Analysis - The Crucible - PrepScholar Judgment it is a part of human nature to judge others based on our initial impressions or what may have been heard about that person. In the Crucible she is viewed as strong-willed and independent. Abigail Williams regards her reputation a priority, due to this she accuses people she finds bothersome of witchcraft for her protection and convenience. Abigail has no parents so it seems like she wants more attention and love. Mary becomes the Proctors' servant after Abigail is let go. How does Hale excuse Elizabeths lie about Abigails affair with Proctor? One of Miller's most powerful individuals is his antagonist Abigail. Abigail Williams is overall not a good girl, but a devious little girl, The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a story full of lies, love, and hysteria. The unfeminine ways in which Abigail acts leads her and the rest of the young women to gain power within Salem, with her as the most powerful. She is very smart in the decisions she makes throughout the novel making sure that what she says so wont come back to make her seem like she is lying. People in the town rightfully get scared and actions to follow show peoples real personalities. The Crucible is a play that was written by Arthur Miller and based upon the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Submitted By. The Crucible is about the Salem, Massachusetts . Many people believed anything they heard or saw. In this play, a girl named Abigail is given the power to prosecute anyone she desired for practicing witchcraft. This gain in, Arthur Millers play, The Crucible, is based on the 1692 Salem witch trials and explores the changing power relationships between the characters. Full Book Summary Full Book Analysis Key Facts Video Summary Characters Character List John Proctor Abigail Williams Reverend Hale Elizabeth Proctor Judge Danforth Mary Warren Giles Corey Literary Devices Themes Protagonist Antagonist Setting Motifs Symbols Genre Style Tone Character List . This story of right and wrong has a huge plot and is based of the Salem witch trials. One of these girls, Abigail, goes against these limits and expectations by acting in masculine ways. She simply can not give him up. Abigail used destructive power to cause chaos in Salem. I bring up this event because this is when the chaos begins. Proctor saying that Abigail would be put in the stocks is just one more way that Miller shows the readers how bad, The Crucible is a novel which was written by Arthur Miller in 1953. She stole from her uncle; therefore she can escape from the entire catastrophe she had created. Although The Crucible is fictitious, the story depicts the historical information of the Salem witch trials, and blends them with fictitious characters to create a very realistic plot and conflict in the story. (Miller) This shows how not only Abigail had lied to everyone about what really happened, but that she doesnt want anyone knowing this. The past connections and doubts formed about Williams lead her to protect herself in order to secure and reassure the town she is a pure Puritan who loves God, who will not give in to evil. What does Abigail do to distract Danforth from Hales accusations that she is lying? I. Reverend Hale from Beverly then came to Salem to examine the girls due to his extensive knowledge on witchcraft. Abigail said, I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! The surge of power through the young women of Salem, who had never tasted power before complied with the struggle between good and evil are two main points in the play., The book The Crucible by Arthur Miller was successful in warning the citizens of America against McCarthyism during the 1950s. If people think are invisible spirits everyone, then you can make them believe anything. The Puritans in Salem live in a sacred society. I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! To get a custom and plagiarism-free essay The town including her father believes that the devil has got hold of her. I will explore the certain aspects of Abigails personality and how it is an important role in portraying her reasons for her actions. Firstly I will examine the issues regarding gender in A Midsummer Nights Dream in particular the oppression of the female characters. a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. What conclusion can you draw about Danforths character from this line? Hence, one could not fight the court because it could be seen as an attempt to overthrow God. Abigail has the constant need for power, which leads to an accusation frenzy, accusing anyone who stood in her way. She is an intelligent and manipulative young woman from Salem during the seventeenth century, who single-handedly started the Salem witch trials as does her controversial real-life counterpart of the same name. Analysis. However, her actions are not the result of her malicious character, but are rather the result of past and current injustices. In your own words, describe what Mr. Hale has said or done to instigate Mr. Danforths Millers Genius Writing Tactics She was able to accuse someone of cooperating with the devil and they will be tried in court. She had also served as a servant. This all happened during the Salem Witch trials, where people were initially scared of the idea and spread of Communism. Betty faints and now everyone is saying thats it's the work of the devil. She is a cruel, manipulative teen who instigates the Salem witch trials by falsely accusing her former lover, John Procter, of witchcraft as revenge for ending their relationship. She keeps lying in the court pretending to be afflicted by spirits of the accused thus condemning them to death. She shows her motivation in multiple instances that she is willing to do anything to take the place of Johns wife,, In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, a seventeen-year-old girl named Abigail Williams leads a group of girls to wrongfully accuse innocent people and have them killed just because they disliked them. Home / Essay Samples / History / Abigail Williams / Abigail Williams As An Example Of Power In The Crucible. This ideology of this perfect religion passed every test but life itself; the high standards that were demanded to keep the religion going could not be met as time passed. The character John Proctor is a dynamic character. Abigail manipulates her friends, her lover and eventually the whole community. What Are Abigail's Motives In The Crucible. A soft word (Miller 22), says Abigail as she ponders her lustful intentions. This brings a lot more tension into the storyline and cast a greater impression on the reader. Miller was however loyal to his cast and the people who were helping and did not tell the congress. She wants to abuse her power to make people agitated to not mess with her. She then turns against Mary and pretends to see Marys spirit in a shadow above her. In our society having a large amount of power for a woman could be something to look up to, but Miler turned it into something negative in the play. How Does Abigail Williams Obtain Power In The Crucible | Cram In the similar situation written about in The Crucible, Abigail Williams convinced the town of Salem that select people throughout the town were practicing witchcraft. Infographic PLUS Abigail Williams Of the major characters, Abigail is the least complex. In act one we read how Abigail has an argument with Betty because she is muttering the truth. We will occasionally Power in the wrong hands is dangerous and can lead to the destruction of lives. In The Crucible Arthur Miller shows that people are ignorant and only care about their well being. She does whatever she is yearning to be happy with herself. During the time this play was written, the United States was overcome by the . The Puritans in Salem live in a sacred society. Due to a perhaps pompous position of power, his attitude and demeanor come across as very stubborn. Another way that Miller shows Abigails evil intents is through her actions. Abigail is self-centered and does not think about the consequences of her actions. The playwright, Arthur Miller, focuses on the hysteria this group causes for the town of Salem and while doing this he pokes at the current problem of the McCarthy Trials. The town gets very flustered after witchcraft is accused. People run in fear of Abigail's allegations, the distress she makes them feel keeps them from betraying her. Abigail speaks to John when he goes to Salem he tells her that he no longer wants anything to do with her. She created chaos in the town of Salem. The Crucible is a story in where Abigail and a bunch of girls are accusing people of being witches, it all starts off when Parris catches Abigail, Tituba, and others dancing in the woods. John Proctor puts it asI like it not that Mr. Parris should lay his hand upon my baby. Arthur Miller shows this through the characteristics of Parris, Abigail, Marry Warren, and the towns people. called, along with Judge Hawthorne, to deal justice and deal with the situation. This goes to show that power can be dangerous when it is placed in the wrong hands. The Crucible Act Three Questions The phrase suggests that she's about to be incredibly honest, however none of the accusations she makes are true. Because had convinced them that the world would be a better place once all of the Jewish people had been killed, The soldiers were torturing and ing millions of Jewish people. I will then look at the way in which gender is presented in Millers The Crucible, ranging from the heroic depiction of John Proctor to the oppositional presentations of Abigail and Elizabeth. John Proctor Character Analysis in The Crucible | SparkNotes She was able to lie her way through a lot of things but soon it was going to catch up with her. Abigail was both lower class and a woman, making it a challenge to be respected, which is why she used the witchcraft accusations for her own personal gain. Mary Warren. As suspicion begins to arise against Abigail she begins to be more aggressive and which shows that she has become even more malevolent than she was at the beginning. Analysis Of How Abigail Williams Abused Her Power - Samplius They had to live under a set of strict religious policies set forth by the church. Abigail is considered a static character for the reason that no matter what her feelings never change.