Abigail was the niece of the towns minister, Reverend Parris. Abigail speaks to John when he goes to Salem he tells her that he no longer wants anything to do with her. Abigail certainly abused her power once she realized, at the end of Act One, how powerful an accuser can be, she seized that role. Power in the wrong hands is dangerous and can lead to the destruction of lives. After the outbreak in court, Mr. Danforth makes the following short statement to Mr. Hale: In "Why I Wrote The Crucible", Miller states The Crucible was an act of desperation. Abigail is self-centered and does not think about the consequences of her actions. Out of fear the girls scatter to avoid getting in trouble with the reverend. She thinks that John will provide the love she wants, but she is wrong. Abigail was a 17 year-old orphan whom was described as strikingly beautiful but outspoken. Found a great essay sample but want a unique one? This story of right and wrong has a huge plot and is based of the Salem witch trials. Keeping up her status is important to her, and she will lie and manipulate to make sure things go as she wants them to. As ringleader, she excites the other girls into a frenzy of emotion, which allows them to condemn the people they know and love as witches. How does his philosophy flame the hysteria? Use details from the drama to support your response. In this play, Abigail becomes the center of . Abigail once more denies these claims and Parris was half convinced. One of these girls, Abigail, goes against these limits and expectations by acting in masculine ways. In your own words, describe what Mr. Hale has said or done to instigate Mr. Danforths Millers Genius Writing Tactics Puritans were highly religious people. Parris said to Abigail, And I thought I saw someone naked running through the trees!. Its quick and easy! It takes place during the times of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. Arthur Millers The Crucible explores the idea of what happens when gender roles are not strictly adhered to. The story relates to the McCarthy trials. Almost ironically however, the real-life Thomas Danforth is much the opposite. Also, she gains, The Crucible is a complex and intriguing novel with events, characters and themes comparable to almost every period of human history. As history continues to unfold, more links can be drawn between the message of The Crucible and todays discrimination. This explains why she is willing to go to such lengths to earn respect. Both Abigail and have parallel characteristics that enable them to have power over peoples ideas and opinions. Selfish people seek this in others. The entire town of Salem was blinded by the truth and believed anything Abigail and the other girls would say. | Certified Educator Share In Act One, Abigail Williams demonstrates her ability to control the other girls by physically threatening them. She moves back and forth between the pack of lying girls and the Proctors, drawn by the girls but knowing the Proctors are innocent. In this play, Miller introduces a character named Abigail Williams, who starts to lie and accuse innocent people to cover up her own sins such as an affair with an older, married man, or dancing in the forest. She's a weak person, prone to hysterics and drawn to drama. Best Abigail Williams Analysis - The Crucible - PrepScholar Would they take the blame and live to see another day or would they hold their tongue and perish? 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. You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor! While Abigail replies with, Shut it! Betty falls into a coma nothing can wake her. Throughout act one of The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses many forms of characterization to present Abigail as a sly, lying girl, who tries to wheedle her way into getting the outcome that she wants by any means necessary. You mistake yourself, uncle!. Abigail also gained her power as women in Salem were the lowest class with few or no options in life. This idea is shown through Abigail Williams, Marry Warren, and Elizabeth Proctor. Fear and hysteria strike Salem over the belief that the devil is in the town because Parris's niece, Abigail Williams, was found dancing in the forest with other girls and Parris's servant; and soon after two young girls fall sick. The character of Elizabeth Proctor helps develop love as a theme, as well as providing the story with a level-header character to implement honesty, yet still show the consequences of lying. Abigail threatens the girls at the beginning of the story just to cover up her own actions of dancing in the forest a nude. You drank a charm to kill John Proctors wife! The Puritans in Salem live in a sacred society. The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, were residents go through a high level of hysteria and delirium because of witchcraft accusations made by Abigail Williams and countless other people of the region. However, I have chosen to explore the ways in which they portray the theme of gender. As an unmarried orphan, Abigail has little to no power in society. Request writing assistance from a top writer in the field! Abigail being a manipulative and selfish person, accuses many innocent people of being witches to save her own skin. 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. 5. Due to a perhaps pompous position of power, his attitude and demeanor come across as very stubborn. Danforth explains that witchcraft is an invisible crime and that only the victims are reliable. She uses her power in a manipulative and vindictive way. An example from the play that shows Abigails selfishness is when she tells John Proctor, you loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! On top of that, she has a reputation as a common whore due to her affair with John Proctor, so what little respect the townspeople of Salem had for her has disappeared. The main symptoms of this disorder acquired by Abigail are that she lies persistently, has a lack, in the story because they are opposite of each other, which makes their characters vital to the plot of the story. This shows one of the many things that Abigail is capable of. She was given power through lies and used it to harm others and ruin peoples lives and names. There be no blush about my name She [Elizabeth Proctor] hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. 7. They had to live under a set of strict religious policies set forth by the church. I saw goody Osburn with the devil! The powers of darkness were real forces to them, which could wreak havoc and destruction on society if unleashed. 3. 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. . When Tituba asks if Betty will be all right, Parris yells at her to get out of the room. When rumors are spread about the town, the townspeople start accusing them of witchcraft. People in the town rightfully get scared and actions to follow show peoples real personalities. The girls, led by Abigail William, were simply sporting around in the woods. Many people believed anything they heard or saw. Betty Parris has fallen into a strange coma. Throughout this play. Throughout The Crucible you see examples of these three elements through Abigail, Mrs.Putnam, Parris, and many other characters. Now shut it! While smashing her across the face. This happens in books as well; there are certain characters one might hate and others one might love. Who has the most power in The Crucible? - eNotes.com The Crucible Power Analysis - 705 Words | Internet Public Library Although Abby Williams and Reverend Parris in The Crucible seem, The Crucible by Arthur Miller Is much more than just a dramatization of a Witch Hunt but instead is an example of human weakness, hypocrisy and vindictiveness. 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. As evident in the novel, even preachers can become corrupted. This play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in the year of 1692. The daughter Betty falls into a coma. After telling the group of girls she was going to hurt them if they told the truth and telling John Proctor to give up his family for her, Abigail shows her true colors throughout Act, These actions clearly prove that she has manipulated all of Salem and has participated in harlotry by initiating an affair with John Proctor, a married man. (Women in Puritan Society). An example is how she accuses Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch even though it's not true. Parris, also enters, along with Susanna Walcott, who tells Rev. Even though magic powers are not real, everyone in Salem believes they are real. Although Miller could have just stated that Abigail had been out drinking blood and charms to kill Goody Proctor, he had Betty wake up and start screaming out what had happened. In the story we see how someone with morals vs someone with no morals functions and. Abigail used destructive power to cause chaos in Salem. Someone once said Evil triumphs when good men do nothing meaning that when a good person decides to do nothing evil will succeed. In act one we read how Abigail has an argument with Betty because she is muttering the truth. Along with this gain in power and loss of power, abuse of power is explored, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is an allegory, meaning it can be interpreted to reveal hidden meanings, usually political or moral ones. In the Crucible Abigail Williams is put in a position where she gains control over the community's leaders. I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!. There is a lot of both those characteristics, but what mostly lacks in this play is one simple thing, the truth. The Puritans in Salem live in a sacred society. writing task easier. All of you. This meant that people were forced to either confess to the crime of witchery or shove the blame towards a different person. Abigail has the constant need for power, which leads to an accusation frenzy, accusing anyone who stood in her way. The Crucible Act 1 Summary & Analysis | LitCharts Order custom paper and save your time for priority classes! Luckily it was only the girls in the room at this time, but Abigail seems very terrified that others will hear this. Her single important trait throughout The Crucible is selfishness. Power is the ability to influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Abigail's Power In The Crucible - 151 Words | Studymode Like Abigail, she gained a lot of power and was being disrespected for it but she surpassed it all. This was a time of much hypocrisy in the people of the town of Salem. Samplius is for students who want to get an idea for their own paper. Several characters in The Crucible are very dynamic, none like Abigail Williams who changes between each act of the play; she makes sinless hands sinful, controls all of the girls in the village, kills many, and still manages to gets away in the end., Jealousy can make you do crazy or even dangerous actions when the green eyed monster rears its ugly head it has the power to goad you into bad situations. The Role Of Power In The Crucible - 879 Words - Internet Public Library John Proctor puts it asI like it not that Mr. Parris should lay his hand upon my baby. When they got caught dancing in the forest, they began to think about their punishments in this case, were whippens, jail, or even worse death. Since she has the support of all the girls, they back upshow more content Other than John Proctor who knew what was happening but he couldn't convince the others to believe him. (Miller) This shows how not only Abigail had lied to everyone about what really happened, but that she doesnt want anyone knowing this. At this moment, Abigail realizes she has some power and can condemn whoever she pleases. Abigail is on a power trip History has Proven that humans can easily manipulate a situation to gain power. When Parris is asking Abigail about why she was fired from Elizabeth Proctors service Abigail said, [she] hates me, uncle, she must [she is] a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman! (Miller 12). 1. For example, in the play The Crucible the girls who was following Abigail knew dancing was considered in Salem as an act of the devil. Miller wrote this play as a response to the political environment in which he lived. She is a just an outright an butt hole about the whole situation that she creates. Abigail is a very intelligent, persuasive, malicious young woman. 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. Throughout the Witch Trials people in Salem were able to seek revenge on their enemies, human weakness, and show the outright hypocrisy of the witch trials as a whole. Abigail is an example of power going to someone's head. . I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! Abigail "Abby" Williams is the main antagonist of Arthur Miller's 1953 play The Crucible, who is based upon an actual historical figure. This was believed to have happened because of the events in the woods the night before. . So whoever Abigail or one of the girls would accuse they would either confess something that wasn't true or they would be hung. Abigail is considered a static character for the reason that no matter what her feelings never change. It results with the death of twenty innocent people and the jailing of hundreds more. Later in the play, we hear Abigail threatening the other girls into preserving the lie she told, saying Now look you. Abigail is described as "seventeen with a remarkable capacity for dissembling" who covets Elizabeth . Later, the whole village finds out and the accusations and questioning begin. A soft word (Miller 22), says Abigail as she ponders her lustful intentions. John Proctor Character Analysis in The Crucible | SparkNotes She is known as the victim who has been wrongly used by the devil, shedding light to the matter. In Arthur Miller play The Crucible each act waits another death to be placed in line to watch them hang holding on to their pride . Reverend Hale from Beverly then came to Salem to examine the girls due to his extensive knowledge on witchcraft. However, power was also heavily relied on religion, being a Puritan or not, and ones reputation in society. When Betty mentions that Abigail drank blood,. Woman always seemed to be looked down upon when compared to men, and were expected to follow upon certain standards from others. Having no choice whether to go by the words of god or confess a sin and break the rule by God through religious officals . Use three details from the text in your response. 10/29/11 For instance, her and Mercy Lewis ran away with Reverend Parriss money. Mary Warren. For example if someone was getting bullied and an onlooker decide to do nothing than evil would prosper. This play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in the year of 1692. She was given power through lies and used it to harm others and ruin people's lives and names. The Puritans, like many societies in this time period, believed that women were culturally inferior to men, which is why a young woman, like Abigail Williams, had to be so manipulative to gain control because a women in power was a very contentious topic at this time. This is exactly what happens in the play The Crucible, created in 1953, by playwright Arthur Miller. 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. Considering the environment of the Puritan culture exhibited in the novel, a noteworthy occasion like this will undoubtedly happen at some point or another. But why is that? By clicking Send, you agree to our 9. This is exactly what happens in the play The Crucible, created in 1953, by playwright Arthur Miller. Abigail begins to fear for her image in the town and even intents to accuse the governor. In The Crucible, paranoia sets upon the town, there are observations of, The Evil Force of The Crucible The citizens of Arthur Miller's Salem of 1692 would consider the very concept of a private life heretical. All the girls acted as if the devil was around during court to get the people they claim contacting the devil to be hung., Michael Heifetz Abigail becomes one of the main antagonists of the play through her deceitful and selfish antics. Although in some works, such as Othello, he reflects and arguably supports the stereotyping of men and women, he is also seen to challenge such representations. This quality is very recurring throughout many timeless plays and novels, which shows the importance of such a characteristic. What Are Abigail's Motives In The Crucible | ipl.org This gave her all the more reason to try to gain power over people. "PROCTOR: You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. Elizabeth felt inferior to her husband at first, but later on the readers seee some growth from her character. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you. Write a response on a separate sheet of paper. There are multiple instances in the story where Abigail is associating herself with some type of evil. As the new friend and I got closer and closer, I began to learn more about her and her life. She decides to accuse other people so that she can save herself. Abigail Williams is a little girl who is corrupted by the power and authority she is given due to the lack of knowledge of the people in her time period.