Abigail In The Crucible

Abigail’s Evolution
Throughout the years of the Salem witch trials, many horrific events occurred. Events such as when many innocent people were, “tortured until they confessed, and then were hanged” (Jimerson 29). John Proctor is no exception to this horrific event. Proctor is wrongly accused, by Abigail Williams, a young lady from the play, The Crucible, to be involved in witchcraft. In order to show reasons not to blindly follow authority figures, author Arthur Miller transitions the reasons behind Abigail’s actions from lust to self-preservation.
Abigail is trying to eliminate John Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth Proctor, so she may be Proctor’s new wife. She believes that Proctor is truly happy that his wife will be hung, but he cannot show

this feeling. Abigail believes he can not show his feelings about this topic because it would be inappropriate for him to be happy about his wife being hung.

However, the truth is that Proctor loves Elizabeth. Proctor loves his wife very much, and because of this he is willing to argue, and fight for his wife’s life. Abigail states, “It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman” in order to contradict Proctor’s argument for his wife’s life (Miller, The Crucible 11). This reveals how Abigail truly feels about Elizabeth Proctor, and allows Proctor to come to the realization that she will stop at nothing to have his wife killed, and claim her spot by his side. Abigail feels that Elizabeth is not good enough to be with John Proctor, and that she is the only one worthy enough of him. Because she believes this, she is constantly trying to win Proctor over with complements such as, “Gah! I’d almost forgot how strong you are, John Proctor!”(20). Abigail’s motive behind every move she makes is based on getting John Proctor to love her, and to want to be with her. Proctor does not enjoy these complements, and attempts to get her to stop, but she will not because she obsessive, and has her target set on him. When

Abigail pulls up her dress, and says, “Why look at my leg. I’m holes all over from their damned needles, and pins. The jab your wife gave me’s not healed yet, y’know”(140) Abigail attempts to show that she is better than Elizabeth, who is currently jailed because of Abigail’s lies, and deception. Elizabeth must resort to physically harming Abigail in attempt to get her to stop. As Abigail realizes that her current efforts to win Proctor’s heart are futile, she begins to become desperate for his attention, and begins to take drastic measures to obtain it.
Abigail is franticly looking for ways to obtain Proctor’s love, and devotion. Deep down Abigail must believe he will never freely surrender his love, but she continues to try. She is desperately trying to show Proctor why she is better than his wife so that she may become his new wife. In order to achieve this goal she says, “Never in this world! I know you John – you are in this moment singing secretly that your wife will hang.” Clearly a desperate attempt to get Proctor to admit that he does not really love his wife (Miller, The Crucible 143). Abigail is attempting to sway Proctor from his wife even though it is obvious how much Proctor truly loves his wife, Elizabeth. Abigail says “No this is your wife pleading, your sniveling envious wife!” to Proctor in order to show him how unworthy, and insignificant his wife truly is (142). Abigail is reaching for straws as she looks for ways to win Proctor’s heart, although his heart already beats for another. Once all of Abigail’s plans fail, she resorts to forcing Mary Warren, the Proctor’s maid, to place a doll in the house, and jab a pin into it so that she can accuse Elizabeth of witchery, and have her killed. When confronted about this, Mary states, “She’ll kill me for saying that” showing that she deeply feels alarmed by Abigail’s threats (76). Abigail has tried, and ultimately failed in winning Proctor’s beloved heart. Once Proctor threatens to expose her for what she is, her motives change from lust for Proctor, her now enemy, to self-preservation for her life.
Abigail is forced to abandon her earlier motive of winning Proctor’s heart, to now saving her own neck.

In doing so, she ultimately dooms Proctor in the process. Abigail and Proctor are discussing plans for what is going to happen in court the next day when Proctor gives Abigail an opportunity to change her motives when he says, “I come to tell you, Abby, what I will do tomorrow in the court. I would not take you by surprise, but give you all good time to think on what to do to save yourself” (Miller, The Crucible 142). Proctor is attempting to get Abigail to stop before one of them is condemned to death. Proctor is warning Abigail that he is about to “unveil the hero’s guilt” to exposer her even if it means that he must suffer the consequences as well (Jimerson 51). Due to this, Abigail now has decisions to make that will drastically affect the town, and her own future. Abigail now has to consider “whether it must be that self-preservation and the need to hold on to opportunity” (50). Or give her up, and condemn her to punishment, which the town will decide for her. She realizes that Proctor is indeed a man of character, a man who will not stop until the correct, and moral thing is done. A man that would risk his own life to save someone he loves, unlike Abigail who condemns her only true love, Proctor, to death in order to save herself. Abigail also turns on her partner in crime, Mary Warren, and says, “Mary don’t hurt me” (Miller, The Crucible 107). Abigail is

getting rid of any loose ends that could condemn her, thus saving herself from being caught. Abigail is willing to throw anyone under the bus in that might turn against her. Abigail’s last act of self-preservation is when she gets Proctor’s maid to point at him, Abigail’s once beloved, and say, “You’re the Devil’s man” (110). By getting Proctor’s maid to say this lie, Abigail is ensuring Proctor’s ultimate demise. This allows the reader to see that Abigail is only concerned about protecting her own skin. She is even willing to send the man she loves to hangman’s noose, in order to ensure her own neck stays intact.
Although the play, The Crucible, is mainly about the Salem witch trials, the author of the play has a deeper meaning than what is blatantly portrayed. Miller is an extremely talented writer who has had many successful plays, and books. Although he is known for his brilliant works, other authors such as M.N. Jimerson disagree with some of his beliefs. Some people such as Jimerson believe that, “’the care of the public must oversway all private respects’” (Jimerson 37). However, Miller believes that in order to create a world that is full of order, and decency, you must not blindly follow an authority figure. United States senator, McCartney, is a perfect example of this. He led the entire country on a witch hunt for communists. He used scare tactics, and deception to hunt down the communists. This was done all while seeming patriotic, and sensible. The Germans also blindly followed Adolf Hitler, often seen as a mass murderer, and a war criminal, but who was loved by many of his followers. At the time, his fellow countrymen failed to see his true intentions. This eventually led to one of the most horrific acts of human suffering, and immorality that the world has ever witnessed, the Holocaust. The Holocaust was an event that killed millions of Jews because Hitler believed that they were inferior to his perfect race. History has taught us many valuable lessons. Due to this, Miller believes that humans as a whole must be mindful of our leader’s motives, and be willing to take action should motives change from good, just, and helpful to evil, harmful, or destructive.