Abigail Williams Desire

Abigail Williams: A Slave to Desire

Desire and lust are powerful forces that have shaped the course of history. Many powerful rulers have risen and fallen due to sweet seduction. In the case if The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams cannot resist such temptations. She falls victim to her id subconscious: her base mindset that caters only to her one wills and want. Abigail Williams follows her id subconscious in her ceaseless lusting over John Proctor; she goes as far as accusing his wife of witchcraft--this being done intentionally to remove Elizabeth--giving her direct access to him. She demonstrates a complete lack of self control in regard to the wishes of others, moral constructs and the law.

In their first meeting, after what can be assumed to be an extended period of time, Abigail attempts to force her love on John: "I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! I saw your face when she put me out and you loved me then and you do now!" In this statement, Abigail shows that she has no regard for John's wish to let the affair be forgotten. His request of her to "put it out of mind" results in her aggravation. She continues her assault: “(Elizabeth)

is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold sniveling woman and you bend to her! Let her turn you like a…?,” showing that she does not care for what he wishes. This is an example of Abigail following her id subconscious, because she shows disregard for the feelings of others in order to satisfy her desire.
Abigail has no regard for morals in her want of John Proctor; she does not care that he is betrothed to another; she knows what it is that she wants and will stop at nothing--resorting even to murder--to get what she desires. The Puritans were a people who believed explicitly in the sacred bond of marriage: the people involved are inseparable. Abigail shows no heed for these core beliefs when she states "You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is you love me yet!" Along with her disregard of John's marriage, she takes no heed over the small fact she is infatuated with an older man--she being under 18 herself. Abigail has a true lack of thought for morals when faced with her desire; she embraces her id subconscious and succumbs to the feeling.
The law of God or man matters not to Abigail Williams; she has the will to commit cold murder--all in the name of lust.

Elizabeth points this out when she exclaims: "Why...!—The girl is murder!" She violates one of the most important God given laws: "thou shalt not kill." While she does not directly kill any being, her accusations of witchcraft sentence innocent people to their deaths: "This is not witchcraft! Those girls are frauds! You condemn an honest man!" If Abigail, a Puritan, is willing to violate the supreme law of God, she could treat the law of man as utterly insignificant. She demonstrates this through her false accusations of Salem residents. She lies eloquently when questioned about the truth of her statements in

court:
“MARY: It were only sport in the beginning, sir…I only thought I saw them but I did not…
DANFORTH: Abigail Williams! I bid you now search your heart…to God every soul is precious and His vengeance is terrible on them that take life without cause…
ABIGAIL: I have been hurt, Mister Danforth; I have seen my blood runnin‘ out! I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil‘s people—and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a...
DANFORTH: Child, I do not mistrust you...”
Both of these examples of Abigail's defiance of the law show her servitude to her id subconscious; she willingly defies the law for the sake of her own corpuscular desires.