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The role of Abigail in the cricible
The literary work of crucible by arthur miller
Arthur Miller's hidden meaning behind the crucible
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The Crucible Paragraphs In the Crucible by Arthur Miller most of the characters are overly complex. One of the least complex characters is Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams is least complex among the characters, but is the most insensitive character in the book. Abigail is a naïve young women who lies, and manipulates her peers to gain the power she lacks in society. Abigail is motivated by revenge, love, and power. Abigail and John Proctor had a meaningless affair in the past, but it was only “meaningless” to John. Abigail is intertwined in what she believes to be the truth: John is in love with her, and they are going to be, and are meant to be together. In Act One Abigail and John Proctor are having an argument on their “Love” for one another. Abigail says, “I have a sense for heat John, and yours has drawn me to my window, I’ve seen you looking up, burning in your loneliness. Do you tell me you’ve …show more content…
Not giving up on her “reality” of the situation Abigail, out of jealously continues to rage at John about his wife not being fit for him: “Oh, how I marvel such a strong man may let such a sickly wife...” (23) Seeing that this is getting nowhere, Abigail concludes a plan. Abigail is going to see that Elizabeth is tried by the courts. Abigail tells the courts of her “suspicions” that Elizabeth is involved in witchcraft , not because she wants justice but because she wants John and without Elizabeth she will have him to herself. Later on Abigail also turns in 19 innocent people for being involved in witchcraft, when in reality they are not and she knew it. Early on in Act One Abigail is talking to Proctor and she says, “We were dancin’… she took fright is
The Crucible How does an individual gain so much power through trials? In the play, The Crucible, Arthur Miller portrays Abigail Williams as a powerful individual by revealing her control over the younger girls and the continuous accusations she makes until the end of the play. Throughout the entire play, it is made clear that Abigail has control over the younger girls in the village. In Act 1, it is right away noticed that her way of controlling them is through causing fear by making threats.
In act two of The Crucible, a poppet with a needle in it’s stomach is how Elizabeth is accused of stabbing Abigail. Abigail cannot let the affair she had with John Proctor seven months ago. She will do anything she can to get John Proctor for herself, even accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft. While Abigail Williams isn’t physically in act two, her dark shadow is noticed throughout the act causing trouble for the characters, especially Elizabeth Proctor.
Abigail Williams is motivated to lie about her affair with John Proctor. What motivates her to lie is the thought of getting hung. Another big reason that she could be lying is for vengeance. Abigail loves John Proctor and one night they had an affair and touched. Since then, Abigail has been jealous towards John’s wife, Elizabeth. Abigail goes into the forest with some other young girls and Tituba, who makes a potion to have boys fall in love with them. This is a great example, “ABIGAIL, pulling her away from the window: I told him everything; he knows now, he knows everything we—BETTY: You drank blood, Abby! You didn't tell him that! ABIGAIL: Betty, you never say that
Abigail's necessity for revenge makes her threaten the young ladies into following her idea of deception. “Let either of you breathe a word,” Abigail threatens, “or the edge of a word about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you”(835). Abigail knows that all the girls in the woods fear her to death. Which made the witch trials easier for her to get by. Another thing is that Abigail ends her affair with John Proctor to try to get revenge on him. “A man may think God
Throughout the many acts of the play, we sense the anger rolling off Abigail’s words. “I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!” By these words, we know that Abigail Williams is angry. She’s angry at John Proctor for trying to hide the crime he committed with her, and for the lack of closure she
Abigail Williams is manipulative and wants everything to go her way. She is the main character and causes trouble everywhere she goes. The Salem Witch Trials is about hearings and prosecutions of people who were accused of witchcraft. In The Crucible Abigail is a no good villain. Abigail first commits adultery with Elizabeth’s husband.
How Arthur Miller Establishes the Character and Motivation of Abigail Williams in Act One and How She is Not to be Trusted
A motivation can be described as a character having a reason to behave or act in a particular way. Someone or something can be someone's motivation. A child obeys its parents to avoid punishment or a clerk works overtime so that he can afford a better car are examples of motivation. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, characters illustrate several types of motivations. Throughout the play, Abigail is motivated by jealousy, power, and attention.
Abigail is wicked and confident and is not afraid to take control of situations. This is shown when she is with Parris, Abigail is respectful on the surface but she hides her resentment and disrespect. She talks back to defend her name and in Act One, she suggests to Parris," Uncle, the rumour of witchcraft is all about; I think you'd best go down and deny it yourself." She is also aggressive and forceful, the other girls are afraid of her. When Mary Warren suggested that they should confess to dancing in the woods. Abigail threatens them,."..I have seen some reddish work done at night and i can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!"
What is Abigail Williams' function and purpose in the plot of the play? Abigail Williams is like a ringleader among the girls, she is also there to spread hysteria and huge hype among the villagers. Abigail seems to be
She does everything that is physically possible to get rid of her. She drinks a charm to kill Elizabeth, she stabs herself with a needle to accuse Elizabeth of a crime, Abigail also accuses Elizabeth of being a witch. The whole play, those were the only intentions that Abigail had, exterminate Elizabeth Proctor. Even though John decided to attempt to make the court look differently at Abigail and see what she has done to many people in the city of Salem. The misleading trait that Abigail has, helps her get out of a rocky situation without harm. The threatening of the girls, drinking a charm, stabbing herself with a needle, and accusing Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft are all the reasons that Abigail is also an evil individual. Abigail was the most misleading and evil character in the play written by Arthur Miller.
Abigail experienced some events from her past and present that may have influenced the kind of behavior she represented throughout the narrative. The young girl lost her parents and had to be fostered by her uncle, Parris. Having that type of loss, especially at a young age, could definitely assemble developmental issues. Abigail wanted to feel loved and important so, when John proctor had an affair with her, she felt a major connection. Proctor didn't want to have any type of devoting relationship with her, (Miller,act one line sixteen) “Abby, I never give you hope to wait for me”. Abigail, confused the lust for love. She had a goal to get Proctor to herself.
The Crucible follows the lives of those in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts, through these witch trials. Although it keeps true to much of the actual witch trials, characters and events have been changed, added, or taken out. This version of the trials is mainly centered around a girl named Abigail Williams. While it does follow the lives of other characters, Abigail determined everyone’s fate in The Crucible.
The true antagonist of the play is the town of Salem itself, because of the judgemental and self concerned peoples, and its oppressive views. Abigail;s outrageous actions are due to her desensitized views on death and actions otherwise viewed as unethical. From her youth ABigail recalls: “ I saw indians smash my dear parents’ head on the pillow next to mine and i have seen some reddish work at night” (Miller 20), because of this Abigail is numb to death and suffering and is in fact quite morbid. There is no problem in condemning other to death in Abigail’s eyes because she doesn’t see the issue with it. Abigail does not seem to comprehend that it is unethical to let people be hanged and stoned to death and has no issue telling others that she “ can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down” (Miller 20). Not only is Abigail desensitized to murder and death, she is also numb to other unethical dilemmas. Abigail is desensitized to corrupting the Proctor’s marriage because of her childish lust and obsession for John Proctor. Such desires can be seen through her encounters with Proctor. In regards to their so called “relationship” she says: “it’s she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you love me now!” (Miller 22). Abigail does not view her behavior t...
Abigail Williams is the troubled niece of Reverend Parris of Salem. She is an orphan; made so by brutal natives who killed her parents before her very eyes. The witch-hunt begins when Abigail is at the age of seventeen. She has a large role in this novel, especially on these dark events and also her relationship with John Proctor.