Abigail Williams Revenge

Revenge is a common theme across all types of literature. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible both heavily deal with revenge. Abigail Williams and Rodger Chillingworth both focused on revenge towards those who wronged them; however Chillingworth was cheated on while Abigail was cheated with.
Rodger Chillingworth travels to meet with his wife after being delayed by a ship wreck and being taken captive by Indians. Upon arrival he sees his wife on the scaffold in the town’s market place where he learns of his wife’s sin. He speaks with a man in the crowd who informs him that Hester refuses to say who the father is, “Madam Hester absolutely refuseth to speak, and the magistrates have laid their heads together

in vain. Peradventure the guilty one stands looking on at this sad spectacle, unknown of man, and forgetting that God sees him,” (Hawthorne 47). Chillingworth conceals his connection to Hester and begins to attempt to identify who the father is. He claims to be a doctor and soon becomes the caregiver for a sick Reverend Dimmesdale. The observant Chillingworth finds many connections between Dimmesdale and Hester and soon discovers that he is the father. In discussion with Dimmesdale, Chillingworth suggests that Dimmesdale’s sickness is not physical, “Would you, therefore, that your physician heal the bodily evil? How may this be, unless you first lay open to him the wound or trouble in your soul?” (Hawthorne 105). Dimmesdale responds and then storms out of the room which confirms Chillingworth’s suspicions. Chillingworth spends the end of his life consumed in seeking out revenge towards Dimmesdale and it consumes his life.
In contrast, Abigail Williams worked in the home of for John Proctor and his wife, Goody Proctor.

Abigail is attracted to Proctor and instead of suppressing her attraction, she pursues and seduces him. Once Goody Proctor learns of the affair Abigail is quickly removed from the home. She resents Goody Proctor because she prevents her from being with Proctor. Proctor goes to the home of Reverend Paris one night after rumors spread around town of witchcraft. Abigail confronts him, “I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! Or did I dream that? It’s she who 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 do now!” (Miller 145). Abigail resents Goody Proctor for kicking her out and claims that she is spreading rumors around town about her. To prove that Abigail is not being truthful with her claims about the witch trials, Proctor goes to the courts to tell of their affair. Looking for validation Governor Danforth calls forth Goody Proctor to confirm her husband’s accusations. The judge does not allow her to look at her husband when she is called in and in hopes to save him, she denies the claim when questioned (Miller 194). Proctor is then also taken into custody and later hung. Proctor’s sinful choices with Abigail cost the lives of countless men and women in the Salem witch

trials.
In Chillingworth’s time allegedly healing Dimmesdale, he only seems to get worse.

With no proof of Chillingworth having any knowledge of medicine, it is easy to presume his actions were worsening Dimmesdale’s health. Chillingworth lets his hopes of revenge consume his life. At the end of the novel Dimmesdale publicly admits his sin and Chillingworth dies within the year because his hope of revenge was the only thing keeping him alive, “Nothing was more remarkable than the change which took place, almost immediately after Mr. Dimmesdale’s death, in the appearance and demeanor of the old man known as Rodger Chillingworth. All his strength and energy- all his vital and intellectual force- seemed to at once desert him; insomuch that he positively withered up, shriveled away, and almost vanished from mortal sight, like an uprooted weed that lies in the wilting in the sun,” (Hawthorne 200). Likewise, during the witch trials Abigail lies and accuses Goody Proctor of being a witch to seek revenge. Proctor speaks to the court to tell them that Abigail’s claims are out of spite, “She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands. I know you must see it now,” (Miller 189). Abigail holds up her lies and does not respond to the claims. Goody Proctor is saved for some time because she bears

Proctor’s child. Abigail and Chillingworth both practiced revenge in a variance of ways.
Abigail Williams and Rodger Chillingworth’s hopes of revenge controlled both of their lives, even though their situations were slightly different. Abigail’s purpose for revenge is to divest Goody Proctor and win Proctor over. Chillingworth’s only purpose is to get vengeance on the man that sinned with his wife, which devoted a large part of his life to. Each of these wrongdoers schemes back fire and fail. Both characters situations are prime examples of how revenge can over take a person’s life.