Where does power come from and how can people use it? Social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven denoted six different bases of power from which people can act. For example, referent power refers to a person’s natural attractiveness, likability, and respect; coercive power is derived from someone’s ability to punish others for undesired behavior (French and Raven’s). One great illustration of power dynamics between characters is a play written by Arthur Miller titled The Crucible. The play is set during the Salem Witch Trials, where hysteria and paranoia of witchcraft causes people to make accusations against each other to protect themselves. In The Crucible, Abigail Williams uses the revenant power base to build rapport with Mary Warren …show more content…
In the second act of the play, Elizabeth tells Proctor, “Mary Warren speaks of Abigail as though she were a saint, to hear her” (Miller 11; Act 2). This quote reveals that before the witch trials had begun, Mary thought highly of Abigail. Her perceived saintliness demonstrates her likeability, which was used to get close with Mary. Subsequently, this likeability translates into referent power. Additionally, it is later revealed by Proctor that “Abigail lead the girls to the woods, your Honor, and they have danced there naked.” (Miller 27; Act 3). Abigail’s natural attractiveness and likeability made the other girls in the village revere her. As a result, this allowed her to lead the other girls in the village to dance in the forest. Therefore, Abigail’s referent power enabled her to gain positive respect with the other girls in the village. Later in The Crucible, Abigail loses referent power with Mary in order to gain coercive power against her. When it is revealed that Abigail planted a poppet to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft, Mary refuses to go against Abigail. MARY: I cannot charge murder on
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.
May it please the court, counsel, members of the jury; this is a case of conspiracy of the murder of Elizabeth Proctor. In the spring of the year 1692, Abigail Williams was accused of plotting the murder of Elizabeth Proctor.
In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, Miller demonstrated that it was Abigail William’s flaws – mendacity, lust, and arrogance – that led her to be responsible the most for the tragedy of the witch hunt in Salem, Massachusetts. Driven by lust, Abigail was able to lie to the Salem community in hopes of covering her and her friends’ deeds and gaining the attention of John Proctor. Her arrogance enabled her t0 advance her deceit.
In the Crucible there was three characters that stood out from all the other ones in this wicked story. Abigail Williams was a big influence in this story she would lie and lie to get out of things and she was also the leader of the girls in the woods. Furthermore she also had an affair with John Proctor which made John and Elizabeth relationship unstable. Also John Proctor runs into a situation at the end of the story where he is put in the position if he wants his pride of not signing that paper full of lies or die knowing he did the right thing of not lying. Additionally, Elizabeth Proctor has never lied ever until the day John was being prosecuted for his witchcraft and possibly adultery and Elizabeth lied so that his name wouldn't be ruined.
During the early years of the colonies, there was a mad witch hunt striking the heart of Salem. Anger, reputation, and even religion play an important part during the play of The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller. The author allows us to witness the vivid idea of the hysteria taking place in Salem, Massachusetts, and why it was so vulnerable during the time.
"Power tends to corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" - Lord Action. In "The Crucible" composed by Arthur Miller control, power, fear and greed were the main factors that began the Salem witch trails. Power brings out the true nature of a person and we see that happening to Abigail throughout the play. That brings me to my next point fear, Abigail used the fear of accusing people of being witches to gain power and control. It all started with Abigail misunderstanding lust for love. John Proctor thought softly of her and she began dreaming of replacing his wife willing to go to any needs necessary.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller shows how authority is a characteristic that can easily become a problem throughout a society. Many subjects were addressed in The Crucible such as guilt, hypocrisy, justice, hysteria, and courage. However, the most important subject throughout the play would be the nature of authority. There is a fine line between the concept of having authority and having power. In the book, the authority weakened and led to the antagonist Abigail Williams leading the law as opposed to the law leading Abigail Williams. At the instant that Abigail was granted authority over the townspeople she acted on it in order to have power. Not only is there power that comes with authority, but there is also responsibility which was demonstrated
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 Arthur Miller's The Crucible, the main character Abigail Williams is to blame for the 1692 witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts. Abigail is a mean and vindictive person who always wants her way, no matter who she hurts. Through out the play her accusations and lies cause many people pain and suffering, but she seemed to never care for any of them except John Proctor, whom she had an affair with seven months prior to the beginning of the play. John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth used to employ Abigail, until Elizabeth found out the affair and threw Abigail out. Although John told Abigail that the affair was over and he would never touch her again, she tried desperately to rekindle their romance. "Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again." (Page 23) She claimed that she loved John and that he loved her. Before the play began, Abigail tried to kill Elizabeth with a curse. She thought that if Elizabeth were dead John would marry her. Further into the play, Abigail accused Elizabeth of witchcraft. She saw Marry Warren, the Proctor's servant, making a poppet. Mary put a needle into the doll, and Abigail used that for her accusation. She stabbed herself with a needle and claimed that Elizabeth's soul had done it. Although Abigail claimed she loved John, she may have just loved the care and attention he gave her. John cared for her like no one else had. In a way he could be described as somewhat of a father figure to her. When Abigail was just a child, she witnessed her parents' brutal murders. "I saw Indians smash my dear parent's heads on the pillow next to mine..." (page 20) After her traumatic experience, she was raised by her uncle, Reverend Parris, who is somewhat of a villain. In the play it was written, "He (Parris) was a widower with no interest in children, or talent with them." (Page 3) Parris regarded children as young adults who should be "thankful for being permitted to walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, arms at the sides, and mouths shut until bidden to speak." (Page 4) Therefore, it is obvious to see that Abigail grew up without any love or nurturing.
The Crucible, a play about the persecution of individuals falsely accused of being involved in witchcraft. Many people suffered an unreasonable death caused by a cycle of lies. Abigail Williams , after being involved with John Proctor, begins this cycle of lies to make her feel better about herself and to be more important. Abigail defends her name and her life through evil means. Evil in The Crucible is most best portrayed by Abigail, as seen through her encounters with other characters in which she displays manipulative, selfish and vengeful traits.
She is now extremely powerful and confident. More than all the women and men in Salem, Elizabeth Proctor is Abigail's target. Abigail wants John Proctor all to herself and Abigail gets it through her head that in order to achieve her goal she is going to have to kill Goody Proctor. During Act Two of The Crucible, Elizabeth states “ Spoke or silent, a promise is surely made. She may dote on it now-I am sure she does- and thinks to kill me, then to take my place.” (59) Elizabeth knows what Abigail has planned and begins to feel very scared and threatened. Mary, Abigail’s own friend, also feels very threatened by the confidence that Abigail has gained. Mary states on page 77, “She’ll kill me for sayin that! Abby’ll charge lechery on you, Mr. Proctor… I have known it, Sir. She’ll ruin you with it, I know she will.” Abigail’s threats give her power because now Proctor and Elizabeth cannot defend themselves without telling the court of John’s act of adultery.The confidence that Abigail has gained throughout the Acts, have caused a downward spiral for the well being of the town. Innocent people are now being accused for witchcraft. Just because Abigail has created such a massive
Lydia Velishek Mr. Stensrud Honors: US Literature & Composition 10 October 2017 Title Here It is clear that Abigail Williams is portrayed as the antagonist in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, taking place in the late 1600s in Salem, Massachusetts and based on the witch-trials therein. She serves as a catalyst for the witch trials by falsely accusing innocent townspeople with the intent of maintaining the position of power she gains from them. Due to the transparency of her actions, Abigail’s ulterior motives are also distinguishable.
the town. Abigail doesn't want anyone to find out that she was in the forest so
Abigail Williams is to be blamed for everything that happened in the Crucible. Whenever something bad was happening she was there in the middle of it. Even if the situation had nothing to do with her she would make it about her somehow.
Abigail Williams the main character in The Crucible by Arthur Miller draws the interest of the reader as she is a wicked, confident girl who lies to get what she wants and defends her name and her life.