Everybody makes mistakes in their lives, but how they react to them exposes who they really are. In the play "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, the Puritan citizens of Salem are caught in a perilous storm of terror and accusations of witchcraft. The sins and choices of other characters in the play fuel the fire of injustice and cost the lives of many. There are two tested characters who played large roles in the outbreak of witchcraft accusations; they either passed or failed this test. John Proctor passed the trial of his sins, and Abigail Williams failed her test.
John Proctor committed the serious sin of adultery and then experienced the trial of his wife being accused of witchcraft. One quote that shows this is a conversation between John Proctor and Mary Warren that says,
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Abigail is the girl that John Proctor had an affair with. In The Crucible Betty Parris says, “You did. You did! You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!” (Miller 1244) Even before we know a lot about Abigail we find out that she resorted to “devil work” to try and get rid of John Proctor’s wife. She is still in love with Proctor to a point of destroying her and anyone who gets in her way. Another quote is by Abigail herself that says, “Why, look at my leg. I’ve holes all over from their damned needles and pins. The jab your wife gave me’s not healed yet, y’know…. And George Jacobs - he comes again and again and raps me with his stick - the same spot every night all this week. Look at the lump I have.” (Citation Act II Scene II) This shows that Abigail’s obsession has caused her to slip into madness. She has fully immersed herself in the act of being hurt by supposed witches. Not only has Abigail’s infatuation impacted John and Elizabeth Proctor’s lives, but it has also altered the lives and view of every citizen in Salem. Abigail failed her crucible and her failure influenced the lives of everyone she knew, sometimes even to the point of
That Abigail started, in effect, to condemn Elizabeth to death with her touch, then stopped her hand, then went through with it, was quite suddenly the human center of all this turmoil." (page 3; paragraph 3). It wasn't certain that Abigail and John had an affair in real life, but according to Miller's research, Elizabeth, John, and Abigail were real people. The research he did helped form a key plot point out of observations of the history. In the play, one of Abigail's main drives of her actions is to dispose of Elizabeth, for reasons that are suspected to be that she wanted to keep Proctor for herself, vengeance towards Elizabeth for casting her away, or being married to John, or even the hope that John will perish for denying Abigail's second approaches towards him.
In Arthur Miller's The Crucible Abigail- a young, jealous, and empowered girl- ambushes everyone around her with a method of destruction. The people in Abigail's town are religious; knowing this Abigail begins to implement her strategy, which involves accusing and sentencing people to death. Abigail starts her plan when she learns she can never be with John Proctor, who is married to Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail wants to be with John, so Abigail must get rid of Elizabeth; hence, the plan that will create a path for Abigail. Abigail's plan will lead to her gaining love as well as
Abigail became obsessed with John and would do anything to take Elizabeth place, “You did, you did! You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!” (Miller 19) is what Betty said talking to Abigail. It wasn't the devil trying to kill Elizabeth but Abigail herself, she was so in love with Proctor that she was willing to kill to be with him.
You drank a charm to kill John Procter's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!"(Act 1, Pg.19). Goody Procter is the wife of John Proctor, who she'd previously had an affair with meaning that even before the actual trials began Abigail had murderous and selfish goals.
Afterwards, she was willing to destroy anyone in the way of her getting to be with him. Proctor definitely wishes he had never laid with Abigail, and everyone else was paying for his mistake, as she ruined everyone’s lives, “I have known her, sir. I have known her.” (Act III, 378). A single lie snowballed, leaving death and terror in its wake, all because Abigail could not, and likely did not want to control herself.
The scene is needed to confirm that Abigail’s actions are motivated by her love for John Proctor. When John Proctor comes over to see what is wrong with Betty in Act One, Abigail believes that John has come to see her. She informs him that she knows that he truly lovers her. Proctor denies her ludicrous statement, but she doesn’t believe him claiming, “You love me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!” (Miller 22).
Betty even said that Abigail “…drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor”(Miller 1137)! All Abigail ever wanted was Proctor. I think Abigail is definitely the one to blame in The Crucible. Abigail Williams is the one to blame for the innocent deaths because of the lies she told, the accusations she made, and the affair she had with John Proctor.
Abigail seeks vengeance after her affair with John Proctor. She is still madly obsessed with him. After John rejected her, she makes up lies in court in desperate attempt to get Goody Proctor hanged. She thinks if she gets rid of Goody Proctor she will be able to have John all to herself. One quote that supports this is “I do sir.
Abigail's sudden switch of character demonstrates pure insanity. “I say shut it, Mary Warren!” (Miller, Arthur. The Crucible.) Abigail’s vicious approach almost failed but, pulled through as a twisted
The first clue of Abigail’s longing for John was when she told Betty that she confessed, but Betty, knowing she had forgotten an important detail, exclaimed “You drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!” (Miller Act 1). Then, later in the act, Abigail admits to “waiting for John” every night, but he basically claims that while she is in his thoughts from time to time, it’s never going to happen (Miller Act 1). It is revealed in this conversation that they once had an affair, but if it had never happened, she would not have found herself casting spells in the woods to kill John Proctor’s wife.
In The Crucible written by Arthur Miller, one of the characters who goes by the name of Abigail Williams is the orphaned niece of Reverend Parris, she was once the mistress of John Proctor but Elizabeth Proctor discovered the affair. Abigail is extremely jealous of Elizabeth she ends up using her power that she has in the town to get rid of her and anyone else that discredit her in the past. She will not let go of John Proctor and she is the leader of the girls, she tells lies manipulates the entire town and her friends. This sends nineteen guiltless people to their get hanged in front of the whole town while Abigail is still free of the harm and lies she told. Abigail Williams is selfish and a magnificent liar in Act 1 Abigail says “I never sold myself!
Abigail is willing to accuse any one in her path of witchcraft even if it means taking the lives of those close to her. Abigail Williams’ emotional desire guides her actions even if it conflicts with morality. Abigail williams is driven to do unthinkable things because of her love for John Proctor. Abigail works in the Proctor’s home and while doing so she finds herself attracted to John. Abigail’s obsession with Proctor leads them to have an affair, which they try to keep
John Proctor, a man of his name in 1692 was a lying, cheating man who could not stay true to his marriage and his family. Proctor may have worked hard and provided for his wife, but adultery was frowned upon, and not taken well in 1692. Is it a coincidence he can’t remember the 10 commandments, or is Proctor just a nasty man with no morals? Although Proctor may have been this at the beginning, did his mistakes make him change to a better man when his wife was given up for witchcraft?
Abigail fuels this situation even more with her manipulative personality. She is a very selfish girl and she is willing to do whatever she can to protect herself. Abigail “smashes her across the face: Shut it! Now shut it!” Abigail smacks Betty when she starts remembering what happened and that Abigail drank blood to kill John Proctor’s wife.
Abigail 's heartless attitude is shown in act two when she frames and accuses Elizabeth Proctor for witchcraft. She desired and longed for this revenge on poor Proctors innocent wife, aiming for her through out the play. Later on in Act Three she seems to lose her last attachment of society by destroying John Proctor, who she claims to love with all her heart. When John attempts and threatens to expose Abigail’s wrong doings, she skillfully manages to turn the whole problem around on him, sending him off