Abigail Williams A Villain Essay

What really makes one a villain in literature? The literary definition of a villain is a flat character that is “evil to the very marrow of their bones”. They should have no redeeming qualities. In the Crucible by Arthur Miller, many who read the book are quick to assume Abigail Williams is of that caliber. There is much evidence in the book to disprove this. She was in fact, a victim of the ignorant ideals of the Puritans. She first was pulled into a deceptive relationship by John Proctor, who took her innocence in an act of lust. Her immaturity then led to her belief that he loved her, which causes conflict in the story and the arrest of John’s wife Elizabeth. Finally, her mental state collapses and she runs away from the village without

This all starts when John Proctor and she have an extramarital affair. She was the servant of John and his wife Elizabeth when she caught his eye. This was not her fault by any means; it only shows her as more of a victim of John’s lust. She is only a young girl of seventeen, not mature or ready for such an encounter. This is shown perfectly through one of Abigail’s own quotes in act one, “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! 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!” (Page 22). This directly reveals how she is holding on to John because he took away her innocence; refusing to believe he doesn’t love her. She references the ‘knowledge’ he put in her heart; this being the knowledge of adults and mature citizens. John exposed her much too early. She holds on to this for a while before giving up hope, as seen in their conversation in the act two appendix at the back of the novel. While not necessarily an official part of the play, it certainly allows readers to further inquire about the two characters. Throughout the appendix, Abigail tells John how much she wishes she was his wife. She directly references her lose of innocence in this quote,

She must protect herself when John gets close to revealing her motives. He is accused by her of ‘sending out his spirit’ and is arrested by the authorities. This is shown by the stage directions in the act three courthouse scene. The directions state, “Abigail, with a weird, wild, chilling cry, screams up to the celling” (Page 106). Obviously, there is no one there. She uses this trick of acting afflicted to protect herself and mark people she wants arrested. After both Proctors are jailed due to ‘spiritual evidence’, it can be assumed that Abigail goes through a state of guilt. We hear nothing from or about her until act four, where it is revealed she ran away from Salem. This removed all possibility of her being caught, but it was already bigger than just the ‘afflicted’ girls. Neighbors were accusing neighbors and friends were turning into enemies. This was a smart move by Abigail, but through careful analysis of her character it is revealed she probably did not think of it that way. She likely ran away to escape from Salem, John, and everything else that occupied her mind. She hints to this in act three, when John is revealing his act of lechery to the courthouse. She says, “If I must answer that, I will leave and I will not come back again!” (Page 103). This foreshadows her escape from Salem due to her own personal discomforts. She cannot bear to hear that John does not love her and would reveal himself to stay with