Abigail Williams Character Analysis Essay

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The setting of "The Crucible is in the year 1692, in Salem Massachusetts, where the Salem Witch Trials occurred. Many innocent people were hung due to the actions of one person, Abigail Williams. Abigail had an affair with a married man, John Proctor, and, having fallen in love with him, wanted to get rid of his wife, Elizabeth. Obsessed with John, she was intent on becoming John 's new wife. As part of an attempt to make John fall in love with her, she participated in pagan traditions, with her uncle 's slave, Tituba. When her and the girls were discovered by Revered Parris, Abigail invented the idea of witchcraft afoot in Salem to avoid punishment. Abigail is the ring leader of the teenage girls that live there, and she manipulates them to make the trials more dramatic, and more believable. She does not like being controlled, and instead she insists on being in control and power. She therefore leads a rebellion against adult authority in order to obtain her goals. Unfortunately, however, she fails in obtaining the one thing she desired most: the love of John Proctor. In the process, Abigail is Abigail is willing to go to any length to get rid of Elizabeth, even to the point of having her being hung. Since John will not return her advances, Abigail becomes bitter and builds up more hatred towards Elizabeth. After this, she turns around and says that Elizabeth is "blackening her name in the village! She is telling lies about me." ( ) Just to make sure that Elizabeth will suffer for dismissing her, and that her reputation will be destroyed. Abigail also tries to frame Elizabeth for being a witch, with having Mary Warren give her a poppet. Abigail uses Mary as a pawn to frame Goody Proctor, and get her hung. This accusation ultimately leads to the death of John, all because he is not willing to love her

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