Abigail Williams in The Crucible by Arthur Miller
analytical Essay
767 words
It seems unbelievable that Abigail Williams could have caused so much
horror in Salem. How does Millar present the situation as believable
to an audience?
The horror in Millar's novel 'The Crucible' is based on the
accusations of witchcraft in Salem in 1692. A woman called Betty
Parris is caught dancing naked in the woods and goes into a coma like
state. This affects the reader by making them think that Abigail is so
scared about getting caught, she goes into a coma. The reader may feel
sorry for Betty and even shocked by the effect on her.
The story is set in the times of Puritans. Puritans are very
religious, very superstitious people. They basically go to church
every Sunday, do not sin and lead perfect lives. I feel that because
the story is set in times when these people were like a 'cult', at one
mention of witchcraft, the superstition got the better of them and
they were willing to kill whoever was necessary to drive the devil out
of their village. This adds to the horror that Millar was trying to
achieve when writing the story.
The book was set in 1692, and America had just been discovered. As a
new colony had just arrived to America, times were hard and everyone
expected everyone to work to earn their keep and keep their village
running. As people were just discovering this new land, I feel that
the village would have been very religious because people had moved
away from their families and friends, and the only person they could
turn to for help was God. People would also be very weary of anything
out of the ordinary, and the 'satanic ritual' witnessed in the forest
would have definitely got alarm bells ringing.
The first turn of events was a group of girls dancing around a fire,
in the forest, naked. The girls get spotted by Betty's father,
Reverend Parris. After this, Betty falls into a coma, which I feel is
out of fear of being caught. The dancing is next speculated to be a
satanic ritual and a Black nurse named Tituba is blamed as she is
black and stands out (people believe that there is a connection with
voodoo involved).
Soon the neighbours hear rumours of what happened and the first
mentions of Witchcraft are bought up. I think that this scared Betty
even more and this is why she stayed in her 'trance' longer than
necessary. She would have to face the court and the sentence would be
some kind of cruel death. One character in question is Abigail
Williams, she plays on the idea of witchcraft, telling everyone how
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the story is set in times when these people were like a 'cult', at one.
- Explains that she was forced to sell her soul to the devil but wants to be with god.
- Explains that abigail had lots of motives to keep the rumour alive and bring it to a conclusion.
- Analyzes how proctor has a high status in the village, and to ruin john and his family.
Related
- analytical
- opinionated
- Abigail Williams Influence In The Crucibleanalytical essayIn 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how abigail williams, elizabeth proctor, and john's relationship in the crucible stood out from the other characters.
- Analyzes how abigail's necessity for revenge makes her threaten the young ladies into following her idea of deception.
- Explains that john proctor was claimed by danforth and others that he was practicing witchcraft and saw the devil and was doing his work while his time lasted on earth.
- Explains that elizabeth proctor is a very truthful woman. she always tells the truth, but she lied to save john's reputation in the community.
- Analyzes how abigail williams was the turmoil of everything in this story. john proctor wanted his pride and his wife wanted to save his name within the community.
725 wordsRead More - Motivations of Abigail Williams in The Crucible by Arthur Milleranalytical essayA 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that motivation can be defined as a character's reason to behave or act in particular ways. children obey their parents to avoid punishment or clerks work overtime to afford better cars are examples of motivation.
- Analyzes how abigail's jealousy motivates her to try to kill elizabeth because she was convinced that john loved her as much as she loved him.
- Analyzes how abigail asserts her power over the girls to ensure that she is not exposed by them. danforth listens to her while she questions his authority.
- Explains that attention is one of abigail's motivations in act three of the crucible.
- Analyzes how abigail williams shows jealousy, power, and attention as her motivations in the crucible.
557 wordsRead More - Abigail Williams of The Crucibleanalytical essayAbigail Williams is manipulative and wants everything to go her way. She is the main character and causes trouble everywhere she goes. The Salem Witch Trials is about hearings and prosecutions of people who were accused of witchcraft. In The Crucible Abigail is a no good villain. Abigail first commits adultery with Elizabeth’s husband. Later on Abigail begins to accuse innocent people of doing witchcraft which causes them to die. Abigail Williams uses the Salem Witch Trials to put out all the resentment she has toward everyone.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how abigail williams is manipulative and causes trouble everywhere she goes. the salem witch trials is about hearings and prosecutions of people who were accused of witchcraft.
- Analyzes how abigail commits adultery with elizabeth's husband, john proctor, in the crucible.
- Analyzes how abigail is portrayed to be innocent because she is an orphan and witnessed both of her parents being killed. she was raised by her uncle parris and never felt loved by him.
- Analyzes how abigail knew it was a sin to commit adultery with married men but she never really cared. she accuses innocent people of doing witchcraft.
- Analyzes how abigail induced the slaves into doing witchcraft. she accused elizabeth proctor of sending evil spirits and stabbing her with a needle so she could have john.
- Analyzes how abigail is manipulative and wants everything her way. when john goes to the woods to talk to her she tried to seduce him but he pushed her away.
- Analyzes how abigail's smart tactics and cunnings make it easier for people to believe her lies.
- Analyzes how abigail threatened the other girls to lie because she did not want the same testimony as them.
- Concludes that abigail was evil and was the antagonist of the play. john proctor's relationship with elizabeth and her character creates chaos in the salem witch trials.
998 wordsRead More - The Crucible: Abigail Williams is to Blameanalytical essayThe Crucible - Abigail Williams is to Blame 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how abigail williams is to blame for the 1692 witch trials in salem, massachusetts. she is a mean and vindictive person who always wants her way no matter who she hurts.
- Analyzes how abigail williams was raised by her uncle, reverend parris, who regarded children as young adults who should be thankful for being allowed to walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, arms at the sides, and mouths shut until bidden to speak.
647 wordsRead More - The Role Of Abigail Williams In The Crucibleanalytical essayRaymond Concepcion Beale English 10 November 23 2015 Block 3 Abigail William the Witch of Salem The Salem Witch trials of 1692 was an event that shaped the history of this country, as well as the lives of those whose wives and husbands were condemned to death. In order for such an event to occur, there must be a set of people who catalyze the event, and others who speak out against it. In “The Crucible”, certain characters help contribute to the rising hysteria of witchcraft, and others contribute to the disapproval of so many wrongful convictions. Throughout the endurance of Arthur Miller 's The Crucible, vengeance and the love for John play a big role in the actions and fates of various characters. Since Abigail Williams is motivated by John Proctor, her decision to lie and accused others of witchcraft resulted in the deaths of many people in Salem by the end of the play.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how vengeance and the love for john play a big role in the actions and fates of various characters in arthur miller's the crucible.
- Analyzes how abigail williams is motivated by the lust for elizabeth proctor's husband. she tells him that she still loves and wants him, but he doesn't have any more feelings for her.
- Analyzes how abigail possesses shrewd insight and a capacity for strategy that reveal maturity beyond that of most other characters.
- Analyzes how abigail decides to continue with the accusations against others in the town of witchcraft, to protect herself and try to steal john from his wife.
- Analyzes how abigail changed from respectful and trusted young women to liar, manipulative, and a thief. she convinces the court that she is possessed by mary.
- Analyzes how abigail williams' decisions, motives, and changes in "the crucible" affected everything that happened in salmon. her decision to lie and accuse others of witchcraft resulted in the deaths of many people in hallen by the end of the play.
- Cites arthur miller's the crucible: a play in four acts. new york: viking, 1953.
1152 wordsRead More - Today in society a person’s future is often dictated by their past. Traumatic events will in many times create a such a person to behave in an unacceptable behavior. Throughout literature such people are used as characters to further the plot. The term frequently used for this type of character is an antagonist. In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, the protagonist, Abigail Williams, creates the sole conflict based on her adolescent years. For characters like Abigail, in The Crucible, her early life and relationship with John Proctor contributes to her actions despite some being seen as inexcusable.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how traumatized events can cause a person to behave in an unacceptable manner. in arthur miller's play, the crucible, the protagonist, abigail williams, creates the conflict based on her teenage years.
- Analyzes how the introduction of abigail williams sets the stage for how she is treated and how damaging her life already is.
- Analyzes how abigail engages herself in an unhealthy relationship with john proctor, an older gentleman who houses her while she does household duties.
- Opines that abigail's actions are vengeful, even though she wanted to kill elizabeth from the beginning. the only man who feels passion for her isn't there.
- Concludes that the antagonists played by abigail williams can be excused for multiple reasons. she comes from a broken home that lasts the love and support she desires, and becomes involved in an empty relationship without her knowledge.
747 wordsRead More - The Crucible Abigail Williams Character Analysis Essayanalytical essayThe Little Girl Who Cried Wolf “Nothing is hidden that won’t be exposed. Nor is anything concealed that won’t be made known and brought to the light” (Luke 8:17 CEB). The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is a page turner with new problems and more drama on every page. In this emotional story a town in Salem, Massachusetts is undergoing a series of trials to vilify the civilians who were accused of witchcraft. The accusations were based on animosity and jealousy from a group of ill advised girls.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible is a page turner with new problems and more drama on every page.
- Analyzes how abigail is a manipulative and scary person who uses her past to justify what she does.
- Analyzes how abby tries to pressure people to get them to do what she wants. she gets unfathomable ideas in her head and plays along with them.
- Analyzes how abby wants revenge on john proctor's wife, goody, for having an affair with her husband. she waited until she found a way to get john back.
- Analyzes how abigail shows her true colors throughout the story. she shows that she can be a manipulative and conniving person to get what she wants.
1123 wordsRead More - Abigail Williams in The Crucible by Arthur Milleropinionated essayAbigail Williams is the troubled niece of Reverend Parris of Salem. She is an orphan; made so by brutal natives who killed her parents before her very eyes. The witch-hunt begins when Abigail is at the age of seventeen. She has a large role in this novel, especially on these dark events and also her relationship with John Proctor.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that 'i will come to you in the dark of some terrible night'.
- Opines that they have seen some reddish work done at night, and they can make you wish.
- Opines that the man who led her made it worse because it came from her father.
- Analyzes how john enters the court in a bid to save his wife and to end his marriage.
- Opines that one must seek out the devil and destroy it, and then send it back to.
- Opines that if they must answer, they will leave and not come back again.
- Opines that she would rather not be around when they do, so she must use the last of the sentence.
- Narrates how she yearns to be away from the court.
- Concludes that abigail can only be seen as evil.
3729 wordsRead More - How Does Abigail Williams Play In The Crucibleanalytical essayWhere the Idea of Witchcraft Began In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, there are many characters who provoke the Salem Witch Trials and the belief of witchcraft in the town of Salem. Out of all of the characters the one who stands out the most and is pushing toward the belief of witchcraft is Abigail. Abigail Williams plays a role that leads the court to believe that witches in Salem are real and are bewitching innocent townspeople that are just trying to go about their day to day lives. Abigail displays a very manipulating, deceiving, and conniving personality throughout the text.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how arthur miller's the crucible provokes the salem witch trials and the belief of witchcraft in the town. abigail williams leads the court to believe that witches are real and bewitching innocent townspeople.
- Analyzes how abigail is unquestionably manipulating on all accounts. she lies to the courts about the whole situation in the woods instead of taking responsibility and telling her uncle parris that nothing had happened that would be the cause of betty's "illness."
- Analyzes how abigail gets away with manipulating the court because she is deceiving them. when mary warren tried to speak out and tell danforth that the girls were acting out for "sport," she never saw the devil and that she was fainting because of the controversy.
476 wordsRead More - Free Essays on The Crucible: The Character of Abigail Williamsanalytical essayThe Crucible – The Character of Abigail 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. Abigail is a defensive girl. She is always defending her reputation and herself to get out of trouble. Abigail was on orphan, her uncle Parris feeds and clothes her. She was also expelled from the house by Goody Proctor, therefore she has little standing in village.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how abigail williams draws the reader's interest as she is a wicked, confident girl who lies to get what she wants and defends her name and her life.
- Analyzes how abigail is a defensive girl who defends her reputation and herself to get out of trouble. she was an orphan, her uncle feeds and clothes her, and was expelled from the house by goody proctor.
- Analyzes how abigail's relationship with john and her animosity to goody proctor are reasons why elizabeth was accused as a witch and later the death of john.
- Analyzes how abigail is wicked and confident and is not afraid to take control of situations. she is respectful on the surface but hides her resentment and disrespect.
- Analyzes how abigail acts as a catalyst for the salem witch trials. she is manipulative and controls the lives of others, making her story plausible.
- Concludes that abigail williams draws our interests through her deceiving actions and mendacious character, and words showing us how hysteria can be made by one person, causing the death of so many innocent people.
557 wordsRead More