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The Crucible Act 2: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The Crucible Act 2: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The Crucible Act 2: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
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Abigail’s motive for confessing and accusing people of witchcraft is to avoid gain power in the room, and possibly to avoid getting killed. Tituba earlier admitted to being acquainted with the devil and names some people that she saw with the devil. After that, it is stated that Tituba is blessed by God. Then, Abigail stands up from her seat and confesses herself as well by yelling out names that she saw with the devil. She wants it to be known that she is a threat to the people. A consequence of this could be that she could have been hanged for admitting being with the devil, whereas Tituba only witnesses rather than actually being part of the devil’s actions like Abigail says. If Abigail had not said this, it is possible that she could have
Abigail asks Tituba to help her cast a love spell on John Proctor. Abigail tells the girls who were also involved to keep quiet. Mary Warren begins to feel guilty and tries to persuade the girls to tell the truth. Abigail disagrees with Mary and browbeats the girls “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things… I will bring a pointy reckoning and shutter you”. (Miller 1137) Abigail is threatening the girls that if they say anything about her drinking blood she will harm them. Abigail threatens the girls for her own selfish reasons, Abigail Williams is a villain because she would rather lie and hurt people than tell the truth.
The Puritans said that Tituba practices what they called black magic; but it was the deceitful Abigail who influenced Tituba into practicing the black arts whenever it suited herself and her evil deeds. Tituba acknowledges her sins, but we never knew what happened to her in the story. This uncertainty of her destiny emphasizes whether she was a witch or not.
Tituba, Tituba . . . (Miller 156)” If Abigail does not shift the blame she will be seen as conspiring with the devil but by throwing Tituba under the bus Abigail is seen as good but only under the influence of a bad person. As Judge Danforth starts to question Abigail about the validity of her accusations Abigail proclaims “Let you beware Mr.Danforth. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? Beware of it! (Miller 188)”. She is threatening the judge as his opinion turns to make him consider the consequences of going against Abby. As Abby's defense in court crumbles, more and more are doubting her. Eventually Reverend Hale says “I believe him (pointing at Abigail) This girl has always struck me false! She has-” to put an end to Abby’s wild accusations but she
In this excerpt from the book, the reader is able to learn the true intentions and motives behind Abigail’s actions. Throughout the book one is able to see how Abigail is repeatedly trying to protect herself by creating false accusations against innocent people. Abigail tries to protect her reputation by creating a hostile atmosphere; forcing others into agreeing on lying about what actually happened in the woods. What sets this quote aside from others, is how Abigail uses threats of violence and, the belief that the she might know some form of witchcraft. Abigail uses these threats in order to try to save herself and her reputation throughout the book.
In order to avoid charges, Abigail deflects the blame onto Tituba, the family servant, by saying that she forced her to drink blood. After realizing that the town might hang her for her crimes, Tituba confesses to witchcraft and accuses the low-class women of Salem, hoping that it might lighten her punishment. The town quickly breaks into hysteria as Mary is pulled into the center of the drama and the authorities ask her to testify against the accused. Realizing that her life is still under threat of Abigail if she doesn't do what Abigail asks of her, Mary lies on stand, ensuring her safety, as well as the death of two innocent women. Overwhelmed with culpability, Mary attempts to justify her
Abigail Williams is motivated to lie about her affair with John Proctor. What motivates her to lie is the thought of getting hung. Another big reason that she could be lying is for vengeance. Abigail loves John Proctor and one night they had an affair and touched. Since then, Abigail has been jealous towards John’s wife, Elizabeth. Abigail goes into the forest with some other young girls and Tituba, who makes a potion to have boys fall in love with them. This is a great example, “ABIGAIL, pulling her away from the window: I told him everything; he knows now, he knows everything we—BETTY: You drank blood, Abby! You didn't tell him that! ABIGAIL: Betty, you never say that
Her accusations were the reason why the entire witch hunt in Salem came to be. “She comes to me while I sleep; she 's always making me dream corruptions!” This quote from Abigail falsely accusing Tituba of witchcraft is the main reason for the messed up justice in the town of Salem. The good and the innocent start to be accused and convicted by those without integrity. The audience starts to realize the deep problems in Salem. Eventually later on in the book, Abigail comes to realize the power she possesses over the people. She realized that she had the power and control to run the entire town and get what she wanted. This same situation is seen with Corporate America after 9/11. After the attack of 9/11 they saw that people were very paranoid when it came to wanting safety which is why the Bush administration took advantage of Americans by getting them to believe certain laws they wanted were necessary for their safety. Also, the Bush administration tried to get more control of the people by passing a bunch of unneeded laws to Congress. They lied to get what they wanted. The same scenario is shown by Abigail’s followers as they helped lie for her
The hysteria surrounding the witchtrials causes Abigail to lie in order to save herself. She is affected by the hysteria because she does not want to exposed as a liar. She forgets about the people that are close to her in order to protect her reputation and identity. Abigail abandons Tituba, and accuses her of "sending her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer" (41). Abigail also says Tituba "comes to me every night to go and drink blood (41). Abigail reacts like this only to save her fro...
The Salem Witch looked to be so innocent, because of this she had everyone fooled. Abigail Williams went through a hard time, which gave the illusion of her innocence. Abigail should be the one held accountable for all imprisonments and execution of all the innocent people, because she lied her way through the witch trials so she could get what she wanted, and her biggest reason was to get John Proctor.
In modern society, social standing affects how people are treated and the opportunities they have. Reputation was just as important in colonial times, and people took desperate measures to maintain theirs. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Reverend Parris’ motivation for supporting the witch trials is to further his reputation. When Parris questions Abigail about her being in the forest, he declares, “I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people for me and now, just when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character” (Miller 11). Parris is only concerned about Abigail’s disobedience because he is worried it will ruin the village’s opinion of him. This demonstrates that Parris values his standing extremely highly.
In the crucible the person that changes in the biggest way is abigail williams the way that she changes is at the start of the play she is perfect then they get caught at the fire and she is freaking out. She is acting like she has been witched she is saying that she can talk to the devil and that he comes to her at night to make her sign his book which is the devil's book. But she says she refuses to sign the book then she starts praying to god that she wants him to forgive her. During the witch trials her and all her friends fainted and acted like the witch one bewitching them and they would act like they could see a ghost.When she would hear anything about a witch she would fake and acted like the people were putting spells on her so she
Abigail Shows mendacity throughout the whole story by blaming people of witchcraft. “Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them I confessed it” (10). The was one of the first she tells trying to cover up what she actually did. She lied to her uncle about what happened that night about how she was practicing witchcraft and how she drank blood to kill elizabeth proctor to get john proctor all for herself. Another time was when she said “she sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer!” Abigail is lying by saying Tituba sends her spector to her to cover and explain why she would laugh in church while she was praying. Abigail was desperate to put the blame on someone this is only the beginning of the lies.
Have you ever wanted something so badly, that you would do anything to get it? Abigail Williams, one of the main protagonists in the play The Crucible, is a prime example of this. The Crucible takes place in Salem village, where over twenty people are being persecuted for witchcraft. She wanted to be with John Proctor, a married man with three children, more than anything. The extent that she was willing to go is belligerently horrific. Abigail's flaws of immaturity, jealousy, and deceitfulness led to her ultimate downfall of her beloved John being sentenced to death.
Abigail Williams started the witch trials in Salem all because she and a group of her friends wanted some attention from their town. Abigail thinks she is superior to some people, specifically Tituba and has no problem accusing people she feels superior to. "They want slaves, not such as I. Let them send to Barbados for any of them!"(24). Abigail's first victim in her accusation spree was Tituba. Tituba was easy first target because she is a slave and practices voodoo, both things combined make her the easiest target in Salem. "Sometimes I wake and find myself standing in the open doorway and not a stitch on my body! I always hear her laughing in my sleep. I hear her singing her Barbados songs and tempting me with-"(27). Abigail targets Tituba first so she can gain so...
How can a girl who condemned seventy two to a death sentence and drank a charm to kill a man’s wife, a man she has slept with on more than one occasion be the victim? It’s possible when the town she lives in is worse than her. Although Abigail Williams is typically thought of as the antagonist of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, she is in fact a victim as much as any other tragic character in the play.