Contrast Between Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor
Create an outright contrast between the two protagonists – Abigail
Williams and Elizabeth Proctor. Examine how he has established this
dichotomy of character, and what does it add to the dramatic quality
and audience involvement in the play.
The “Crucible” By Arthur Miller
Miller attempts to create an outright contrast between the two
protagonists – Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor.
Examine how he has established this dichotomy of character, and what
does it add to the dramatic quality and audience involvement in the
play.
On the face of the play (“The Crucible”) it seems to be simply about the mass hysteria which led to the 1692 Salem Witchcraft trials, which talks about a handful of issues which are somewhat remote to a modern audience, who in turn find it relatively intricate to relate to such happenings. But as you study the play in more detail you realise that Miller not only stresses issues which were easy to relate to in the time in which it was set, but has also given the play a modern touch by stressing the rivalry between Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor. Consequently Miller adds to the dramatic feel of the play by adding a series of modern touches and historic statements which makes the play not only relate to the happenings of witchcraft but also explore the crime of adultery, which makes the play more about the personal guilt of John Proctor. The play furthermore creates the “Crucible” in such a way as to illustrate how people react to mass hysteria, created by a person or group of people desiring fame (in this case Abigail because she is the main leader of all the happenings that go on in the performance), as people di...
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...adds to
the drama of the play by keeping the reader hooked to see which female
John will choose in the end. The play deliberately uses differences
to show us as the audience that there are clear contrasts between
Abigail and Elizabeth. Miller also composes the idea about religion
verses witchcraft by introducing once more a contrast between Abigail
and Elizabeth-Abigail is in an earthly court causing people’s deaths
and Elizabeth is in her own heavenly court which only she controls-.
The issues which are brought up in the play makes the dramatic piece
more relevant to today by making the play not only about the
happenings of witchcraft but about the crime of adultery, which makes
the play more about a love triangle between Abigail, Elizabeth and
John. This allows us to be captivated throughout the whole play as to
which woman John will finally choose!
In the play “The Crucible” Abigail Williams, Mary Warren, and Elizabeth Proctor are all concerned with their reputation. Even though, Abigail Williams started the whole thing all together she is still concerned about her reputation only. Elizabeth Proctor cares about her and John her husband's reputation. Mary Warren cares about how people look at her and her personal reputation of what others think about her.
In act two of The Crucible, a poppet with a needle in it’s stomach is how Elizabeth is accused of stabbing Abigail. Abigail cannot let the affair she had with John Proctor seven months ago. She will do anything she can to get John Proctor for herself, even accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft. While Abigail Williams isn’t physically in act two, her dark shadow is noticed throughout the act causing trouble for the characters, especially Elizabeth Proctor.
In 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.
The statement,“The Crucible is essentially about courage, weakness, and truth,” is proven true numerous times, throughout the play. The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller, about the true events that happened in Salem, Massachusetts, between the years 1692 and 1693. The Salem witch trials consisted of many hangings, lies, and complete mass hysteria. The citizens of Salem followed the religion of Puritanism, and the ideas of predestination. The root of the mass hysteria comes from their belief in the sense that in something happens then it must have been planned by God. In Miller’s portrayal of the story, Abigail Williams was the ringleader of the witch trials, and she used the idea of predestination to cover up her own sins. Abigail was a very manipulative girl and ruined many lives. John Proctor, Mary Warren, and Elizabeth Proctor were just a few of the victims in Abby’s game. John, Mary, and Elizabeth exhibit the traits courage, weakness, and truth, whether it was in a positive or negative way.
Comparison of Elizabeth Proctor with Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor, the leading female characters in 'The Crucible'. Both show determination in order to get what they want. Abigail, a cunning girl that is out for revenge, feels she has superiority over many of the other characters even though she is only a young girl. Elizabeth's character portrays a wife in distress after she finds out about her husband's affair, yet she still has courage throughout the play. She shows determination when she is in need of strength to keep her going, after Abigail accused her of witchcraft.
The Crucible: Hysteria and Injustice Thesis Statement: The purpose is to educate and display to the reader the hysteria and injustice that can come from a group of people that thinks it's doing the "right" thing for society in relation to The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I. Introduction: The play is based on the real life witch hunts that occurred in the late 1600's in Salem, Massachusetts. It shows the people's fear of what they felt was the Devil's work and shows how a small group of powerful people wrongly accused and killed many people out of this fear and ignorance.
The Crucible is a play with many underlying messages and themes. One of which is the idea of power. Power is a very important term in this play in that whoever holds the power, holds the fates of others. The hysteria within Salem has directly effected society. Everything has turned upside down and has gotten distorted. Arthur Miller is telling us that all the power in Salem is given to those who are corrupt and their abuse of it is directly shown through: the actions of Abigail throughout the play, the corruption and desires of Parris, as well as the witch trials held by Judge Danforth.
The Crucible is a novel based on the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts, written by Arthur Miller. The Crucible demonstrates forbidden temptation between John Proctor and Abigail Williams, honor and dishonor in the town of Salem, ruthless revenge, and the strive for high social status. The narrative style of this play is standard 1950s everyday language. The Crucible is set in a theocratic society of Puritanism in 1692.
John Proctor when they meet in a scene in act one. Although it as been
In, “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, the characters Abigail Williams and John Proctor fall in different moral stages as the play continues. Both of these character play a major part in the play. Yet, they do not both develop in the same way. Kohlberg's Theory, is a theory that shows different stages of Moral development.The characters in this play undergo the different stages of Kohlberg's Theory.
The Crucible is a famous play written by Arthur Miller. This play centers around the witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts. In Act II, Abigail and her friends accuse several innocent people of witchcraft. Once they leave the court, Reverend Hale goes to John Proctor’s house to inform Elizabeth Proctor that people in the court have mentioned her name. Then officials of the court, Herrick and Cheever, arrive at the Proctor’s house. They claim to have a warrant for Elizabeth’s arrest because the court declares she practices witchcraft. After, Herrick and Cheever take Elizabeth to jail. Injustice in Act II prevails because of the inability to see the truth. Reverend Hale and John Proctor illuminate the theme that closed-mindedness
Another important work Miller wrote, The Crucible, takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, during the 17th century. It is a time when jealousy and suspicion poisoned the thinking of an entire town. Neighbor turned against neighbor when events happened that could not be explained. Accusations turned into a mad hunt for witches who did not exist. One of the main characters of the play is John Proctor, a well-respected man with a good name in the town. As the play develops, John Proctor’s moral dilemma becomes evident: he must decide whether to lie and confess to witchcraft in order to save his life, or to die an honest man, true to his beliefs.
Have you ever blamed someone for something they never did? In the play written by Arthur Miller, The Crucible, Abigail Williams accuses many people of witchcraft which eventually leads to the death of twenty innocent people. Ever since she is caught dancing in the woods at the beginning of the play, Abigail and her friends have been trying to disguise their mistakes by blaming others for “being with the devil.” By the end of the play, Abigail is responsible for the death of many people because of the flaws she had which led her to make poor decisions. Abigail’s decisions lead her to put many lives in the town of Salem in jeopardy. Her flaws, consisting of selfishness, anger, and cowardice, ultimately lead to her downfall which results
In the story The crucible there were many people and altercations that lead up to John Proctor’s death. He got into many altercations with people, especially Abigail Williams, which ended up leading up to her killing a bunch of people including John Proctor. There were many things the filmed showed that lead up to John Proctor’s death. The first thing was when Mary Warren accused him of having something to do with witchery. Then it was when Goody proctor didn’t tell the truth about her husband and Abigail Williams having an affair. This last person was that was the whole problem in this and was the main cause of john’s death was Abigail Williams, she started everything in this whole Mass hysteria.
The Crucible is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller. Initially, it was known as The Chronicles of Sarah Good. The Crucible was set in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts. It talks of McCarthyism that happened in the late 1600’s whereby the general public and people like Arthur Miller were tried and persecuted. The Crucible exemplifies persecutions during the Salem Witch Trials. The people were convicted and hung without any tangible proof of committing any crime. Persecutions were the order of the day. When a finger was pointed at any individual as a witch, the Deputy Governor Danforth never looked for evidence against them or evidence that incriminated them; he ordered them to be hanged. This can be seen through his words “Hang them high over the town! Who weeps for those, weeps for corruption!” (1273), the people were persecuted aimlessly. The four main characters in the play, John Proctor, Abigail Adams, Reverend Hale and Reverend Parris, are caught in the middle of the witchcraft panic in the religious Salem, Massachusetts in late 1690’s. Persecution is the most important theme in the Crucible, the leaders and citizens of Salem attacks and persecutes one of their own without any tangible evidence against them.