The Crucible Reflection

The trials are an opportunity for Ann Putnam to seek vengeance against Rebecca for having healthy children and grandchild... ... middle of paper ... ... life and goes back to these girls who turned on her in an instant. Others even confess to witchcraft because, once accused, it is the only way to get out of being hanged. The confessions and the hangings actually promote the trials because they assure townsfolk that God?s work is being done. Fear for their own lives and for the lives of their loved ones drives the townspeople to say and do anything. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller shows that the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials stems from human failings, particularly the need for vengeance, greed, and fear.

I believe that Abigail Williams is to blame for turning the town of Salem against many people, and I think it is her fault that several people were killed. Abigail Williams sends the town into a state of hysteria by accusing men and women of practicing the satanic art of witchcraft. Abigail’s flaws - her lustful desire for John Proctor, her deceptive habit of lying in order to retain her good name in the town, and her selfishness and obsessive aspiration for power – led her to be ultimately responsible for the catastrophe of the witch hunt in Salem. The first reason Abigail is to blame for the deaths of the innocent Puritans is her lustful personal ambition to be John Proctor’s wife. John and Abigail previously had an affair, which basically began the hysteria.

Vengeance is the main theme of The Crucible. The people of the town of Salem were not united, but instead, distrusted and disliked each other. During the court trials, the girls started accusing certain people that they didn't like of dealing with witchcraft. For example, Abigail Williams couldn't forget John Proctor even though their affair was over. She believed that if his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, was out of the way, Abigail and John would be together again.

Then Abigail confessed that she have seen the devil communicating with other town folks and then Betty start naming people that may be involve in witchcraft, which really made the whole town go crazy. While the witch trails and accusations were happening, Eliza... ... middle of paper ... ... as Mrs. Proctor. It got to the point to where Abigail turn into witchcraft to get what she want. So therefore, John’s first downfall is his lust and having an affair with Abigail that fueled Abigail’s motivation to destroy his marriage and make John marry her. The second downfall of John is pride, toward to the end when Mary, his servant, for being a witch, falsely accused him.

He would be ordered to be hanged like the others as well. The girls continued to fool the town with being overtaken by the devil and the spirits that come to harm them. When Goody Proctor’s name was brought up, John Proctor became angry with Abigail knowing why she was doing the things she was doing. Reverend Hale went to see John that night to tell him about the mentioning of his wife, he asked them to recite the commandments like if that was a way to see if they honored their God or was involved with the devil as well. That same night before Mr. Hale came, Mary Warren had come back to the house upset and John Proctor was mad at her for not being in the house.

Ultimately, in the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, hysteria brought terror to the people of Salem because due to people’s curiosity they needed an explanation to the rumors spreading around in Salem about witchcraft and the result was townspeople accusing others for personal benefits and placing fear to the people of Salem. Like Abigail using the rumor of witchcraft in Salem to frame Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft and getting closer to being with John Proctor and Mr. and Mrs. Putnam use the rumor of witchcraft and accuse Rebecca Nurse of murdering their babies to their advantage for revenge. Lastly, Mary Warren, Abigail and the girls from the wood manipulate the court and the judge into believing there are witches in Salem for their own personal benefits.

Abigail is also motivated by a desire of revenge throughout. She is seen as vindictive and doesn’t want to be hung because of these trials. Abigail was a housemaid for John Proctor at one point until John Proctor’s wife fired her. John lusted upon Abby and committed adultery with her because of this she was kicked her out of the house. So she stops at almost nothing to convince the court that Goody Proctor is a witch so she can have John Proctor all to herself.

The townspeople spread rumors that there are witches lurking throughout the the town that have put the girls under their spells. This causes Reverend Parris to send for Reverend Hale, an expert in witchcraft and the devil's work, who hopes to rid the town of all witchcraft. John Proctor, a local farmer, asks Abigail to stop accusing innocent people and start telling the truth about what happened in the forest. Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor's wife, excused Abigail from their house because she found out about an affair between Abigail and John. She lies to the court when she is asked about John’s affair to save him from any punishment.

The authoritative, deceitful character of Abigail Williams is certainly unforgettable. In conclusion, I think Abigail is deliberately rebelling against society because she does not feel important at the beginning because of the affair with Proctor and the way he treated her. Her own uncle, reverend Parris thinks she is lying about what she did in the forest. Also she blamed Tituba about the witch-craft. Also she wants Proctor’s wife dead.

Her selfishness is evident when Abigail and her friends accuse the innocent people of Salem of witchcraft. She puts the blame on others, so she does not get punished for dancing in the woods. Abigail shows her anger towards John Proctor when she tries to accuse his wife and ultimately gets John killed. Her anger leads her to make the poor decisions of getting John killed, even though he did nothing wrong. She is a coward when she puts the blame on innocent people and runs away before John gets hung.