Character Study of Abigail From Arthur Miller's The Crucible Arthur Miller was inspired to write The Crucible because of what happened in America in the 1950's. Suspicion of witchcraft and an association with the Devil had arisen in the 1600s in Salem, Massachsetts. The allegations and apprehension is comparable with the period of McCarthyism in the United States of America. Joseph McCarthy ( the senator of West Virginia) focused on Democrats in general with baseless and sweeping accusations of communist involvement, giving way for the Republicans to take over Congress and the Presidency. Miller was also taken into investigation, and was asked to name the people who he thought were communists'. He refused to, because he believed people should be given the right to believe in whatever they wanted to believe in. The Political witch-hunt and the Salem trials were quite similar because people that were accused were immediately seen as a communist or a witch, without a trial or any other form of a court In the fifties, the fear of McCarthyism was physical; the communist threat was an actual threat, from a group of people. The hysteria developed from the overreaction of the fear of the communist threat, and was soon taken out of proportion similar to the Salem trials where a large number of people were accused, of being witches who they thought served the devil. I think Arthur Miller created Abigail to show how just one person can cause havoc and mass hysteria to a whole community.In addition Miller wanted to point out that that those who were blamed (just... ... middle of paper ... ...o stand up to or question people. These abilities are tested later on in court when Hale or Danforth questions her. In act 3 her power over Danforth is exemplified as he weakens. This gives her courage and unbelievably threatens Danforth, "Let you be aware Mr. Danforth. Think you be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? "It seems strange to say something so reckless. I think that she is probably trying to shock Danforth into thinking that Mary Warren's story was preposterous. She may cause him to doubt himself for a moment, but whatever its purpose, she quickly assumes a stronger means of defence. She is flexible and can adapt to a changing situation so as to remain in control of things. She is cognitive and very sharp. These abilities are tested later on in court when Hale or Danforth questions her.
The Crucible, is a play by Arthur Miller, and it tells a story about the Salem Witch Trials. Abigail Williams plays an enormous part in the Salem Witch Trails by her constant lying, turning the trails into a mass hysteria. She is known in the town of Salem for causing trouble and being released from the Proctor’s house. Elizabeth Proctor released Abigail from her house under the suspicion that Abigail and John were having an affair. Elizabeth is very pure and upright and that is one of the reasons that these characters are foils from each other.
In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, Miller demonstrated that it was Abigail William’s flaws – mendacity, lust, and arrogance – that led her to be responsible the most for the tragedy of the witch hunt in Salem, Massachusetts. Driven by lust, Abigail was able to lie to the Salem community in hopes of covering her and her friends’ deeds and gaining the attention of John Proctor. Her arrogance enabled her t0 advance her deceit.
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.
During the early years of the colonies, there was a mad witch hunt striking the heart of Salem. Anger, reputation, and even religion play an important part during the play of The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller. The author allows us to witness the vivid idea of the hysteria taking place in Salem, Massachusetts, and why it was so vulnerable during the time.
Crucible: what Dramatic Devices does Miller use to Keep Abigail Williams at the Centre of the Action?
Have you ever been overwhelmingly passionate about something that you would do anything it took to accomplish it? Sometimes people go to extreme lengths to get what they want. The Crucible is a play that shows us that trait. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams does just that. Abigail William's desire for John Proctor creates her dishonest and manipulative actions that affect the whole village.
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.
It is clear that Abigail Williams is portrayed as the antagonist in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, taking place in the late 1600s in Salem, Massachusetts and based on the witch-trials therein. She serves as a catalyst for the witch trials by falsely accusing innocent townspeople with the intent of maintaining the position of power she gains from them. Due to the transparency of her actions, Abigail’s ulterior motives are also distinguishable. Certain effeminate stereotypes are presented throughout the course of the play. One of which, being that of the immoral, husbandless woman, Abigail embodies. Slave to emotion and motivated by lust, Abigail falls
A 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.
Abigail influences the situation, so the conclusion will be in her favor. Arthur Miller uses the characters to show their judgment of her. In the beginning of The Crucible, Abigail states that her name will not be tarnished through gossip (Miller 12). This indicates that gossip is going through Salem
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 Williams, a character in Arthur Miller’s 1953 play “The Crucible”, is a complex character that I believe can be portrayed as the main villain and victim of the play. Immature, violent, and mentally unstable are a few negative qualities that describe Abby as the baddy. But yet at the same time as the play unravels us as readers can see her as a victim of the Salem society that fails to help her recover from her parents ' violent death. One of the big things in The Crucible that Arthur Miller fails to provide is the fact that the other girls crying “witch” are just as guilty as Abby, yet she is the only one to have all of the blame pushed onto her. There are examples and quotes in the play that suggest that Abigail Williams is recognised
In every family, there is one child that is always very misleading and evil, and besides that, they get away with everything that they do that is unsound. The certain person in the family may break on of you mom’s favorite plate, and then end up placing the blame on you, and then persuades your parents that he or she is telling the true. Abigail Williams is the poor duplicate of that sibling or relative. She influences everyone that she is an innocent teenage girl, but that is not the case throughout the play. In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, Abigail is the bona fide misleading and evil teenage girl.
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. Although John told Abigail that the affair was over and he would never touch her again, she tried desperately to rekindle their romance. "Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again." (Page 23) She claimed that she loved John and that he loved her. Before the play began, Abigail tried to kill Elizabeth with a curse. She thought that if Elizabeth were dead John would marry her. Further into the play, Abigail accused Elizabeth of witchcraft. She saw Marry Warren, the Proctor's servant, making a poppet. Mary put a needle into the doll, and Abigail used that for her accusation. She stabbed herself with a needle and claimed that Elizabeth's soul had done it. Although Abigail claimed she loved John, she may have just loved the care and attention he gave her. John cared for her like no one else had. In a way he could be described as somewhat of a father figure to her. When Abigail was just a child, she witnessed her parents' brutal murders. "I saw Indians smash my dear parent's heads on the pillow next to mine..." (page 20) After her traumatic experience, she was raised by her uncle, Reverend Parris, who is somewhat of a villain. In the play it was written, "He (Parris) was a widower with no interest in children, or talent with them." (Page 3) Parris regarded children as young adults who should be "thankful for being permitted to walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, arms at the sides, and mouths shut until bidden to speak." (Page 4) Therefore, it is obvious to see that Abigail grew up without any love or nurturing.
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.