It results with the death of twenty innocent people and the jailing of hundreds more. Fear As a Living Person Fear and hysteria strike Salem over the belief that the devil is in the town because Parris's niece, Abigail Williams, was found dancing in the forest with other girls and Parris's servant; and soon after two young girls fall sick. Before her reputation of a witch accuser was known in town, they considered Williams as a skeptical puritan who had a rumored romantical connection with John Proctor Abigail, is there any other cause than you have told me, for Goody Proctor dischargin you? (Miller. Lastly, her endless affection toward John Proctor, a married man, is what ultimately fuels her to do her devilish acts. Abigail The Crucible - 381 Words | Bartleby This goes to show that power can be dangerous when it is placed in the wrong hands. Miller forces the reader to understand the different motives that an individual can get from the overbearing presence that one gets with power. The girls, led by Abigail William, were simply sporting around in the woods. Abigail was a victim in this whole, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a play with many complex characters, and sends multiple messages. Betty falls into a coma nothing can wake her. Abigail started off in the novel as an intelligent, dependent, and strong character. 1. Reverend Parris catches the girls and accuses them of witchcraft, and he brings them to talk to Reverend Hale. From the beginning, she was just, waiting for an opportunity to gain power, when she made the girls perform witchcraft, lie about it, and then accuse other people (The Crucible). Some people believe that those who dont go to church are bad but in reality many people who dont go to church have better morals than those who do go to church yet the fact they dont makes them seem bad. Abigail becomes one of the main antagonists of the play through her deceitful and selfish antics. I. At this moment, Abigail realizes she has some power and can condemn whoever she pleases. This quote id false because there in no way to know who is good and who is bad due to everyone having a different understanding of what is good and what is bad. 3. Arthur Millers The Crucible explores the idea of what happens when gender roles are not strictly adhered to. "PROCTOR: You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. How Does Abigail Williams Obtain Power In The Crucible | Cram Elizabeth Proctor herself played a major role in developing The Crucible to what it is, and the themes it, As far back as one can remember, men were always the strong and powerful ones when compared to a woman. This reflects Abigails situation because it is known that she witnessed her parents being killed right in front of her when she was a child. Fear affects everyone in different ways. Abigail Williams is the main character in The Crucible that works her mischievous ways to trick others into thinking that some of, The following statement, The crucible is essentially about courage, weakness, and truth, is correct. In the beginning he was a quiet farmer and now he is a brave man with a great deal of courage. The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller, it was published January 22nd 1953. Although the two circumstances have numerous differences, the amount of similarities is appalling. As the new friend and I got closer and closer, I began to learn more about her and her life. In any case, we should likewise consider the part of John Proctor and a mix of different things in the novel which are additionally to blame. Her distinct personality and persona have stood out within the plot and ruined John Proctors reputation. She also lies and cheats her way out of punishment, and is willing to do most anything to get her way. Due to a perhaps pompous position of power, his attitude and demeanor come across as very stubborn. The past connections and doubts formed about Williams lead her to protect herself in order to secure and reassure the town she is a pure Puritan who loves God, who will not give in to evil. The changes in Elizabeth throughout the story exhibits her dynamic nature, which is a crucial part of the story. Throughout the play he is made out to be incredibly precise and scrupulous with everything he does. I will explore Shakespeares portrayal of Titania and Hermia and his ability to disguise the deeper feminist consciousness that is at work. Abigail once more denies these claims and Parris was half convinced. This play can be described in many words, but using courage, weakness, and truth to, The crucible shows how people are easily misled. All but two girls get away, the reverends daughter Betty, and his niece Abigail. Miller was however loyal to his cast and the people who were helping and did not tell the congress. Infographic PLUS Abigail Williams Of the major characters, Abigail is the least complex. Titiuba along with several other girls sneak out at night and dance around a caldron with a concoction in it. When Parris is asking Abigail about why she was fired from Elizabeth Proctors service Abigail said, [she] hates me, uncle, she must [she is] a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman! (Miller 12). I will have nothing from you, Mr. Hale! Power is the ability to influence the behavior of others or the course of events. The final way that Miller shows the reader Abigails ill intentions is through what other characters say to and about her. Written about a small towns suffering, The Crucible creates an allegory connecting the Salem Witch Trials of1692 to the McCarthy trials of the mid-20th century. Arthur Millers The Crucible explores the idea of what happens when gender roles are not strictly adhered to. Act 1 Characterization Hence, one could not fight the court because it could be seen as an attempt to overthrow God. After telling the group of girls she was going to hurt them if they told the truth and telling John Proctor to give up his family for her, Abigail shows her true colors throughout Act, These actions clearly prove that she has manipulated all of Salem and has participated in harlotry by initiating an affair with John Proctor, a married man. When they got caught dancing in the forest, they began to think about their punishments in this case, were whippens, jail, or even worse death. Power in the wrong hands is dangerous and can lead to the destruction of lives. However, I have chosen to explore the ways in which they portray the theme of gender. This brings a lot more tension into the storyline and cast a greater impression on the reader. The Crucible Essay In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, power played a . Her motivations are always crystal clear. The first topic represented in both is the acts of desperation. Abigail said, I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! In The Crucible, most readers aggressively hate Abigail from the beginning. Reverend Hale makes witchcraft a reality, and panic engulfs the whole town. Eventually, she began to gossip and say how I was a horrible friend to her and telling everyone how I took her best friend from her because I apparently wanted to ruin her life by taking away all her friends. The Crucible is a very complex story with several interlocking themes. The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller, which exemplifies the power of fear due to the imaginary idea of witchcraft in the small village of Salem. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. She is trying to wake Betty up and she will do anything., There has always been expectations within society for individuals to follow strict gender roles. Abigail has no parents so it seems like she wants more attention and love. Home / Essay Samples / History / Abigail Williams / Abigail Williams As An Example Of Power In The Crucible. By accusing all of these people, Abigail is not only gaining power but attention too. This happens in books as well; there are certain characters one might hate and others one might love. This is exactly what happens in the play The Crucible, created in 1953, by playwright Arthur Miller. Think you to be so mighty that the power of hell may not turn your wits?Beware of it! In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams is a villain whose actions are provoked by the prejudice and ignorance of people in the world around her. One could contend that Abigail was just the impetus and just accelerated the game-plan and chain of occasions. Due to her desire to be with John Proctor thus leading her to threaten, frame, and attempt murder. Her upbringing and past led her to be the person she is in the play. By clicking Send, you agree to our If people think are invisible spirits everyone, then you can make them believe anything. Abigails physical description ties into her manipulative nature. The Impact Of Power On Abigail Williams In The Crucible By Arthur Abby's Power In The Crucible - 814 Words | Bartleby Abigail gets what she wants, regardless of the cost or damage inflicted, which is why she ruins the lives of Tituba, Marry Warren, Sarah Good, Goody Osborn, Bridget Bishop, as well as a marriage, all in her ruthless, lustful quest for power and sex. As stated above the quote Evil Triumphs when good men do nothing is false due to the elusive from in which good men is used. If anyone in their right mind said they would confess they wouldnt, At the beginning of the story when Abigail is threatening the girls she exclaims; Let either you breathe a word, or the edge of a word,about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you (Miller 19). As suspicion begins to arise against Abigail she begins to be more aggressive and which shows that she has become even more malevolent than she was at the beginning. All the girls acted as if the devil was around during court to get the people they claim contacting the devil to be hung., Michael Heifetz The surge of power through the young women of Salem, who had never tasted power before complied with the struggle between good and evil are two main points in the play., The book The Crucible by Arthur Miller was successful in warning the citizens of America against McCarthyism during the 1950s. How Did Abigail Williams Obtain Power In The Crucible They decided to keep following Abigail's lead and began to claim that the devil and these images of the people from Salem tried to make them do horrible things. However, John did not want anything more out of that. The entire town of Salem was blinded by the truth and believed anything Abigail and the other girls would say. People with this mental condition show no value for right or wrong, and they ignore the rights of others. Throughout history, millions of people have been unjustly persecuted. Examples Of Power In The Crucible - Internet Public Library John Proctor is the tragic hero because he is loving, loyal, authoritative, but his tragic flaw is his temper., The Crucible: A Literary Analysis She is a cruel, manipulative teen who instigates the Salem witch trials by falsely accusing her former lover, John Procter, of witchcraft as revenge for ending their relationship. Essay, Jessica Plascencia Character Analysis Essay. Abigail knew that she was in danger and as soon as she felt like she was safe she, Throughout the whole play, from the beginning to the end, Abigail stays the same and has one single important trait. Abigail Williams is responsible for the mayhem in Salem ., The Crucible by Arthur Miller is set in Salem in a Puritan community. Parris is worried about his good name being ruined and insists he saw it. Abigail Williams (The Crucible) | Pure Evil Wiki | Fandom The majority, however, valued their morals and refused to give into political pressure by lying. Once the accusations start flying, Salem goes into a state of turmoil. In the play The Crucible we see how Abby, a 17 year old girl gets nearly the entire town to believe that she and her group of young girls have abilities to see who was working with the devil and who wasn't. Abby has shown to the others how she's vengeful and unravels throughout the play yet she still has followers. She manipulated and used people against each other as a stepping stone to hysteria. Another way this quote is false is that if someone were truly good then they wouldnt stand around and watch as evil prospered. Check Writing Quality. A trial was held to determine if the people were actually witches, and Abigail found she had great power when she blamed the people of her town. In desperate need to try to lift her sprits and self-confidence, I thought it would be, Rough Draft Woman always seemed to be looked down upon when compared to men, and were expected to follow upon certain standards from others. During this time period, many people were being falsely accused of witchcraft and being in association with the devil. Although one cannot excuse her for what she did, one can understand her, and even commiserate with her., Chris Colfer once claimed, A villain is just a victim whose story has not been told. It is sometimes the actions of the supposed heroes themselves that force the characters to be seen in a villainous light. Order custom paper and save your time for priority classes! Amongst the children is where Abigails influence was the greatest. This goes to show us that one of the reasons he wrote the play was due to the political events happening in the real world. (Miller) This shows how not only Abigail had lied to everyone about what really happened, but that she doesnt want anyone knowing this. Abigail also gained her power as women in Salem were the lowest class with few or no options in life. Many people believed anything they heard or saw. In act four, Parris states to Danforth,my strongbox is broken into (4.207*208), the only person who knew where his strongbox was Abigail, since she lived with him. Sarah Good, Goody Osburn, and Bridget Bishop are then all arrested and tried in court for witchcraft and would all eventually be executed. One night, Abigail and a group of the towns girls sneaked into the woods with Parris slave, Tituba, to dance and cast a spell to make the men they fancied fall in love with them. This made people believe that anyone could be a communist, and this ended up making people believe others were witches. Most of the conflict in the play is caused by Abigail Williams. All of you. One way he does this is through Abigails words throughout act one. Having no choice whether to go by the words of god or confess a sin and break the rule by God through religious officals . Who has the most power in The Crucible? - eNotes.com I saw Sarah Good with the devil! They had to live under a set of strict religious policies set forth by the church. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you. In "Why I Wrote The Crucible", Miller states The Crucible was an act of desperation. There are multiple instances in the story where Abigail is associating herself with some type of evil. The Crucible is about the Salem, Massachusetts . plagiarism-free paper. and figure out a title and outline for your paper. She keeps lying in the court pretending to be afflicted by spirits of the accused thus condemning them to death. Parris. Soon Abigail started to take advantage of this power and used it for evil. In fact, if fear was an actor in the film, it would be the lead character, leading to deaths, lies, and betrayal. She decides to accuse other people so that she can save herself. There is looks above(Miller 100). To what extent are the plays you have studied on this module concerned with issues of gender? Analysis: Act 1, Part 1 (Opening scene to the entrance of John Proctor) The Crucible is a play about the intersection of private sins with paranoia, hysteria, and religious intolerance. In both situations, there were people who confessed even though they had no relation to the crime at all. When Tituba asks if Betty will be all right, Parris yells at her to get out of the room. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play where the town of Salem conducts witch trials and exhibits extreme behavior resulting from dark desires. Second during church Abigail and the girls march up to Bettys room and explain to her that everything is ok, her father knows and is not angry. This play takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in the year of 1692. Abigail is a master manipulator if she hadnt lied about the girls playing around as witchcraft to try and kill goody proctor the trials never would have proceeded., Abigail acts as a ringleader, encouraging the other girls to sin. In addition, Parris knew what Abigail was capable of and what she had on the Joshua Smelser Composition 2 Want to receive an original paper on this topic? In which a collection of girls fall ill causing them to undergo hallucinations and seizures. In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! But really there is a true mastermind behind the downfall of Salem. You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor! While Abigail replies with, Shut it! Because had convinced them that the world would be a better place once all of the Jewish people had been killed, The soldiers were torturing and ing millions of Jewish people. Along with this gain in power and loss of power, abuse of power is explored, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is an allegory, meaning it can be interpreted to reveal hidden meanings, usually political or moral ones. To a certain extent, the play explores the idea of characters who were previously powerless, becoming empowered as a result of the trials, however, two more prevalent themes associated with this power related theme were characters losing and abusing power. Found a great essay sample but want a unique one? While the McCarthy era and witch trails follow each other closely, they are not a perfect mesh. The character John Proctor is a dynamic character. Think about it. Unfortunately, that is not so. One of Miller's most powerful individuals is his antagonist Abigail. In The Crucible, terror dominates the town of Salem. 8. Arthur Miller shows this through the characteristics of Parris, Abigail, Marry Warren, and the towns people. called, along with Judge Hawthorne, to deal justice and deal with the situation. Abigail being a manipulative and selfish person, accuses many innocent people of being witches to save her own skin. Professor Lee Hinds This is where good versus evil takes place., In the city of Salem , Mass Crucible lays a town of citizens who have no idea that one act of a child will bring harm to many of their love ones .