She is clearly the villain of the play, more so than Parris or Danforth: she tells lies, manipulates her friends and the entire town, and eventually sends nineteen innocent people to their deaths. Her purpose was to save John's life at great personal cost, albeit ineffective. " I In the story, Abigail is a hirable maid who stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Proctor. Its injustice that just because the maids were telling the truth about their experiences with their mistresses, they get fired. Throughout the whole play, her allegation and dishonesty cause many people to be in pain and face difficulty. Abigail wanted to protect her reputation and Integrity so, she went around Salem and accused others of being involved with witchcrafts. A bad reputation on others can result in social or physical punishment. Abigail was trying to say where nobody could see her, because it will reveal she had an affair with John Proctor. Betty wakes again and is hysterical. He admits his sins by calling Abigail a wh0re. Abigail showed her fear of a blackened reputation through her hasty accusations when being accused herself. Driven by self-preservation, hysteria influences many characters actions and leads to the devastating witch trials in Salem. Abigail only thinks about herself throughout the play and she doesnt care who it hurts. In the trials judges used spectral evidence. Even in real life, we worry too much about how others view our lives and whether or not we are accepted. With all eyes on her, and a need to save her reputation, she quickly replies, "I never called him! Mr. Parris discovered that his strong-box was gone. People are falsely accused of doing witchcraft or believing in witches in Salem. The Crucible argues that those most concerned with reputation, like Parris, are dangerous to society: to protect themselves, they're willing to let others be harmed and fuel hysteria in the process. Reputation is the way that other people perceive you. Show More. Miller was put . She has been dancing - and practicing magic - in the woods, and she is not ashamed of it. "But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again". Abigail The Victim Is it okay for a person to lie and hurt other people just to keep him or herself safe? Even though he is brutally tortured by having crushingly heavy stones place on his chest, the only thing Giles says is "More weight" (page 121). She will kill to make sure she doesnt get in trouble. The reasons the entire Salem witch trials starts is because Abigail and some other girls try to perform witchcraft. Abigail Williams is the vehicle that drives the play. This has been revealed in various ways through texts such as The Crucible. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller shows that truth does not concern the people of Salem; the townspeople are concerned with what they want the truth to be. Lust, guilt, reputation, repression. Page 1 of 4 Abigail showed her fear of a blackened reputation through her hasty accusations when being accused herself. I have come to the realization she is charging me because I do not believe her. She was dismissed from Proctors home because Elizabeth found out what was going on. If Three characters in the story would have been honest from the beginning, the town would not have been in such confusion. Because I cannot have another in my life! Abigail and group of girls danced in the woods naked and Abigail drank a blood charm. Reverend Parris believed that there was witches among the people of Salem. This shows her distrust and suspicion of John. One character who lies throughout the story to protect herself is Abigail Williams. The Crucible by Arthur Miller has many lessons to learn from. She does not care about anyone but herself. The play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, is about the Salem witch trials in 1692. Parris wishes to know why she has not worked in more than half a year and asks if it is because of her reputation. They were guilty of not respecting Penelope, Telemachus or Euryclea. Stand up for what you believe in and do not lie on others for no. McCarthyism in the Crucible One doesnt even know if witches and wizards are real and these girls had all of Salem going crazy thinking everyone is cursed with witchcraft. Copyright 2022 IPL.org All rights reserved. Abigail Williams Influence Throughout the text John Proctor makes various statements about his name and how it shall not be tarnished. Put Away Abigail In The Crucible Once Parris discovers the girls. Reputation is one of the major themes in Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible". With little evidence to prove innocence, confessing or hanging were the only options. This scene in The Crucible, is important because it shows that something did in fact happen between Abigail Williams and John Proctor, and that Abigail will not accept Proctor telling her to forget everything that happened. She ran away the night before the rest of hanging was. In The Crucible when Abigail is trapped in a web of her own lies, she is accused of calling the Devil. Several girls claim to be afflicted by witchcraft, then accuse people in the town of witchcraft who are usually people they dislike. selves. Abigail Williams believed that John Proctor was in love with her as she was with him. Abigail wanted John all to herself, so she accused John's wife Elizabeth and many . Salem was a theocratic and patriarchal society. She begins to think that the blood from the horrid crime is still on her hands. She is a girl that will drink blood to kill someone, accuse people of witchcraft, and have a affair. It did not matter if others were hurt in the process, saving your own character mattered more during the Salem witch trials. In act 1 of The Crucible, Abigail drinks blood as a charm to bring about Elizabeth Proctor's death because she is envious of Elizabeth and desires John Proctor. Abigail, like her Uncle, also chooses to protect her reputation over integrity. "Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? Examples Of Abigail's Reputation In The Crucible, In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the people of Salem rely heavily on their reputations, which in the face of witchcraft, leads to false accusations and hysteria. In hopes of a future with Proctor, Abigail drinks blood with the intention to kill his wife, Elizabeth. Leslie was sexually abused by her step father in November 2013, who was deported as a result. /4 Abigail served as the Procter's servant until a major altercation between Elizabeth and Abigail over the affair ensued. Reputation affects their actions and majorly influences the choices they make. On the other note, Jack Schertings presumption of Emilys motive of killing Howard Barron was also shocking but not too far fetch. Lady Macbeth lacks all humanity, as we see her opening scene, where she calls upon the "Spirits that tend on mortal thoughts" to deprive her of her feminine instinct to care. Gilliana Loyola Mr. Downey It all starts at the very beginning when they start lying about Tituba being a witch and conjuring Ruth Putnams dead sisters. After a little while I started doing absolutely miserably in school, lying to my mom so much, that after a certain amount of time, my teacher called her and told her everything. However, I believe Abigail should be held responsible for the imprisonment and execution of innocent people because she threaten the girls, so they would act bewitched and she also lied about getting stabbed by a needle and making it look like as if Elizabeth Proctor did it with witchcraft. The truth is eventually found out, it is better to share it sooner rather than later. This allowed her to view the world a little differently and to let her understand that there are justifications for actions that are, Reputation By doing this he ensures that his sons can legally inherit his property. I believe helping yourself before others is wrong. In rigid communities like Salem, a bad reputation can result in social or even physical punishment. Parris told Danforth that Abigail stole all his money, and got on a ship and left; tonight I discover my-my strongbox is broke into. (4.1.207). Proctors wife, Elizabeth, is accused of being a witch and Proctor has to make a moral decision in order to save his wife. On the other hand, we couldnt ignore Emilys mother, as she played the decisive role in the changing of Emily. 1163) Proctor to Danforth He is protecting his name/reputation. During their discussion, Abigail becomes angry with Proctor because he refuses to acknowledge any feelings for her. When Reverend Parris demands to know what the girls have done the previous night, Abigail does not tell him everything. Parris had heard that Goody Proctor would not go to the church and sit beside, At the beginning of the play Abigail was an evil girl and it stayed that way. As seen in both the film and book, this causes Abigail to counteract furiously and overdramatically, which begins the chaos that the town, In Arthur Millers, The Crucible, passions turned into problems. In Miracle Worker, many concepts of speech were presented. But Odysseus needed to show that any misbehavior needed to be dealt with. Family composition/ Current Supports: Leslie. Reputation If turmoil comes over your town, would you take advantage of it? Abigail Williams is not your typical teenage girl. Abigail gets many people in trouble when she starts a series of lies after her affair with John Proctor. She threatens the girls and is not afraid to show what she is willing to do. Copyright 2022 IPL.org All rights reserved. She used to work as a servant at Proctor's household and have an affair with him. She is a girl that will drink blood to kill someone, accuse people of witchcraft, and have a affair. Several characters in The Crucible are worried about how they are perceived by others. Preserving ones reputation is a prevalent theme in The Crucible. Throughout The Crucible, Reverend Parris is continuously worried about himself and his career. "You cannot command Mr Parris, We vote by name in this society, not by acreage.". A good name or reputation can influence, empower and determine how much respect a family or person gets from others. She was a good wife, trying to save, This causes the whole witch mayhem and in the end, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft by only pointing a finger at others, making sure none of the accusations fall back on her. Parris do whenever Tituba asks how Betty is? Abby warns the girls that if any of them tell on her, she will come to them "in the black of some terrible night" and "bring a Abigail showed her fear of a blackened reputation through her hasty accusations when being accused herself. It is important that you stand up for your beliefs. As seen in The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor defies the court, and it results in his execution. When a person is accused of witchcraft, it is very easy for them to get out of the accusation if they lie. and 2) essentially sentence Elizabeth Proctor to death in an attempt to rekindle her affair with John Proctor. Proctor then tells about how he and Abigail had an affair, which tarnishes his name. Throughout the play Abigail choose to continue to lie about the witchcraft instead of telling the truth. Arthur Miller's The Crucible's protagonist John Proctor proves to be a flawed human being who struggles to make sense of his past relationship with Abigail, his love for his wife, and his pride. Abigail, presented with the choice of either saving her friends or her reputation, clearly chose her reputation over the lives of her friends. Mary Warren later states, My name, he want my name. Not only do the characters worry about their, Lying was acceptable as long as you spared your reputation. Abigail continues her revenge by leading the girls into another fit after Elizabeth leaves the courtroom, and this one is directly targeting Mary Warren as the source. Around the time of the witch trials, the people in Salem were very religious. The main story in the book is about how the girl lied to everyone about doing witchcraft to save them When Abigail uses violence towards Betty, Abigail coldly turns to Betty, "' [smashes her across the face] "Shut it! When did Abigail Williams die? However, I do not think that Lady Macbeth should be considered as a Witch just based on her participation in the murder of Duncan. Abigail threatens the girls that she will come in the black of some terrible night if they mention what happened to anyone that night (1.1.1244). Abigail believes that John Proctor has feelings for her, from their previous affair. As stated in Act 1 Abigail tells the girls that "I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you" because the girls are scared of witchcraft and wants to admit to dancing and conjuring. When the girls talk in Bettys room and Mary shows weakness and wants to tell everyone about what they did in the forest, Abigail gets really angry. For instance, many characters in The Crucible are driven to execute drastic actions to sustain their reputation and protect themselves. Many took advantage of the opportunity for self-preservation because it is a human instinct, The Crucible is a tragedy play written by Arthur Miller. Abigail had an affair with Mr. Proctor while tending to the needs of the house. While all the people in Salem are concerned with keeping up a good reputation, three stand out above the rest. Many girls, including Abigail, were caught in the woods doing what was thought to be witchcraft. In the past, people have sacrificed themselves for what they believed in. Many of those accused as witches died not just because of the accusers but, because of the unfairness of the trials. In the quote John Proctor does not want written proof that he was a witch because he wants to protect his friends and not throw them under the bus. With all eyes on her, and a need to save her reputation, she quickly replies, I never called him! Then, Abigail and her friends start to blame others for making them participate in witchery. Abigail is an accomplished and convincing liar she lies easily, without any compunction or care for the truth, and can keep the lies going. While a servant in John Proctor 's household, Abigail briefly became John's lover before Elizabeth found out and fired her. It should not matter how others view us anyway, we are all accepted by someone. The Crucible showed many similarities towards the phenomena of McCarthyism in the Lady Macbeth goes from being strong willed and controlling to a scared, paranoid child which becomes too much for her to handle leading her to paranoia and suicide. Of the major characters, Abigail is the least complex. These trials start when a group of girls get caught performing witchcraft in the woods. In Act 1 she goes the woods to dance and practice magic. Stop that wailing! (1.1 620-621). She is a girl that will drink blood to kill someone, accuse people of witchcraft, and have a affair. We had been friends since we were young, but lately she has changed. Arthur Millers The Crucible is about the people of 17th century Salem, Massachusetts during a dangerous and dynamic period. Parris says to her in the play, Is there any other cause that you have told me, for your being discharged from Goody Proctors service?, The Crucible Abigail Williams Reputation Essay, When you think of Abigail Williams you think of a evil girl. On the other hand, in Extended Forecast: Bloodshed, fear leads to violence and upheavals as an explanation of superstition for drastic climate changes. These characters live in such fear that if their pride is tarnished they To save themselves and their reputations the girls, along with other citizens in the town of Salem, start to point their fingers and put the blame on other people. I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! While Abigail uses lies to protect her reputation, Proctor uses the truth. In The Crucible when Abigail is trapped in a web of her own lies, she is accused of calling the Devil. Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Whether individuals readily Several characters in The Crucible face a tough decision: to protect their reputation or their integrity. Her anger caused her to not comply to the lessons that she was being taught. 10. Reputations are very important to the characters in The Crucible and if they want to preserve their reputation, through pride, they do whatever is necessary to keep it. She paints herself as a worried, innocent girl who just wants to rid the town of evil, when on the inside she is dogmatic and manipulative, which causes her to indirectly sentence about twenty people to death. Throughout the story, many people are accused of witchcraft. Only comprehending and repairing the effects of the sin can redeem transgressors for their actions. Dr. Faraday, one of Alisons psychiatrists, gave Alison some new insight. The Crucible is a play about vengeance and power. Abigail Williams is not your typical teenage girl. Abigails affair with John Proctor, which had ended seven months previous to the beginning of the play, causes her to be blinded by desire. Because of Helen 's angry mental state, she was ineffective at listening to her teacher. Abigail forces the girls of Salem to dance in the woods with her to help conjure spirits and make the charm to kill Goody Proctor. Proctor holds integrity and self-regard above the peoples view of him. From her very introduction, Miller tells the reader of the play that Abigail has " an endless capacity for dissembling " (p. 8), and she spends the rest of her time onstage living up to this description. Abigail drinks blood in an attempt to kill. Lust, guilt, reputation, vengeance. "Beguile me not! Giles Corey does not want to admit to false claims or please the court, he wants to die with dignity and for his family. Gerald Weales notes that Proctor was not able to gain the strength to accept death over lying about his name until Elizabeth, absolves him of the sin of adultery. Once she had done this, he realizes that his name, his own perception of self, is more important than anyone elses view of. Reputation is the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something. Mary, this is black art to change your shape. During the witch hysteria, innocent people were imprisoned and and executed because someone has accused them of being a witch. People must always act morally, in public and private. Beware of it!" - Abigail Williams, Act Three. Abigail Williams manipulates an entire town to do her bidding, stemming from her want to save her reputation and to be able to finally have the man she lusts over. But also the townspeople believed them and got paranoid as well. Abigail Williams will also lie about anything to, Abigail and a group of girls went to court and blame 200 people. Many characters in The Crucible serve as allegories to McCarthy 's communist hunt, specifically Abigail Williams, Giles Corey, and Betty Parris. Abigail lies to conceal her affair, and to prevent charges of witchcraft. It is important that you stand up for your beliefs. Abigail to John P Act 1. Abigail is revealed as strong-willed and independent. She used to work as a servant at Proctors household and have an affair with him. Elizabeth Proctor is accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams because Abigail wants to marry Elizabeth's husband, John, with whom she had an affair while serving in the Proctor household. John to Abigail Act 1. Page Elizabeth obviously does not like Abigail and she does not trust John to be alone with her. They had not been the ones plotting to kill Telemachus but in betraying Penelope by not following her orders, only the orders of the wooers. The first character in The Crucible to comment on Elizabeth Proctor's character is Abigail Williams, who calls her a "gossiping liar." Ironically, this is a testament to her integrity,. will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you (Miller, 148) shows just, For example, Elizabeth was lying about his affair with Abigail because she thought it would save her husband. Parris knows something occurred between John and Abigail. In the stage directions, Miller states that Danforth asks, "You deny every scrap and tittle of this?" In response, Abigail hisses, "If I must answer that, I will leave and I will not come back again." Throughout the play write, it shows the consequences of mass hysteria and how it puts people's lives in danger. people are constantly told to not take to heart what others believe about them, they still do. Abigail Williams causes a wave of mass hysteria and because of her trickery, innocent people have died by her and the other girls actions, for this Abigail is the most unforgivable character in The Crucible. Proctor sets aside his reputation & giid bane; sacrifice for the greater good. Abigail is a manipulative person who will go out of the way to keep her reputation clean. She doesn't start out with power, she isn't handed power, she simply fights for it in a smart way. In this way, The Crucible stands as an allegory for McCarthy 's communist hunt, during which many people were also killed and imprisoned due to accusations of communism. Rumors were easily spread and it was nearly impossible to prove yourself innocent if people were talking about you otherwise. With all eyes on her, and a need to save her reputation, she quickly replies, I never called him! John Proctor should have risked taking the stand, because he maintained his reputation as a good man and role model. Who is Abigail Williams' uncle? tell them i confessed myself; say proctor broke his knees and wept like a woman, but my name cannot!. My mom was so shocked that she could not believe it, my lies lasted for probably about a year and after sometime she has of course forgiven me, but I was all alone through all of this again. She tried desperately to win back Proctor by forcing him to admit that he still has feelings for her. Howard Barrons corpse at the end was a shock to everyone in town that nobody predicted. How does Abigail abuse her power? Copyright 2022 IPL.org All rights reserved. The Crucible is a play about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 in Massachusetts. admit it or not, everyone cares about what others think or say about them to some extent. Arthur Millers drama, The Crucible, Salems society is collapsing and innocent characters are By looking at The Crucible, one can see that Abigail Williams develops the theme of reputation, which is important because people who fear losing their reputation spread hysteria. In Arthur Millers The Crucible, Abigail is most to blame in the Salem Witch Trials. John Proctor attempts to save his wife, but in the end he had to be hanged in order to save her and his familys name. I went to the extent of writing a good bye note, many times, but I always stopped myself, believing and on some level knowing that I had to fight and that I had to live at least for my mom, because she does for me. The hand maidens punishment of hanging might have been a little less deserved. Abigail lies on the innocent people to protect her own self. Reverend Parris confronted Abigail about her reputation in the village. However, after suspicions arise that she is a witch, she coerces the court into thinking several people of were witches to alleviate the blame from her. As a final statement to convince the others she is innocent, Abigail yells hysterically, I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! She uses the witch trials to get revenge on anyone she wants, but her main target is to kill Elizabeth Proctor, Johns wife. Mrs. Camp Would you rather retain your reputation or tell the truth? The Crucible Essay Comparison &, To top it off when people begin to doubt and turn on her she robs someone and leaves. Abigail bullies girls in her town to be loyal to her, while she feels no loyalty towards them. In The Crucible, fear plays a major role in prompting people to pursue their personal desires and use their power to harm others. In such statements as "my wisdom! She does not seem to care about other people beside herself and Proctor. However, Abigail claims, "She made me do it" (Miller 592). Spectral evidence is when the accused claim that they saw the spirit of the person on trial do something that they should not have done. In doing what she does, she hurts many people but helps herself not get in trouble. By looking at The Crucible, one can see that Abigail Williams develops the theme of reputation, which is important because people who fear losing their reputation spread hysteria. John Proctor was the only villager in Salem that keeps his self-awareness and restraint when he tries to make it known to Salem that the girls are lying about witchcraft. Throughout the whole play, her allegation and dishonesty cause many people to be in pain and face difficulty.
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