ipl-logo

Abby's Motives In The Crucible

752 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Arthur miller's hidden meaning behind the crucible

Have you ever done something out of pure emotion? Have you ever tried to get the blame off of you in a difficult situations? Abigail has done these very things to her full extent in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. In Salem, a small village located in Massachusetts, the daily life consists only of work and prayer. When Betty, the daughter of Reverend Parris becomes ill, word quickly spreads of witchcraft, and the town goes into mass hysteria. The niece of Parris, Abigail, soon becomes the center of attention when evidence comes forth of her and a group of girls danced in the woods. To take the attention off herself she begins to blame other people of the village that they are one with the devil. Then, Abigail blames Elizabeth Proctor, in hopes …show more content…

Abby has a concrete motive, her love for John Proctor and fear of punishment. Although religion may have be factored into the belief of satan, Abby is the one that fuels the fire of the frenzy brought on in Salem. Abby does use religion on her side, but religion is not the key player. After Tituba's confession offers a way out, Abigail decides to also do a confession of her own. “I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book…”(Miller 48). Abby uses the strict beliefs of Puritanism to sway the town towards her side, but religion is not solely to blame. Some may say: Well the court is based off religious laws to, and any relevance to the devil is a crime. Abby knows this, and uses it to her advantage with the outbreak following Mary Warren's confession. If Abby had not said anything and had nothing to do with the trials, then the trials would not have be as crazy as they are. She takes advantage of the religious court when she sights the bird, the spirit of Mary Warren and says to Marr that “this is a black art to change your shape”(Miller 115). So although religion is involved in the witch trials of salem, Abigail is the one who originally uses it to get her

Show More
Related
603 Words | 3 Pages

One night he finds Abigail dancing in the woods with some of her friends, mainly Betty, Tituba, and Mary Warren. They are accused of witchcraft, then they start blaming other people to stay out of trouble. Abby starts to blame people of them bewitching them to stay out of trouble and later i in the book to have some power because they are unmarried woman. Unmarried woman at the time had no to little power. This is how Abby is part of it but not the main reason behind it.

Read More
164 Words | 1 Pages

Abigail’s mischievous behavior molded the start of salem witch trials. In Act 1 Abigail lie’s about what happened to Parris and threatening the girls to say what she want’s. Abigail tells the girls to say something or they wish they had never seen the sun go down. Abigail's type of behavior lying and threatening to cover her own self so she does not get in trouble.

Read More
378 Words | 2 Pages

Who Is To Blame? Arthur Miller’s The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem witch trials. Arthur Miller shows how Abigail was the main cause of the all the killing of innocent people of Salem. Her flaws was that she was quick to temper, she was jealous of Elizabeth, and that’s she lust for John Proctor.

Read More
959 Words | 4 Pages

Abby is also, by preventing her being proved guilty which would conclude the trials, continuing the witch trials. Abigail knew she was guilty, and lied/ manipulated others into thinking that she was not guilty, making her responsible for the witch trials of

Read More
326 Words | 2 Pages

The Spread of Hysteria in Salem In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, multiple factors fueled the hysteria leading up to the Salem witch trials, such as Abigail’s deceiving plots, Reverend Hale not establishing the truth, and citizens’ mindless accusations. Abigail is the most guilty of causing outbreaks of panic starting with dancing in the woods with other girls, then moving to framing Mary Warren with a doll, and fake acting out seeing otherworldly entities. One example of Abigail’s manipulation is when she stabbed herself with a needle to frame Mary Warren: “Stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out” (176). Abigail also has a habit of accusing falsely and gets to girls to gang up during hearings, but everyone believes

Read More
875 Words | 4 Pages

I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil! (Miller.1.1050). With Abigail's careless act, the town is in despair, every time she would create a lie it would turn people against each other. Even when these group of people have been living with each other years, with one action from Abigail they are automatically believing each person is associated with the Devil.

Read More
154 Words | 1 Pages

Abigail uses the fact that every person shes accused has been a witch to secure her position as a trust worth witness in court. As seen when the suspension is raised to her, Abigail says, “I have been hurt, Mr. Danforth; I see my blood running out! I have been near to murdered every day because I have done my duty pointing out the Devil’s people -- and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a --” (113). She uses the fact that there is a perceived danger in callout witches as one can try to kill her because they feel threated or that she 's been hurt by witchcraft when it was just self-inflicted wounds.

Read More
141 Words | 1 Pages

Abby also is very manipulative. While, the witch trials are holding place in Salem, Abigail uses this characteristic to her advantage. When Danforth asks a question to Abigail, she responds, “’Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits?’”(Miller 108). Abby is clearly demonstrating that she is manipulative because she turned the table and started to ask the Judge if he doubted her of lying.

Read More
756 Words | 4 Pages

Abigail believed that Proctor actually loved her and she waited every night for him. She was brainwashed to think he would leave his wife for her. The witchcraft accusation came from the beginning of the story when Abigail and the girls were dancing naked in the woods and chanting. She made false accusations that people in the village were worshipping the devil to cover what she had done. Many lives were taken but Abigail had no empathy for anyone who was hanged.

Read More
1608 Words | 7 Pages

(I.465-472). Seeing Abigail cry, it suggests that Abigail’s affair with John Proctor has influenced her behavior in jealousy and lust as she strives for nothing more than her love for John Proctor. By only being heartbroken, Abigail is not to be fully blamed for the hysteria within the town as her actions are only based on desperate attempts to win John Proctor over, and no intentional harm whatsoever. However, on the other hand, Abigail cannot be excused with outside forces making her the way she is due to the fact that she has clearly had a choice in most of her decisions and actions throughout the witchcraft crisis. When Mary Warren, another girl involved in the forest incident, enters the court, she explains to Danforth, the judge, that the girls are lying and are only pretending to see spirits.

Read More
474 Words | 2 Pages

A tragic time in American history was the Salem witch trials of 1962, which took place in Salem, Massachusetts. Many innocent people were wrongfully convicted of witchcraft at this time and executed as a result. Abigail Williams, a young lady who played a crucial role in the events in Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible," was one of the main perpetrators of these false allegations. Abigail is shown in "The Crucible" as a manipulative and bitter character who will do anything to further her agenda. She is driven by jealousy and a desire for revenge against those who have wronged her.

Read More
831 Words | 4 Pages

“’She makes me drink blood”’ says Abigail (Miller 160). The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller. The play takes place during the Salem Witch Trials, where many people were accused of witchcraft. The accused were either jailed or hanged. In the play many characters are blind to the truth and are changing the path of life.

Read More
565 Words | 3 Pages

In a small village called Salem, witchcraft and sorcery exist, however everyone is pointing fingers but not a single soul knows who is actually to blame for this nonsense. During this time period of hysteria, there are multiple scenes that are very questionable due to one person and one person only. Abigail is the one most responsible for the hysteria and witchcraft in Salem. She threatens the group of girls that accompanied her in the woods while they all danced. She has also lied about many things on multiple occasions in which causes an extreme amount of suspicion.

Read More
961 Words | 4 Pages

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play which contains a multitude of complex characters . In the play, the characters’ motivations and inner processes are explored. Because of the historical setting, the characters live in a society of judgement and extreme religious devotion. This is a factor that places any of the characters’ choices and morals in a public balance to be judged by others. Abigail Williams is the main character of the play and acts with an utter selfishness and obsession.

Read More
751 Words | 4 Pages

Arthur Miller’s portrayal of a town in the midst of a downfall “The Crucible”, tells the story of how mob mentality and hysteria can significantly influence not only individuals but the whole town. This mob mentality leads to unthoughtful acts and false accusations. Two characters who demonstrate how mob mentality can lead to the demise of Salem are Abigail and Mary Warren. As Abigail begins to be accused she is pressured to deter from the truth. While Mary Warren gets pressured by Proctor to reveal the truth about Abigail, but the overwhelming pressure from the mob makes her turn from the truth.

Read More

More about Abby's Motives In The Crucible

Related Topics

Open Document