Abigail Williams 7 Deadly Sins Essay

The Seven Deadly Sins are most commonly used in the Christian faith. They describe seven different sins that, when committed in excess, lead one’s spirit to damnation. Abigail Williams from Arthur Miller’s The Crucible commits several of these sins, including lust, envy, and wrath. These sins will also have a “domino” effect, for if one hadn’t been committed, then the other two would not have been, either. The first sin that Abigail commits is Lust. Lust can be described as “an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body”. Abigail encounters John in the first act and says, “John-I am waitin’ for you every night...I know how you clutched my back and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near,” (Miller 176-177). Abigail is referring to the affair between her and

Abigail also tries to get John to acknowledge that he, at least, used to lust for her by calling him out on, “sweating like a stallion whenever I come near,”. The second sin that Abigail commits is Envy. Envy is defined as the desire to have an item/experience that someone else possesses. In Abigail’s case, she envies Elizabeth for being John’s wife. “It is her dearest hope, John, I know it. There be a thousand names; why does she call mine?...there be a monstrous profit in it. She thinks to take my place, John.” (Miller ). Abigail is clearly envious of Elizabeth Proctor, not only because she is John’s wife, but also because John has been faithful to Elizabeth since his affair with Abigail. Here, Elizabeth points out that Abigail’s false accusation of her was motivated by Abigail’s jealousy. Another motive would be the potential gain she could get from Elizabeth’s death. Abigail lusts for John and wishes that she could be his wife instead of Elizabeth, which is why she envies her. Abigail's Lust for John and Envy for Elizabeth instigates her wrath for Elizabeth