Abigail Williams In The Crucible Essay

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Abigail Williams is to blame for the witch trials as a result of accusing others. Abigail constantly lies throughout The Crucible to make sure she does not get caught. When one of the girls, Mary Warren, testifies against the others, they turn on her. The girls act as if Mary has sent an evil spirit onto them and Abigail exclaims, “But God made my face; you cannot want to tear my face. Envy is a deadly sin, Mary”. Abigail knows that if she accuses someone, the court and adults will believe her. She feels in charge when accusing since people truly believe her. However, Abigail blames others since she is selfish and self-centered. Judge Danforth takes Abigail and the other girls’ side by stating, “Mary Warren! – Draw back your spirit out of them!’. …show more content…

In Act 1 after Betty, Abigail’s cousin, is calling out for her dead mother, Abigail yells, “I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!”. Abigail witnessing her parents’ deaths makes her change negatively. She constantly threatens others to make sure they listen to her and trust her. Even though her past affected her tremendously, her current experiences affect her too. Abigail and a man named John Proctor have an affair, which makes Abigail feel more powerful and convinces her that he is equally in love. Abigail continually tries to get rid of those who are in her way by accusing them. When Elizabeth, John Proctor’s wife, gets accused, Abigail tells John that he is “singing secret Hallelujahs that your wife will hang!”. Abigail Williams cannot be excused for her actions since she caused chaos and affected hundreds of lives. She is at fault for the witch trials that occurred since she began the accusation. As a result of her actions, many people were murdered, hundreds were accused and almost everyone’s lives were negatively changed. An abundance of people lost property and their reputation because of Abigail and her group. Nonetheless, Abigail’s past and present experiences caused the witch trials and consequently, she is to blame for