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Abigail Williams 'Most Despicable Character In The Crucible'

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Recommended: The theme of the crucible

Eli Johnson
English III
Oct. 6, 2017

What you need to know about Abigail Williams
Who is the most despicable character in the play, and why? Also, what is the larger theme that Miller sends through this character? Well to me there’s only one person this could be, and it’s none other than Abigail Williams, because she will do anything to save herself and will kill people in the process of it. The first reason I say she’s the most despicable character in the play is because she started this mass execution of “witches” who were really innocent people. We know this because in Act II of the play Abigail starts accusing people left and right saying things like “I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop …show more content…

An what I mean by that is she seizes any opportunity she has to divert blame from herself and Betty (her sister) by accusing others. Such as when she’s being accused of dancing in the forest she goes out of her way and blames Tituba of making them do the bad things they did (Act 1). Then once Abigail has the town all sympathetic for her she makes herself seen as an “afflicted child”, she then seizes the chance to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft and get her out of the picture. (Act 2). Now, the reason that this makes her so despicable is because she accuses John Proctors wife of witchcraft just to get her out of the way so she can have Mr. Proctor all to herself, but what’s even worse is she already slept with him before, so now that she can’t ruin their marriage by having sleeping/having an affair with Mr. Proctor she’s just going to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft and have her killed. Then, just to make things worse when Elizabeth Proctor fails during her questioning Abigail seizes upon that too and strengthens her position by screaming and going into a fit before Hale can explain anything and what he means by “This girl has always struck me as false!” (Act 3, p.

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