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Abigail's Motivation In The Crucible

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The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in which multiple people were being convicted of witchcraft without evidence or proof. The Crucible, fear is operating in the witchcraft accusations and the tension between the Salem residents. Abigail’s motivation in the witchcraft testimonies. Today, the well documented horrors of the Salem Witch Trials provide a detailed history for descendants of the many victims,judges,juries,witnesses,and accusers. Some 24 people had died for their supposed involvement during the Salem Witch Trials. Dozen of people had been accused and imprisoned. Such accusations struck terror in the hearts of the townspeople of Salem Village, Massachusetts,in 1692. This source explains how the witch trials was treated …show more content…

She gets accused for forbidden crime witchcraft. She about to be put in jail accused of practicing witchcraft. Abigail blamed her for stabbing a needle in her, using her witch powers. Mary Warren states that Elizabeth was accused,but she defended Elizabeth and the court dismissed the accusation. Elizabeth thinks that Abigail wants to kill her for John because Abigail wants to take her place as his wife. Elizabeth’s loyalty and sympathy are portrayed when she attempts to save her husband’s reputation by lying about his affair. She also proves her loyalty to Proctor, telling a lie to try and protect him although this sadly makes things worse for him. She was determined in what she believed. Elizabeth stated this about witchcraft to Hale “ I cannot think the Devil may own a women’s soul, Mr. Hale, when she keeps an upright way, as I have. I am a good women, I know it; and if you believe I may do only good work in the world, and yet be secretly bound in Satan, then I must tell you, sir, I do not believe it”. Her determination kept her strong throughout the ordeal. She wants his life to be spared but she understands why he feels he cannot tell a lie to save himself. Elizabeth was able to survive the Salem witch-hunts. Soon after Elizabeth stood up for her innocence, other women followed her. Among the last three people to be hanged was her husband, who verbally confessed to being a

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During the time of the witch trials, many people were accused of being a witch or doing witchcraft and many of these accusations were fueled by past grudges. In The Crucible, Abigail has a grudge against Elizabeth, who is married to John Proctor, because she is jealous that Elizabeth is with him and Abigail loves John. Abigail is deeply in love with John that she resents Elizabeth for being his wife. Abigail despises Elizabeth that Betty confirmed saying, “You did, you did!

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Society as a whole seeks to satisfy themselves. This may be at the expense of their peers or individuals they are associated with. Arthur Miller brilliantly displays this dark side of humanity’s side in his play The Crucible. This play is based on the Salem witch trials in the early 1690s. During the Salem witch trials over two hundred people were accused of witchcraft and twenty were executed.

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In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, most of the characters are those of weak values, afraid to stand up for what is truly right. They see the actions of others, willing to give their lives to show that the leaders have it all wrong, and continue to persecute innocent people. Elizabeth is not such a character; she is devoted, strong and sees what is wrong in Salem. She does not give in to the lies, despite it nearly costing her life. Elizabeth Proctor’s strength and bravery help her to endure a struggling marriage, an accusation of witchcraft, and her husband’s actions as a martyr.

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The play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is about the Salem witch trials of 1692 witch resulted in the death of nineteen innocent people. The plot begins in a small Puritan community in Salem, Massachusetts when Abigail Williams and several other young girls were caught in the woods dancing around a fire by her uncle Reverend Parris. His appearance shocked some of the girls into silence. The strange behavior of the girls resulted in many of the townspeople to turn to witchcraft as the cause of their behavior.

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“Inside each of us there is the seed of both good and evil. It’s a constant struggle as to which one will win. And on cannot exist without the other”. (Eric Burdon) In Miller’s play The Crucible Abigail and Elizabeth both had to choose between good and evil.

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Parris does not actually accuse the girls of witchcraft, but he interrogates them with a strong suspicion that they might be involved in such behavior. He cares so much about finding out what they did in the woods because his reputation is on the line. If his daughter and niece were practicing witchcraft, he’ll lose his job as minister. When he questions Abigail, he demands the truth because “[his] ministry’s at stake” and she “compromises [his] very character”(11). As much as he doesn’t want the rumors to be true of his daughter, he withholds judgement and doesn’t actually accuse anyone.

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1334 Words | 6 Pages

John Procter went to break things off with Abigail Williams because his wife found out about the affair and she accused Elizabeth of witchcraft hoping that Elizabeth would no longer stand in the way of their “love”. The only problem that interfered with her plan was that John didn’t feel that strongly for Abigail. He cared more deeply for his wife. Whenever John went to testify against Abigail, she accused him as well. Elizabeth Procter and John Procter were hung.

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The Crucible is a 1953 play written by Arthur Miller. It is amplified and somewhat novelized story of the Salem witch trials. Miller wrote the play as a parable to the McCarthyism persecution of communist sympathisers. In this play, a group of Puritan girls are found dancing and conjuring with the devil in the forest. Soon the whole village of Salem knows about the dancing and starts accusing people of witchcraft.

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Abigail dreaded for her life so much that she secured it even when John was accused of witchcraft and was sentenced to be hung. Although she loved him, she did everything she could to stay alive. In conclusion, Abigail Williams was the cause of the witch

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The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a dramatic play that expresses a very important message and that is how far people would go to save themselves from the hands of death. There are many characters in the Crucible who are guilty of taking innocent lives, but there are three major characters who, without a doubt, are the most at blame. The play takes place in the city of Salem, a city filled with people that would do anything to keep their reputation clean. Throughout the play, Miller is introducing multiple characters that experience changes in their decisions and negatively influence more people eventually leading up to the witch trials. The main point that the story revolves around is that people would rather lie and blame someone else instead of confessing and accepting the punishment.

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More than 20 people were executed during the Salem Witch Trials between 1692 and 1693. The play The Crucibles written by Arthur Miller a historical fiction piece based on the Salem Witch Trials. The play shows the struggles of a small town with a big controversy with mob mentality and justice themes throughout the play. Mob Mentality or otherwise called Cult Mentality which is describing humans that have been influenced by their peers around them and move together as a whole or “herd”, they adopt such behaviors from the others apart of their group. Mob Mentality is shown in multiple parts of The Crucibles examples are when the girls are all dancing together in the woods taking part in the so called ritual which happens to be very much out

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Two women in the play that display this ability are Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams. The first example of an influential woman, is Elizabeth Proctor. She is wife to John Proctor and, though she may seem to wield little power in her relationship with him, she has great influence and power over his eventual fate. Many women in this novel are submissive and often hysterical but Elizabeth holds her ground and when accused and put on trial, is confident in her innocence.

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and so she was fired by Elizabeth. So abigail accused Elizabeth to be a witch so she would be hanged. My thesis statement is that during the salem witch trials people were accused of witchery based on personality, looks, race, and if they liked each other or not but not based on actual crime.

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1055 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the play, Elizabeth seems to be struggling to forgive her husband and let go of her anger. But towards the end, she learns to forgive Proctor for his mistakes. At the beginning of the play Elizabeth is unforgiving of Proctors mistakes. “You’ll tear it free--when you come to know that I will be your only wife or no wife at all! She has an arrow in you yet, John Proctor, and you know it well!”

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685 Words | 3 Pages

Although Elizabeth was not the best wife at some moments, she loved her husband so much that she lied for him. When questioned by Danforth if Proctor committed lechery she said faintly “No, sir” (Miller 113). Elizabeth lies for the first time to save her husband because she is loving and cares about him. Although Elizabeth is not truthful, she protects her values by doing what she feels is right for her husband. Abigail is revengeful throughout the play at Elizabeth.

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