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Examples Of Sociopathy In The Crucible

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Psychology and The Crucible
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, showcases a very good example of a sociopath. Abigail Williams, a manipulative girl from the village of Salem, always knows how to work a crowd to her advantage. She conceives a cunning plan to eliminate her enemies and keep her name clean when she is caught up in the Salem Witch Trials. Throughout this play we are given many good examples of how a sociopath typically behaves.
While there are many symptoms of sociopathy, there are a few well known signs that stick out. A sociopath is typically seen as someone who is manipulative and self centered, with little emotions and a lack of remorse for their actions. Sociopaths also like to play the pity card, twisting people’s emotions and causing them to feel sympathy for the other person. These people are often very good actors and like to put on a facade of friendliness or innocence in order to get away with what they want.
Abigail Williams in this play displays many of the telltale signs of sociopathy. In the beginning, it is said that Abigail and John Proctor, a well known townsman, had an affair fairly recently. It is Abigail’s …show more content…

She shows all of the classic symptoms of sociopathy, from being manipulative to having no remorse for her actions. When the girls are found dancing and making charms in the woods, they immediately know that there will be punishments that follow. Cunning Abigail devises a plan, if they bring up the topic of witchcraft, they can avoid getting in trouble. She is self-centered and intelligent. By accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft, Abigail is showing that as long as she gets her way, she doesn’t care if innocent people have to die for it. Another good example is when Abigail gets mad at the girls who threaten to rebel against the group. Aggressiveness is another sociopathic tendency and by threatening the girls with physical punishment, she can keep them

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