Similarities Between Abigail Williams And The Crucible

609 Words3 Pages

Does their thirst for power always drive corrupt individuals, or can self-interest be just as dangerous? In this essay, we will look at Abigail Williams and William O'Neal, two characters from different stories but driven by their self-interests. Abigail Williams is a young woman in the play 'The Crucible' by Arthur Miller. At the same time, William O'Neal is a real-life character portrayed by LaKeith Stanfield in the movie 'Judas and the Black Messiah. Abigail Williams and William O'Neal are portrayed as corrupt because of their motivations and methods of achieving their end goal. Abigail is trying to avoid charges of witchcraft, while William O'Neal is trying to avoid jail time or any other punishment he would've gotten. They are both motivated by their interests; however, they arrive at similar conclusions in their stories, which is the death of innocent people because of their actions. …show more content…

Abigail wanted to get revenge on Elizabeth Proctor, and William O'Neal was motivated by money and wanted to avoid jail time. "She hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It's a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman!" (Miller, 12). This quote reveals Elizabeth's anger towards Abigail and why Abigail holds a grudge against Elizabeth. "You're gonna help me put people behind bars. Bad guys. Like the Black Panther Party. There's money to be made. A lot of money" (Judas 6:40-9 ). This line from the movie shows that William O'Neal starts listening to Mitchell's deal when he mentions "money to be