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The Crucible Justice Analysis

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Justice is key to the functionality of society. However, individuals often have a different understanding of what it means to carry out justice. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abigail’s search for recompense and righteousness is, in reality, a search for revenge. Though unsuccessful, this search portrays Abigail’s character develops the subject of vengeance into a theme of the work. Abigail’s understanding, or rather, misunderstanding of justice develops character and theme within the work. Often the success of one’s search for justice depends on one’s understanding of justice. Abigail believes injustice is any personal attack against her, or when her desires are not fulfilled. Her view of retribution is extremely selfish and self-righteous. …show more content…

For one, Abigail’s misunderstanding of and subsequent search for justice portrays her selfishness. The witch trials are a ploy designed by Abigail to avoid consequences and seek revenge. Upset by Proctor’s rebuff and afraid of being punished for dancing in the woods, she accuses many people of witchcraft in order to shift attention away from her and eliminate Elizabeth. Abigail only thinks of the benefit for herself, disregarding the effect on Proctor, the accused, and the village. In addition, through her reprisal, Abigail proves her cunning and charisma. She is lauded as a saviour of Salem and “where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel” (Miller 53). Abigail cleverly shifts the focus from her to those she accuses, therefore hiding her true motivation. Because of her charm the whole village is caught up in her lies; they are blind to her search for personal vengeance rather than societal justice. However, Abigail’s lack of moral accountability is uncovered as she refuses to take responsibility for her actions. Abigail is quick to place the blame on others; she blames Elizabeth for her rejection by Proctor. Furthermore, she quickly explains that it is “Not I, sir-Tituba and Ruth” (Miller 16) who conjured spirits in the woods, despite Abigail being the one to drink a charm. As a whole, Abigail’s search for retaliation disguised as justice, not only explains her true character, but also imparts the anguish endured by the

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During the Salem Witch Trials a lot of people were accused of using witchcraft. As a result many people died for other people’s lies, rumors, and selfishness. There is one person that really caused and is most to blame for all the chaos, her name is Abigail. Abigail is to blame for all that has happened in the Witch Trials, the reason for that is because of all the accusing and lying she has done. In addition, it all leads up to her for instance, she used a doll to accuse people of witchcraft.

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Abigail exclaims of her passion and love for God when in reality she is filled with sin and lust. Opportunity was given for honesty throughout The Crucible of which

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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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(Miller 77). Proctor shows that just because Abigail is the accuser, doesn’t mean she is innocent and that she is lying so she can gain revenge. Once again, the court ignores all of the reasonable answers that Proctor provides and agrees with Abigail’s theory of witchcraft. After further disagreement with the court, Proctor finally decides to confess his affair with Abigail to prove that she isn’t as innocent as she seems. This action sacrifices Proctor’s good name; which is sacred in the Puritan society.

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Abigail uses her own personal desires to get to what she wants even though many people died in the

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(I.465-472). Seeing Abigail cry, it suggests that Abigail’s affair with John Proctor has influenced her behavior in jealousy and lust as she strives for nothing more than her love for John Proctor. By only being heartbroken, Abigail is not to be fully blamed for the hysteria within the town as her actions are only based on desperate attempts to win John Proctor over, and no intentional harm whatsoever. However, on the other hand, Abigail cannot be excused with outside forces making her the way she is due to the fact that she has clearly had a choice in most of her decisions and actions throughout the witchcraft crisis. When Mary Warren, another girl involved in the forest incident, enters the court, she explains to Danforth, the judge, that the girls are lying and are only pretending to see spirits.

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The devastating past event of having her parents killed proves that Abigail is a victim of her society as she is an orphan. Parents play a key role for their children while they are growing up, they can teach them right from wrong and Abigail did not have these privileges. She was instead raised by her uncle Parris, who only cares about his own reputation. However, on the other hand, the grieving events of Abigail’s past can only act as an excuse for her decisions to a certain extent as she cannot be considered a victim on

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Salem in The Crucible from Arthur Miller is the home to chaos and murder due to witchery that is still unclear as to whether it happened or not. These events caused major changes in the characters from start to finish, at the same time a change in society. Furthermore, calling what happened in Salem a tragedy is an understatement when Salem is clearly in a state of anarchy. Similarly, authority is discontinued and Salem enters a “she said he said” state of mind which only further confuses Salem while also hiding the true slaughterer of innocent Puritan people right in front of their faces. Furthermore, this rising anarchy inhibits the people of logical thinking and hides major perpetrators right in front of them.

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Abigail forces the girls of Salem to dance in the woods with her to help conjure spirits and make the charm to kill Goody Proctor. Abigail threatens the girls right after Betty took fright by saying, “let either of you breathe a word or the edge of a word about the other things and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.” (Miller, 144). Later on as the trials prolong Mary Warren turns on Abby and is telling the court that she lied. When Abigail then accuses Mary of witchcraft she turns back to Abby and obeys her once again.

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In a small village called Salem, witchcraft and sorcery exist, however everyone is pointing fingers but not a single soul knows who is actually to blame for this nonsense. During this time period of hysteria, there are multiple scenes that are very questionable due to one person and one person only. Abigail is the one most responsible for the hysteria and witchcraft in Salem. She threatens the group of girls that accompanied her in the woods while they all danced. She has also lied about many things on multiple occasions in which causes an extreme amount of suspicion.

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Abigail is extremely concerned with her well-being and reputation. In Act One, Reverend Parris confronts Abigail about dancing in the forest, and, instead of confessing, she begins denouncing others. This illustrates how she is willing to allow others to be harmed because of her extreme fear. One example of this is when Abigail states, “Not I sir—Tituba and Ruth” (Miller 15). The character of the residents of Salem is not exceptional.

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Abigail finally sees the outturn of her lies she has made for what she wants. Proctor is hanged which she didn’t attend to do, but now pays the price. She also found out what lying can do “They’re pretending, Mr. Danforth... Mary, please don’t hurt me!.”(miller 120-121). Lying has made her corrupt and is used to persuade to make harm with.

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In the play The Crucible, character such as Abigail and Thomas Putnam seek revenge from others, so much so that it becomes and recurring theme throughout the play. The theme of revenge can best be shown through the characters Abigail Williams, Thomas Putnam, and Giles Corey. Abigail Williams, one of the main characters in the play, becomes one to the biggest contenders for the theme of revenge. It is revealed in the beginning of the play that Abigail has committed adultery with John Proctor. This becomes the root of the revenge because Abigail now thinks that “there is promise in such sweat.”

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Reading Response: “Some Could Suckle over Their Shoulder In historian Jennifer L. Morgan’s article, “Some Could Suckle over Their Shoulder” complies journal entries from various European explorers dating from the sixteenth to eighteenth century, and argues that the authors of these journal “ represented African women’s bodies and sexual behavior to distinguish Africans women from European women”(25). European explorers commonly described the Native American and African women encountered as savage, beastly, and monstrous. The European dairy entries also make note of preconceived notation of the African women sexual behaviors noting that they are strange (shameful), animalistic, and hypersexual.

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She’s the woman who holds grudges, is selfish, and a great liar. Abigail seems to be especially gifted at spreading destruction and chaos wherever she goes. She is able to manipulate others, for example, all her friends and the whole town. In addition, she obtains control over all of them and sends nineteen uninvolved people to their deaths. All these things add up.

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