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Adversity In The Count Of Monte Cristo

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Humans learn to adapt to their environments, and strange and difficult circumstances often result in unexpected reactions; cornered prey will attack its predator with strength and willpower it previously lacked. As the poet Horace put it, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” In two different pieces of literature, The Crucible by Arthur Miller and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, two characters discover their talents through adversity but utilize them for very different means. In The Count of Monte Cristo, one can see the unjust subjugation and imprisonment of Edmond Dantes for a crime he did not commit. While imprisoned for just over a decade, he becomes skilled …show more content…

The Crucible focuses on the witch trials of Salem and the chaos it creates. The antagonist of the story, Abigail, spearheaded the trials and was the catalyst of the rampant accusations and executions. Having been pushed into a corner and unwilling to accept the punishment that would follow the reveal of her meddling in witchcraft, Abigail was able to turn the situation around giving her the power to turn the accusations of witchcraft against whoever she wished. She is able to rise in status from the most lowly of the townsfolk, being an unwed orphaned girl, to the most powerful person in court. She is extremely skilled in lying and manipulation and is even convincing enough in her performance to not only convince others she is being affected by the witchcraft of others but to convince other girls that they are under witchcraft as well. Abigail emerges as an undoubtedly skilled manipulator and liar with the ability to turn the circumstances in her favor. While she is incredibly talented, she lacks the maturity for the power she has claimed and very quickly uses it for extremely selfish means, such as planting false evidence to get John Proctor’s wife imprisoned so she can take her place. Because of these childish immaturities, Abigail acts less like a character with clearly defined goals and aspirations; instead she operates more like a force of nature, lashing out at anything that

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