preview

Who Is Abigail Guilty In The Crucible

Decent Essays

“Give me a word, John. A soft word” (Miller 22), says Abigail as she ponders her lustful intentions. In the play, The Crucible, Abigail is an antagonist who causes strife that is not fortuitous. She uses her imagination and the situation she is in to make herself appear superior and to achieve a higher status. There are also many factors that contribute to the trouble Abigail causes, such as, the Puritan society, her past, and her wits. These childish behaviors and deceitful actions cause great upheaval throughout the text. Therefore, Abigail is very much to blame for the turmoil in the play, yet she acts as if she is entitled to be pardoned from her actions. Abigail and the McCarthyism society of Salem are to blame for the anxiety …show more content…

She comes off as anything but innocent, but it could explain the root to her issues. This glimpse into her life is the only shred of sympathy for Abigail given to the reader, which consequently doesn’t balance out for the bad she does. She is scarred on an emotional and mental level which is an explanation for why she can justify her actions. Also, having this information makes it prevalent why she is so attached to John Proctor, “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot” (Miller 24)! She sees him as someone who can give her guidance and someone who can give her the attention her parents weren’t able to. Likewise, Abigail is capable of making everyone believe outside factors are causing her to act against God. She gives no room for anyone to think otherwise with how many lies she tells. “To the ceiling, in a genuine conversation with the “bird,” as though trying to talk it out of attacking her: But God made my face; you cannot want to tear my face. Enby is a deadly sin, Mary” (Miller 115). This evidence is an illustration of how Abigail has tricked everyone into believing she messed with witchcraft, because even though nothing is there,

Get Access