Mary Warren's Behavior

Elizabeth Proctor knew Abigail was after her, that is because while in court, the Proctors new Servant, Mary Warren, heard that someone sent his or her spirit to try and harm Elizabeth. Elizabeth is very frightened now so she tells John to go to Abigail to plead with her not to kill Elizabeth. Elizabeth believe Abigail may “dote on it now..”,but she then will think “to kill” Elizabeth, and take her place (61). It is quite evident that Elizabeth is hated by Abigail, but I really believe that besides the fact Abigail loves John Proctor, she really is a witch deep down inside. Eziekel Cheever, sent by court to gather those accused of witchcraft comes for Elizabeth proctor. According to him something has happened to Abigail and that something is the fault of Elizabeth, a so called “witch”. Cheever describes to John Proctor about Elizabeth and how she was accused of “stabbing Abigail” He explains how Abigail “ fell to the floor” and Reverend Parris, her Uncle, “draw a needle out,” and then he says “testify it were your wife familiar spirit that pushed it in” (74). Mary Warren, before this mishap, gave Elizabeth a poppet that she made in court. She gave it to her as an apology gift for her behavior. So when Cheever came, Elizabeth had the doll,which had a needle stuck in it! Coincidence Mary gave it to Elizabeth right before this incident…perhaps, but most

(Miller 55). Proctor gets very furious and threatens to whip her. When a person sets a rule and another person breaks that rule it causes frustration and results in bitterness. Anger completely overtook Marry Warren during Abigail’s trial because Abigail lied about how Elizabeth was using witchcraft. “ Mary Warren, on her feet with a spring, and horrified, pleading: Abby!

This is later confirmed when she threatens to “come to [them] in the black of some terrible night and … bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder” (Pg.175) Mary Warren and Betty Parris if they dare to tell the truth. This shows her determination at killing Elizabeth Proctor and securing her own reputation. Unlike many naive villains in other literatures, Abigail sets out a meticulous scheme to frame Elizabeth. First, she witnesses Mary Warren leaving a needle in a doll. Then she “[sticks] two inches [of a needle] in the flesh of her belly”(pg. 203) to frame Elizabeth of performing witchcraft. So mendacious is Abigail that she is willing to injure herself to accomplish her plan. Under her beautiful appearance also lays a manipulative heart. She is capable of manipulating not only the girls into doing things her way, but also the members of the court to her advantage. When questioned by Danforth whether the spirits she has seen are illusion, Abigail steps it up a notch by making the members of the court feel sorry for her and madly refutes, “I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil’s people—and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a—” (Pg.210) This, following by Elizabeth's failure to tell the truth and the girl’s verisimilar acting toward the “yellow bird”, further demonstrates her manipulative power which brings the court in her favor. Altogether, many

While in court one day, she sews a poppet for Elizabeth and leaves her needle in there. Abigail sees this and later at dinner, she stabs herself with a needle and accuses Elizabeth of doing so. This results into the police going to the Proctor household and questioning Mary about the doll. “Why, I meant no harm by it, sir.” Mary admits that the doll is hers, and tells Cheever that the cries of witchery are all pretense. This all leads to John convincing her to tell the truth. Mary tries to take responsibility, to help, but nobody believed her. Even though she did take responsibility for her actions, Mary had to lie in the end to save herself.

Through turning against John, Mary deceived not only him, but indirectly Abigail too. After Mary had sided with Abigail and the other girls, she accused John of personifying “. . . the devil’s man” (524), meaning a wizard. Previously, Abigail and John Proctor were involved, a relationship in which Mary knew of. By accusing John of wizardry, Mary hurt the only person in Salem Abigail had strong, positive feelings towards, likely knowing the consequences of her accusation. While the accusation of John could have been simply the opportunity of the moment, it is likely Mary used her personal knowledge of Abigail to get revenge after being accused of witchcraft. A facade of innocence allowed Mary to deceive those around her, often without their knowledge.

Abigail on the other hand wants John to love her as he loves his wife and wants Elizabeth gone. “With bitter anger; Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be-” (Act 1, 23). Abigail felt distraught and angry at John when said that he will never see her again as she continues to talk about his wife so John feels guilty among himself. Abigail as well made a poppet in church for Mary Warren to give to Elizabeth as a “gift” although she had stuck a needle in the bottom of the dress by the belly. Abigail earlier that morning had been seen having a needle shoved in the exact same location. “She'll kill me for sayin that! Proctor continues toward her. Abigail charged lechery on you, Mr. Proctor!” (Act 2, 80).Handing Elizabeth with a poppet inserted with a needle was the most clever way for Abigail to charged Elizabeth of imposing with craft upon her. Knowing Mary Warren is afraid of her she took advantage of it to steal John Proctor from his wife.

The way people reacted when someone tried to be good and tell the truth wasn't expected. Marry Warren knew the girls were lying and wanted them to tell the truth. She told Abigail, "Abby, we've got to tell. Witchery's a hangin' error, a hangin' like they done in Boston two years ago! We must tell the truth, Abby! You'll only be whipped for dancin', and the other things" (18). Even though she wanted to tell the truth, she couldn't. Abigail won't let her confess. Later in the book, she finds out that they're using the poppet she gave to Elizabeth against her. Marry never wanted Elizabeth to be accused of trying to kill Abigail. Proctor wanted Marry to tell the truth to the court. But Mary is afraid of what Abigail might do to her and Proctor. Mary is also afraid of the court. "I cannot, they'll turn on me" (80), she said. You would expect that the court would want you to tell the truth. In this case, if she told the truth the court members' reputation will be ruined. It shows that they react in a way that it will be beneficial to them.

In the play, Mary Warren was one of the girls that was seen in the woods by Reverend Hale. When they go caught she told him that she was not participating she was just watching. In the book she felt guilt for the poppet, and it causing suspicion on Elizabeth. She was also scared of Abigail, because of the things that she did and she she wanted John Proctor to love her the way she loved him. ( Miller 2)

Not only is Abby an improper girl, she dirties her name even more by making threats and lowering herself to violence to conceal her wrongdoing. For instance, Abigail shakes Betty, and smashes her across the face. Her anger is clear and may justify her actions somewhat, but what she says afterwards goes too far. Speaking to Betty and Mary Warren, she says “...Let either of you breathe a word...and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it…”. She afterwards tells Mary to shut up (Act I,18,19) These terrible threats, along with Abigail’s violent nature to cover her sins, condemn her to a life of treachery which she does not turn from. Mary Warren adds further proof to Abigail’s guilt when she is asked by Proctor to testify in court as to the nature of the poppet she had made. Mary speaks in fear of Abigail and what she might do to both herself and Proctor (Act II,

In the beginning of the play, Mary Warren’s character is well known as being wimpy and afraid. She is under Abigail’s control and will do everything she says. According to Sara Constantakis in Literature Resource Center, “she is weak and easily influenced. She is one of the girls who took part in the voodoo ritual and is terrified when the talk of witchcraft begins, as she knows people who are convicted of being witches are hanged.” This opinion of Mary is further proven by her action of not telling the truth about what happened in the woods because she knows Abigail would kill her. Abigail even screams “I say shut it, Mary Warren!” (Miller, Act I). Mary is always listening to Abigail’s demands, even when she knows the right thing to do. Mary Warren is seen as a poor little mouse who is too quiet to ever stand up for herself. In addition to this, Mary wants to confess about what happened in the woods, but Abigail won’t let her. Mary cries, "Abby, we've got to tell. Witchery's a hangin' error, a hangin' like they done in Boston two year ago! We must tell the truth, Abby! You'll only be whipped for dancin', and the other things!" (Miller, Act I). Mary knows she is innocent and for that reason, she is ready to own up to her sins, however Abby knows that she

Mary resorted to self- preservation because of the ear instilled by Abigail. Mary wanted to confess to faking and tell the truth. Mary was a loyal worker for the Proctors and when Elizabeth Proctor was accused of being a witch Mary’s conscience weighed upon her heavily.When one of the girls that was caught dancing, Betty, fell ill Mary felt guilty, “MARY WARREN: Abby, we’ve got to tell. Witchery's a hangin' error, a hangin' like they done in Boston two year ago! We must tell the truth, Abby! You'll only be whipped for dancin', and the other things!” (Act 1, p.144-147). Mary Warren felt the blood of the hangings on her hands and wanted to come forward and tell the truth. Abigail would not let that happen because she was too concerned about the repercussions and her reputation getting ruined. Mary was stuck between John Proctor begging her to confess and Abigail threatening her life if she did. Marry ended up taking Abigail’s side in order to save herself in the end by incriminating John Proctor, “MARY WARREN, hysterically, pointing at proctor, fearful of him: My name, he wants my name. “I’ll murder you,” he says, “if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court,” he says!””(Act 3, p. 110). At this point Mary was so confused by the violence in the situation she cracked under the pressure. Then, Mary Warren turned and accused John Proctor of threatening murder, twisting the truth in order to save herself. By saving

In the beginning of The Crucible, Mary Warren is timorous and afraid to speak up. On pages 37 through 38, John Proctor is trying to convince Mary Warren to go to court with him. He wants her to tell the judges the truth about how Abigail is manipulating the judges, but Mary Warren refuses. In this conversation, Mary Warren spurned to go to court and tell the judges the truth. She does this because she knows the trouble that can come out of attacking Abigail. If she blames Abigail for all of this mischief, the girls will turn on her and accuse her of witchcraft. On page 38, Mary Warren frighteningly says to John Proctor “I cannot, they’ll turn on me” In this direct quote, Mary is expressing her fear of what Abigail and the rest of the girls are capable of doing to her. She understands

The townspeople of Salem feared that they would be called witches so they lied and blamed their family and friends. Mary Warren being one of those people feared being hung and Abigail’s vengeance. When John tells Mary to go to court and confess, Mary refuses, knowing that Abigail will act out of revenge and in court she faces what she had been avoiding “ABIGAIL. Her eyes fall on Mary Warren. MARY. Abby!”(101). Mary Warren knows that Abigail will claim she is a witch so Mary goes along with it to escape death and she blames John Proctor by saying “You’re the devil’s man!”, instead of possibly ending the trials once and for all.

Mary Anne Warren argues in the position that abortion is morally permissible because the fetus is not a person therefore has no rights and not considered immoral to be killed. I shall argue that Warren’s argument in invalid since the claims of argument cannot be proven.

It appears Mary focuses too much on what Abby might think of her that she refuses to do the right thing, which is telling the truth. As for Abby, she has the audacity to charge Mr. Proctor for lechery and turn on Mary. With the few dialogues presented, it is shown that Abigail is a treacherous woman who will do anything to get John Proctor, even if it means