The Witchy Witch

When in reality, there were no witches, it was all false notations of Abigail's’ lie that lead into something greater than it should have been.“It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits” (Mary Warren, Act 3, p. 100)

All the horrified villagers and upperclassmen saw the witches in action they saw the monstrous effect that black magic was apparently having on poor little child Abigail and twelve year old Ann Putnam Jr., a spell bounded choreography of outburst and spasms. “Look to her! She will have a fit presently,” one girl would cry out, pointing to another, who would promptly commence convulsing. “At other times they warned, ‘We shall all fall!’ and about seven girls would pass out, babbling to the floor. The head of the courtroom on that day was Thomas Danforth, deputy governor of Massachusetts and Harvard’s longtime treasurer, one of the several senior colonial officials . Betty's father called in more authorities to decide if witchcraft was the reason for the girl’s illness. Seeing that nothing was working not the praying or the vigils nor the sermons. Reverend decided to call in the doctors. Being puritan they did not believe in science but there were no options left. Betty was sent away, and did not participate in the trials; the other girls were joined by other young women in staging publicly putting on displays of their distress when in the presence of accused

It all starts in the beginning of the play when Abigail and the other teenage girls of Salem are found dancing around in the forest by Parris, her uncle (Miller 19). I bring up this event because this is when the chaos begins. The rumor of witchery activity is spread, first through the close ones of Abigail and soon the other girl’s relatives. Later, the whole village finds out and the accusations and questioning begin. When Abigail starts getting targeted, she

“Thanks be to the Lord I know my selfe altogether innocent & ignorant of the crime of witchcraft w’ch is lay’d to my charge:” said Abigail in the letter she wrote to Governor Phips as she tried to convince him of her innocence. She kept to her story that the witnesses were falsely accusing her using their statements only since there was no evidence presented against her. She wrote to the governor about how she felt like the Lord was pleased with her pregnancy and had therefore spared her life. She told of her many children and the sickness of her husband as reasons she needed to be excused and released from her four months in Salem Prison. The primary focus of her whole letter was that she felt she was wronged and should have been released from the lack of proof of her accused crime.

People in Salem thought that there was witchcraft going on when people were acting weir. One piece of evidence that the people of Salem used to prove that there was witchcraft was Mr. Collins saw Betty fly over the barn. “Mrs. Putnam glancing at Betty: How high did she fly, how high?” Page 12. Word about Betty flying over the barn spread through the town. The Revere is worried that people will think that his daughter Betty will be accused of witch craft. Abigail was caught dancing with Tituba by her uncle. “Abigail: Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them I confessed it and I’ll be wiped if I must be. But they’re speaking of witch craft. Betty not witched.” Page 9. The people of Salem are blaming people of witch craft if they are acting

The events which took place in Salem in 1692 could be described as awful and unjust. 19 innocent people were hanged, another person pressed to death and 4 others died in jail. Witches or Wizards are what they called these people, people who made pacts with the devil. The idea of witches provoked fear into the puritan fundamentalist society. Further more, two young girls, Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, were said to have been acting strangely.

In 1680 Salem, Massachusetts Abigail Williams was born, her uncle is Reverend Samuel Parris and her cousin Elizabeth “Betty” Parris. Around 1697 at the age of 17 Abigail has made herself known as a mistress and someone who has supposedly been working with the “Devil” and interacting with witchcraft. Abigail was accused of being in an affair with john Proctor, because of their affair John’s wife Elizabeth Proctor hates Abigail with a passion. Abigail’s motives were evil and disturbing, she was accused by her uncle that she may have been dealing with witchcraft while she was with her friends. When rumors were going around Salem that women and men are working with the Devil, Abigail knew that she must do anything to make sure no one found out about her dark secret. Not only was Abigail working with the “Devil” she worked with her friends Mercy Lewis, Mary Warren, Tituba, and Betty. While Abigail and Betty not wanting their family and the town to find out about them they accused innocent men and women who were witches. As Abigail’s and John Proctors relationship ending badly, Abigail’s motive was to get rid of Elizabeth Proctor for good. Elizabeth knew

At the residence of Reverend Samuel Parris in the village of Salem is where the witchcraft crises broke out (Wilson, 18). Within his house was his nine year old daughter Betty Parris, and her eleven year old cousin Abigail Williams (19). Together, they played with white magic, but so did many of the teenage girls in the village (19). On Samuel Parris's journey from Barbados

(Topic Sentence) How the Trials came to be. In the late 1692s in the quiet town of Salem, Massachusetts, was where the first Americans were afflicted and of accused of witchcraft. This misfortune all began with Betty Parris and Abigail Williams. Nine-year old Betty Parris who obey anyone who spoke with conviction, including to her misfortune cousin Abigail Williams, feared God and even the Devil. Her fears were created because of her preacher father, who exposed her to the subjects. She was thought to felt less fear and more curiosity towards the devil and his disciples. Later on Abigail sought on more guidance from the slave in there Tituba. Soon Betty and Abigail became aware that they were trending on an evil subject beyond their religion and vowed to keep silent. Despite there vows, both the girls couldn’t keep it between them. Soon, they shared the secret with their friends and Tituba’s circle of girls began to grow. The girls who entered were Mary Walcott, Elizabeth Hubbard, Ann Putman, Susan Sheldon, Elizabeth Booth, Mercy Lewis, and finally Mary Warren. Soon afterwards, Betty and Abigail started to act

In 1600’s life wasn't what I would call easy, but for them just an average life. Almost all families had a little farm growing just enough food for the family and selling the extras. They had farm animals like chickens, cows, sheep, goats, and maybe a horse or two. The women made clothes for the family out of wool from the sheep. They also cooked three meals a day, while the husband was out working on the farm or maybe hunting.But one day, something different happened in Salem, a catastrophe starting in January of 1692 when a nine year-old girl named Laura Dawn started going crazy.

The Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts began as a simple misunderstanding between the new reverend’s daughter, her friends, and a female slave from Barbados, owned by the reverend’s family. The incident that occurred between these girls created a domino effect that overtook the entire community, allowing chaos to ensue, and lives to be lost. The persecution of the men and women of Salem was encouraged by none other than the one man that these Puritan’s were supposed to look to for help, their own reverend, Samuel Parris. Historians such as David Gross describe the life of a New England Puritan, along with Dorothy A. Mays and Jane Kamensky who discuss what it would have been like to be a women in 17th century New England and how their lives did not change very much once they made the long trip from Britain.

She lives with her uncle and had a terrible childhood because she saw her parent’s murder. Along with her being accused of witchcraft, many of women, men, and children have been accused. In order to protect herself and her reputation, Abigail Williams used devious acts to make those around her suffer. She knows that people are aware of her affair with John Proctor and knows that those who will be accused of witchcraft will be hanged. More people are aware of what Abigail has done with John Proctor and she is questioned.

Abigail and the girls. There are many problems going on in Massachusetts Bay on Tuesday in 1692 around 10:30 AM. Abigail is not right in the head she is going crazy just not feeling herself and the girls are on the same page as she is . They are trying to find something to do too not get in to much trouble or caught. Like what they could do to not go to court or get hanged about it. They were many things they could say like they did not, they can all run away or they can really tell the truth about it and what happened.

Abigail Williams is seen as a villainous character and receives much of the blame for causing and exploiting the Salem Witchcraft trials. I attempted to understand Abigail and her actions. I wanted to explore Abigail's beauty and how it affected her character. I tried to analyze the connotations that colors had and how indirect characterization in the play could be manifested. I imagined that a pie would help explain Abigail the best because if it’s two layers- the crust and the internal filling.

“Did you hear about Rebecca Nurse, daughter of William Towne?” He asked. “No, what happened?” “Becca was accused of witchcraft, they found her doing some kind of spell.” Luca said this in a whisper because you couldn’t speak of witchcraft in public or you would get hanged. (“Salem Witch Trials 1692”)