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Who Is Abigail Williams In The Crucible

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The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, portrays a young girl named Abigail Williams as the supposed cause of the tragic events that took place in Salem, Massachusetts between 1692-1693. The question remains, is Abigail, the girl who first accused others of witchcraft, truly to blame for the execution of 20 innocent people? In a community where tensions were rising and conflict seemingly loomed in the air, calamity was inevitable. A young girl raised to live an oppressive lifestyle may have been the stimulus of the events that took place, but she cannot be held solely accountable for the actions of the court officials and other townspeople partaking in this infamous tragedy known as the Salem Witch Trials. Abigail Williams is depicted as a deceitful, manipulative, and troubled girl in the play. Abigail was the first of the afflicted girls to accuse residents of Salem …show more content…

It was strictly forbidden for anyone to engage in activities that were not pleasing to God, such as dancing or playing fortune teller games. Arthur Miller explains that the adults of Salem believed that the children were, “anything but thankful for being permitted to walk straight, eyes slightly low-ered, arms at the sides, and mouths shut until bidden to speak” (Miller 5). The afflicted girls felt as though they were given freedom and power they had never experienced before when the court officials trusted them over upstanding members of the community, giving them the strength to convict anyone of witchcraft. Naturally, when an individual is given the opportunity to step outside of the norm, they will push the limits until boundaries are set. In a community where members of all ages were expected to maintain a simple, upright way of living, a troubled girl such as Abigail will do anything to gain attention and the ability to be free of the moral standards held for

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