Abigail Williams Never Evil Essay

In most modern day stories, the “villains” are becoming more sympathetic characters that win over our hearts, making the readers think that they were never evil to start with. For example, Winnie Holzman’s book Wicked is from the perspective of the “Wicked Witch of the West” about how she was never evil, it was just how “Good Witch” betrayed the “Wicked Witch of the West” as a way to fame. I believe that Arthur Miller, author of The Crucible, was ahead of his time for this literary movement. Abigail Williams is the center of this plot, creating drama and lies. And because of that, many believe she is just a “whore” and a murderess. However, despite her destructive behavior, Abigail is a character to understand and sympathize with. Firstly, …show more content…
In her mind, she wanted to be in Elizabeth’s place as a wife and mother for their children. She would do anything to win Proctor. However, her plan and dreams died when the lies and situations got out of hand. As she tries to convince him, she tells him, “‘I know you, John. I know you.’ She is weeping. ‘I cannot sleep for dreamin’; I cannot dream but I wake and walk about the house as though I’d find you comin’ through some door.’ She clutches him desperately” (Miller 23). Therefore, as she tries to convince him to love her back equally or more, she becomes desperate enough to do anything to get her way… Even frame innocent people, including Proctor’s wife, of witchcraft. In conclusion, Arthur Miller did lead a literary movement. His “villain”, Abigail, is a scapegoat character who, like Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West, who was always thrown the blame. Even though she is a “whore” and a murderess, Abigail was written poorly throughout the entirety of the play. She had reasons for “being a villain” because of the lack of attention, her negatively acting pathology, watching her parents be brutally murder, and she had truly loved John Proctor. Therefore, Abigail is the start of the sympathetic