Abigail's Secondary Motive In The Crucible

In “The Crucible,” the Judge Danforthe’s obliviousness to the accuser’s secondary motive allows several character to seek revenge, revealing the hypocrisy of the Puritans. Throughout the play, Abigail Williams abuses the court the most by lying ultimately to seek vengeance from Goody Proctor, the wife of the man she loves. Abigail claims Goody Proctor made a voodoo doll of her and stabbed a needle through her stomach. As the reader knows, Abigail is trying to kill Goody Proctor; therefore, it is assumed that Abigail herself made Mary Warren stick the needle in the doll to help frame Goody Proctor. This would be a form of lying which defies the one of the commandments, showing how a Puritan would overstep their superficial rules to satisfy their desires. …show more content…
After being questioned by Parris of her intentions in the forest, Abigail rises in the name of God and confesses that she had done wrong in the past, but she now wants to make amends with God. In doing so, she utters names of people who she supposedly saw with the devil. Abigail’s friend follow her lead and create a hysteric scene where they expose many witches in the town. These disclosures lead to trials in the town to eliminate witches. Mary Warren describes how she knows Goody Sarah was a witch to the Proctors after Elizabeth expresses her surprise in hearing this new information: “ I never knew it before. I never knew anything before…I hear a voice, a screamin’ voice, and it were my voice—and all at once I remembered everything she done to me!” Elizabeth’s initial astonishment when she hears Mary Warren’s story reveals how this story was not anticipated or formerly addressed, creating a doubtful atmosphere. Mary Warren also seems to be alluding the witchery Goody Sarah performed on her as she claims to not have known anything before. Elizabeth