Selfishness is needed to protect people, when self-responsible people are considered weak and defenseless. For example, “Abigail: She made me do it! She made Betty do it!” (40) This quote shows that Abagail was about to be condemned as a witch. Therefore, by accusing Betty of witchcraft she is able to protect herself. But, in order for Betty to protect herself, she must confess to being a witch which is selfish because it can result in other people being blamed for witchcraft. For example, “Betty: I saw Martha Bellows with the Devil! Abigail: I saw Goody Sibber with the Devil!” (45) This quote shows that these girls practiced a form of witchcraft in the first act by dancing and in order to protect themselves from being persecuted in the second act, they have to blame a large quantity of people to divert the attention from themselves to others.
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Aby will charge lechery on you Mr. Proctor!” (76) This quote shows that if Mary tells the truth when testifying for Elizabeth Proctor than Abigail will accuse Mary of witchcraft. She knows that there is a good chance that in this situation that even if Mary isn’t accused by Abigail of witchcraft, Elizabeth will still be seen as guilty. Similarly; in Act 3, For example, “Is it possible, child, that the spirits you have seen are illusion only, some deception that may cross your mind when - …..Abigail, looking about in the air, clasping her arms about her as though cold: I - I know not. A wind, a cold wind, has come. Her eyes fall on Mary Warren.” (100-101) This quote shows that when Mary did a self-responsible action by telling the truth that Abigail was not seeing illusions, Danforth starts to believe that Abigail saw spirits that were ‘an illusion only’. Abigail is able to protect herself from being caught in the act of lying by pretending that she is being tormented by Marry Warren’s
Aby will charge lechery on you Mr. Proctor!” (76) This quote shows that if Mary tells the truth when testifying for Elizabeth Proctor than Abigail will accuse Mary of witchcraft. She knows that there is a good chance that in this situation that even if Mary isn’t accused by Abigail of witchcraft, Elizabeth will still be seen as guilty. Similarly; in Act 3, For example, “Is it possible, child, that the spirits you have seen are illusion only, some deception that may cross your mind when - …..Abigail, looking about in the air, clasping her arms about her as though cold: I - I know not. A wind, a cold wind, has come. Her eyes fall on Mary Warren.” (100-101) This quote shows that when Mary did a self-responsible action by telling the truth that Abigail was not seeing illusions, Danforth starts to believe that Abigail saw spirits that were ‘an illusion only’. Abigail is able to protect herself from being caught in the act of lying by pretending that she is being tormented by Marry Warren’s