In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, being a girl supposedly dancing in the woods, making pacts with the devil, and participating in witchcraft is one way to be hung in Puritan times. Puritan life was centered on God, there was no separation of church and state instead they were combined to keep God’s holy bible laws around. If the bible wasn’t upheld in the court it made it seem like the court was ignoring God’s laws, this is why they had the witch trials. Therefore, Abigail Williams uses the witch trial accusation to her advantage to obtain the man she wants and to seem important in the community, but tried to push the blame of witchcraft off of her onto her unsuspecting victims. In the first place, Abigail felt empowered with the
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One of her reasons was because she had feelings for John Proctor. One of the obstacles that stood in the way of Abigail’s love for John was his wife, Elizabeth. John’s wife was very in love with her husband and vice versa with John, but Abigail hated Elizabeth just because she was John’s husband. Her motives for John stretch further as she yearns for him since he broke things off with her over his guilty conscience because of his love for his wife. Once he ended the affair, Abigail seemed to believe he was being too loyal to his wife. John Proctor needed his wife’s forgiveness so he told Abby that he didn’t love her anymore. This caused Abigail’s motivation to earn back John and further the trials, she accused Elizabeth of stabbing her. “Spoke or silent, a promise is surely made. And she may dote on it now - I am sure she does - and thinks to kill me, then to take my place” (II. 58). This rattled John and the rest of the town, Abigail believed that once Elizabeth was gone John and herself would get married. The quote shows that it is obvious to everyone else in the play that Abigail’s motivation are shown through how she is around John Proctor. They notice how they blush in each other’s presence and are very close together at times alone. Another motive of her is to escape punishment of the witchcraft she performed in the woods which was drinking chicken blood. Abby doesn’t want to be hung for
One of her reasons was because she had feelings for John Proctor. One of the obstacles that stood in the way of Abigail’s love for John was his wife, Elizabeth. John’s wife was very in love with her husband and vice versa with John, but Abigail hated Elizabeth just because she was John’s husband. Her motives for John stretch further as she yearns for him since he broke things off with her over his guilty conscience because of his love for his wife. Once he ended the affair, Abigail seemed to believe he was being too loyal to his wife. John Proctor needed his wife’s forgiveness so he told Abby that he didn’t love her anymore. This caused Abigail’s motivation to earn back John and further the trials, she accused Elizabeth of stabbing her. “Spoke or silent, a promise is surely made. And she may dote on it now - I am sure she does - and thinks to kill me, then to take my place” (II. 58). This rattled John and the rest of the town, Abigail believed that once Elizabeth was gone John and herself would get married. The quote shows that it is obvious to everyone else in the play that Abigail’s motivation are shown through how she is around John Proctor. They notice how they blush in each other’s presence and are very close together at times alone. Another motive of her is to escape punishment of the witchcraft she performed in the woods which was drinking chicken blood. Abby doesn’t want to be hung for