Abigail Williams Essay

The Crucible and 12 Angry Men are two differing plays that unite in the aspect of the justice system. In both plays, we have the conflict that the accused are seen as guilty before the evidence is thoroughly looked into. A difference that sets the two plays apart is that the young girls accused of being witches are not given as much of a chance as the young boy accused of murder. This is due to the differing time periods in which both plays took place in. These similarities and differences are…

Sylvia Plath clearly embeds the story of Esther Greenwood into the political situation of the time. The Bell Jar introduces its setting by referring to the execution of the Rosenbergs. In the summer of 1953 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were accused of and electrocuted for espionage. It was believed that they had passed secret US military information on nuclear weapons on to Soviet Intelligence. The fear of the so-called “red scare” was omnipresent, and it was believed that more and more people…

of the blame for the witch trials, but the one who carries the most weight is Abigail Williams. Abigail, a young, “strikingly beautiful” 17 year old girl, analyzes the situation quickly and composes many diverse approaches to accuse others of compacting with the devil. She tries to curse Elizabeth Proctor in the beginning of the play because Elizabeth’s husband, John, does not accept her feelings. Although Abigail created all the accusations, she still threatened the girls to cooperate with…

of witchcraft, a crime in which the only witness is the victim, as the suspected witch is not expected to incriminate herself? There is no way to scientifically prove that witchcraft exists in Salem, and Miss Williams knew that as she declared Mrs. Proctor to be a witch. What Miss Williams had not anticipated was that John would confess the sin of his lechery with her, in a desperate attempt to save his wife from the rope. In doing so, he knowingly sentenced himself to the rope and was accused…

portrays Abigail as a mysterious girl who instituted the trials as a way of releasing her vengeance on Elizabeth Procter, the wife of the man who committed adultery with Abigail. Abigail served as the Procter’s servant until a major altercation between Elizabeth and Abigail over the affair ensued. In Act I, Parris interrogates Abigail with concerns to her involvement with spells, Tituba’s charm, and the supposed witchcraft in which she participated in. After Reverend Parris questions Abigail of…

In the beginning of the play, when Parris questions Abigail about the dancing in the woods, Abigail wines up accusing Tituba of witchcraft so she can avoid punishment. Parris says, "...I saw Tituba waving her arms over the fire when I came on you. Why was she doing that? And I heard a screeching and gibberish coming from her mouth. She was swaying like a dumb beast over that fire!"(Miller 10). Abigail responds by " She always sings her Barbados songs, and we dance"(Miller 10)…

speaking in different language. Miller asked Abby what did you do in the woods (Miller, 1952, p 142) “Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them I Confessed it—and I’ll be whipped if I must be. But They’re speakin’ of witchcraft. Betty’s not witched”. Abigail Williams, the leading accuser is explaining to her uncle that her cousin…

's behavior stays the same except for one character. That one person is Abigail Williams because her mood changes throughout the play from innocent to evil. Abigail is a liar, she changes her behavior once someone provokes her, and is willing to get people falsely executed. Abigail Williams rarely say any truth and lies throughout the whole play by accusing other people of witchcraft. For…

Although Abigail Williams does not physically appear in Act II of The Crucible, her presence casts a long shadow over the act. She has a powerful influence over Salem. The town dynamics change and the social order is altered as Abigail Williams assumes more and more prestige. For instance, Elizabeth learns of Abigail’s newfound power and control in the town: “Abigail brings the other girls into the court, and where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel. And folks are brought…

to run as fast as you could, not caring what parts of your shaking body you hurt in the process. The only difference is, you don’t have to imagine. Because it did happen. Not to any of you, but to someone you know. Someone in this very room. Abigail Williams was found dancing in the woods. She was found with an elderly Barbados woman, and her closest friends. They spent that night dancing and crooning over the…