Abigails Vengeance essays

Abigails Vengeance essays The witch trials of 1692 were among the darkest experiences of United States history. Forming in the rigid Puritan community of Salem, these infamous trials were a perfect example of vengeance based injustice. In Arthur Millers play, The Crucible, it all begins as but a simple accusation against a hand full of girls and only later develops into the great hysteria they are known as today. Ironically, these truth seeking hearings were built entirely of falsehoods, most of which originates from the testimonies of Abigail Williams. Abigails vengeful feelings spur her into manipulating the girls, lying to the court, and attempting to ruin the relationship of John and Elizabeth Proctor. Abigails need for revenge causes her to use manipulation to intimidate the girls into following her plan of deceit. Abigail bullies the other girls into not spoiling her plan for revenge by verbally and physically attacking them. Let either of you breathe a word, Abigail threatens, or the edge of a word about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you (835). Abigail knows all the girls fear her and she uses this to her advantage. Abigails paralysis allows the whole outcome of the witch trials to favor her. Abigails selfishness also causes her to frequently lie in court. Madly in love with John Proctor, Abigail believes that if Elizabeth were not in the way, he would belong to her. When the accusations begin, Abigail quickly claims to have seen Elizabeth Proctor with the devil. Abigail even goes out of her way to get Mary to plant the poppet in Elizabeths possession. She then stabs herself with a needle into her stomach and blames Elizabeth of wanting to kill her. She denies that the poppet belongs to Mary Warren and insists that Elizabeth is playing with witchcraft. When M...