When Abigail first enters this play, Miller describes her in the stage prompt as a girl who has “an endless capacity for dissembling,” (7) to inform the reader that she is capable of justifying her means with her ends. For example, when Danforth starts doubting Abigail’s accusations and begins to believe Mary Warren’s plead that she is not affiliated with any kind of witchcraft, Abigail bluffs and threatens him to “beware…the power of Hell,” (108) an unknown force to humans. In doing so, Abigail scares him and ultimately makes him recant his doubtful attitude towards her, which supports Arthur Miller’s claim that people are afraid of the unknown. Arthur Miller further advances his argument that people are afraid of what they don’t know and dread social isolation by showing Danforth’s tone of voice during Abigail’s manipulation. After Abigail intimidates Danforth
When the witch trials begin, Reverend Hale questions John and asks him to recite the Ten Commandments and misses one Commandment (ironically, the Commandment regarding adultery), and thus begins Proctor’s quest to prove himself not to be of the devil. Later on in the play, Proctor makes a false confession to save his life, however, he tears it up stating “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another name in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies!” (Miller 143). The previous quote is important to Proctor’s crucible because it proves that he has failed his quest and has given in rather than continuing to try and prove he is not an associate of the
This quote “[…] Let either of you breathe a word and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.” Shows her desperation and truly violent mind while she tries to control the mistake she’s made, but to control this mistake she must control those around her who know of it. No one would dare to expose her if they feared so terribly, Abigail uses this to her advantage. At the end of the trials Abigail was beginning to be revealed by townspeople who found out that she was the main accuser. When she found out about this she decided to take all of Parris’ money, and run away from Salem with Tituba. This leaves the reader wondering, but can only assume what will happen to
The girls start shouting “I saw Goody Bibber with the devil” and “ I saw Goody Booth with the devil”, this use of short snappy accusations one after another makes the whole scene dramatic and adds to the suspense being created. The words “I saw” almost become like a barrel of bullets being fired into the ears of the audience making them feel the madness going on. The stage directions say the the “curtains fall” as the girls continue making the accusations, this shows that the situations going to continue on into the rest of the play In act 2, Elizabeth gets arrested and we the audience are able to feel the madness going on because we know that such a devout Christian woman such as Elizabeth could not possibly be involved in witchcraft. We know that this due to Abigail’s plan to try and get Elizabeth arrested. We are able to feel the madness even more through Proctor shouting “Herrick!
When Abigail creates hysteria over witchcraft that sweeps over Salem, she views the situation as a chance to lie and manipulate to achieve her goals, while John Proctor sees through Abigail’s deceit and views the situation as a childish stunt that could get many innocent townspeople hurt. Proctor’s fears come true when Abigail begins accusing innocent women, including Elizabeth, John Proctor’s wife, of witchcraft, hoping to have Proctor for herself after Elizabeth has been hanged. Abigail sees Salem as full of gullible and easily manipulated pawns in her evil game of self-aggrandizement and in her quest to be with John Proctor. Proctor, however, regards Abigail’s plot as an atrocity and tries to save his wife and the other accused townspeople at all costs. Unlike Abigail, Proctor degrades himself in front of all of his fellow townspeople by admitting his lechery to the court in an attempt
Abigail realizes that by giving the names of people she saw with the devil she can control Salem because she has a good name and people will listen to her. June Schlueter and James K. Flanagan claim “.A shrewd opportunist, she turns her own violation of Salem law into an occasion for naming those for whom she has little liking and, in so doing, transforms herself into a local heroine.” (116) John Proctor knows that Abigail is controlling Salem with her accusations and recognizes that the only way to stop her is to sully her good name. When Abigail accuses John’s wife of witchcraft, he becomes enraged and claims “It is a whore!” (Miller 220). By accusing Abigail of being a whore, John is trying to ruin her name and stop her from making any more accusations, but by admitting to “have known her, sir.” is also ruining his own good
The Witches and Hecate portray the image and eminence of evil in Macbeth. During the first scene of the play, the witches are chanting and cackling over thunderstorms, thus introducing themselves as evil beings. They are questioned by Banquo if they are truly women and that “...their beards forbid [me] to interpret that you are so” (I. iii. 44-45), and Hecate is introduced as the goddess of witchcraft. The remark made by Banquo and the title of Hecate states that Shakespeare intends to use repulsive-looking women, mistakenly having beards, to render that women are predominately evil.
They are very mischievous and play upon the weaknesses and ambitions of Macbeth. The witches prophecies spark Macbeth’s ambitions, just as the witches knew they would. They make Macbeth question Banquo when they prophesies that Banquo’s offspring will be king. “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater./ Not so happy, yet much happier./Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none:/So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!.” This leads Macbeth into ordering the murders of Banquo and Fleance. The witches then manipulate him to believe he is immortal by telling him “laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” (Act 4, scene 1 lines 86-88).
In a fictional work based on the history, we see an enactment of the frenzy. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller Abigail Williams force others to join in witchcraft. She only thinks about her self and she loved John Proctor that’s why she was jealous to his wife Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail Williams also force other girls to obey her words. "Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.
Abigale is the archetype of empowerment in “The Crucible” with her manipulation of other women to achieve her relatively simple goal of revenging on Elizabeth Proctor. Abigale’s authoritarian behavior is noticed when she demands other girls to stay silent about having practiced witchcraft. “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you”. This threat that Abigale put out to the other girls demonstrated the empowerment that she has over others. This sense of authority over others drives Abigale further as in the trials where ministers and other God’s earthly representatives are present, she pretends to have a direct connection with God.