Crucible Essay 2

Andy Medina

AP English 11

Mr. George

The Crucible Essay 2

There are two types of characters in the play, “The Crucible.”  The two types of characters are good and bad.  Both types of characters commit sins throughout the play. This is a known fact.  The disparity between the good and bad characters is seen through their intentions behind the sins, and how they try to redeem themselves for the acts committed.  Abigail Williams is a character who commits sins throughout the play, and shows no remorse for her actions.  She is an evil character.  She commits many sins, and goes deeper and deeper down a dark path.  Abigail’s treacherous fall towards evil is a long and path in which countless others are affected.  As the play unravels the reader develops a sense of hatred towards Abigail.  The reason for this growing hatred is due to the reader seeing her intentions behind the evil actions she commits.

Abigail and John Proctor begin the play on the same moral grounds.  John is a married man, who had an affair with Abigail.  They are equally responsible for this action, however the reader feels completely different towards the two characters.  The cause for the different feelings is simple.  The reader sees the decisions being made by both characters.  The reader is told that the people of Salem “had no ritual for the washing away of sins.” (Miller 20).  John and Abigail make go down completely different paths after the affair takes place.  The reader sees a sense of attachment that Abigail begins to develop towards Proctor after the affair takes place.  She wants more than just the affair. On the other hand, John sees the affair in a much different light.  He sees the actions as a horrible act, and tries to cleanse himself of the sin.  He does not know how to completely cleanse himself of his sin, but he tries to make things right.  He comes forth and admits his faults throughout the play.  This is where the reader begins to see the difference between the two characters.  Abigail wants Proctor for herself, and feels the need to ruin anyone who stands in her way.  They are undoubtedly different characters in the way they make decisions after the affair.  This is only one way Abigail becomes a hated character, but there are many other factors that play into this feeling.  

Throughout the play Abigail continuously manipulates and lies to others to achieve her goal.  Her goal is obvious.  She is trying to get Elizabeth Proctor out of the way so that she can have John Proctor to herself.  The first attempt the reader sees toward this goal is when Abigail forces Tituba, Betty, and other girls into the woods to perform witchcraft.  As Betty says, “You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!” (19).  Abigail will resort to any means to have John for herself.  She uses Tituba to get the charm, but when they are accused of witchcraft Abigail turns on Tituba.  “She sends her spirit on me in church […] She comes to me while I sleep” (44).  Abigail had used Tituba for all that she was worth and was willing to sacrifice Tituba to save herself.  Soon after this occurs Abigail sees Tituba save herself by condemning others and says, “I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus!” (48).  She uses this event to save herself in the eyes of the people of the town.  They see her as a converted sinner, and listen to her word as the truth.  She takes complete advantage of the people of the town and begins to name people who are witches.  This eventually leads to the point where she can accuse Elizabeth of being a witch, but before that happens she must use, and then betray, other people.

At the beginning of the play, Mary Warren is an ally of Abigail.  She was one of the girls who danced with her in the forest.  Abigail sees Mary making a doll for Elizabeth and seizes the opportunity to accuse Elizabeth of witchcraft.  When Mary helps John and Elizabeth Abigail turns on her.  “Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape” (115).  It is obvious that Abigail truly cares for no one and that she is willing to throw anyone away to save herself.  These actions draw hatred from the reader.  

The hatred for Abigail is well developed by the author.  He gives the reader an almost omniscient view of the play.  The reader sees all her actions, and what truly lies behind them.  Through this view, all of Abigail’s actions are seen without the deceitful cloud she emits.  She only looks out for herself, and that is a quality that drives people crazy.  She gets people to trust her, and lies to them to try and achieve her goal.

The reader goes along with Abigail down her path, and as it moves along, so too do the feelings of disgust.  When she realizes that she is done she runs away with her uncle’s money, but her presence is still felt in the town.  The hangings that take place because of her false accusations still occur.  This is the final action that gives the reader the complete hatred for Abigail.  The reader sees Abigail for a lying, deceitful whore, and her ending fits her.  In the section of the book called the “Echoes Down the Corridor” the reader is told Abigail turned up as a prostitute in Boston.  It is a fitting end to such a filthy, treacherous character.