Kevin EspinozaMr.
Hanna English 322 January 2018 The Abigail Williams Stephen King once said, ” The trust of the innocent is the liars most useful tool.” Liars are very cruel people as they will blame others to protect their image and reputation. They deceive the innocent and gain their trust and then throw them under the bus when it comes to saving themselves. In the crucible, Abigail lied about everything which led to innocent people getting executed. In Act 1 she says, “I want to open myself! I want the life of God! I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced with the devil!”(Act 1 Scene 1).
What it’s trying to say is that she really doesn’t want the life of god or the sweet of Jesus because she’s just saying what the court wants to hear. She is trying to convince the court that she wants help and God in her life. By doing this she is able to make them believe that she is not a witch or one who contacts the devil; but just an innocent girl in need of help. Throughout the novel, we discover many different times where Abigail is lying. Unfortunately, there’s a good handful of these scenarios.
In the crucible, Abigail shows her deceitful and cunning side within the first few pages. When her uncle questions her about what had happened in the woods, she said “Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them I confessed it- and I’ll be whipped if I must be. But they’re speaking’ of witchcraft. Betty’s not witched.” (Act 1 page 9) Later we find out not only were they dancing, but Betty was naked! If that isn’t bad enough, in the middle of the Act, Abigail herself is practicing witchcraft by drinking a potion in hopes of killing Elizabeth Proctor! While reading this Tituba is being accused by Abigail of Witchcraft. She tells the court that Tituba made her and Betty drink the chicken blood, and goes on and says that Tituba sends her spirit upon her during church.
Best services for writing your paper according to Trustpilot
Abigail screams while pointing, “She made me do it. She made Betty do it.”(Act 1 Scene 1) This makes Tituba look like she is the one who is bewitching Abigail and the other girls into all of their wrong-doings and inappropriate behavior. Tituba obviously denies this false accusation which angers Abby, causing her to do nothing but add more accusations. These are easily believed accusations against a slave woman from Barbados. When the court decides to take Abigail’s word for it, Tituba out of fear; begins the what is known as “the snowball effect.” Tituba blames someone else and this cycle continues and continues while getting more people involved and more false accusations reproducing.
Abigail is sort of like the ‘vehicle” of the story line because of her lies and schemes that are fueled to character, Breaking others down will make her stronger. This is sort of ironic and this continues we reach the very last Act in The Crucible. Everyone knows lying just leads you to getting backfired. This book demonstrates the main character who is underlying one quality; compulsively lie. What its trying to say is that it’s trying to teach a lesson. The lesson is unraveled at the end of the book, in the last Act. By telling the truth is the only way that will set you free. Abigail and Mercy have to flee for their lives in Act IV, she realizes that she can no longer have what she wants; John Proctor.
Now that entire backlash of the accusations and witchcraft hysteria has calmed down, they both fear that Salem will end up like the town of Andover. Therefore Abigail is ending up with fear for the rest of her life. Now is that really living? Or is that just merely existing. If Abigail would have told the truth in the first place, then none of this would of occurred.
The Crucible teaches many lessons regarding morals and such, however one that sticked out was that lying is never the correct way to go through life, otherwise you might end up living in a twisted world you created yourself; just like Abigail Williams.
