Abigail Williams: Swindler Extraordinaire

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In Act III, the trials begin and Abigail uses the court with the people of the town to her advantage, with a large shift in character but similar intentions. When she enters the courtroom, Danforth asks if she saw Mary Warren make the poppet found in the Proctor’s house, to which she answers “It is a lie, sir” (95). It is already ironic that Abigail is calling someone else a liar, but the stage direction preceding this line shows more of Abigail. “With a slight note of indignation,” she addresses Danforth. Not only is Abigail calling Mary a liar, but she’s annoyed by the fact that Mary would say something like that about her. She continues this brash attitude when addressing Danforth: “What look do you give me? I’ll not have such looks!” (103) Abigail has gained enough authority that she feels empowered to tell him to his face, that she won’t put up with him giving her suspicious looks. These actions are still rooted in her lying and manipulative ways, and even under oath in the court of law, it does not change the idea embedded in her head that she has to protect herself at any costs.

Abigail Williams is a remorseless and inhumane person. She used her skills to advance herself in Salem’s society, without any regard to other people and how she could be affecting them. It is possible, however, when looking at what she is given, her intentions are better understood. She is an orphan and an unmarried teenager. She is low on the social scale, and the only other person lower is Tituba. Keeping this in mind, it is understandable that she would take any chance to seize power. Similar to Abigail, government officials were accusing people of being Communists, not only without proper evidence, but without understand how that may effect that person’s life. The Crucible flips the idea of not judging a book by its cover on its head, implying that not only could someone be different on the inside, but understanding them might take a look at their deepest desires and intentions.