The Crucible
by Arthur Miller
Table of Contents
Abigail Williams
An attractive, charismatic, and willful girl, she is the central catalyst in the story. Following her affair with John Proctor, her stubborn belief that they will someday be together and that she can somehow replace Elizabeth drives her to a selfish and destructive course of action. While Mary Warren is able to see the needless pain brought on by the charges of witchcraft and attempts to right her previous wrong, Abigail is single-minded and unwavering in her crusade. Though she is the leader of the group of girls behind many of the accusations, she rules on the basis of fear. Her threat to bring them a “pointy reckoning” should they betray her is a chilling moment revealing the darkest side of her character. Miller’s hint in an epilogue that Abigail ends up becoming a prostitute later in life suggests that she never fully recovers from her role in Salem’s witch trials.
Sign up to continue reading Abigail Williams >