Character Analysis: Abigail Williams
...ard throughout the town. Abigail, in order to avoid the accusation of witchcraft, a crime punishable by death, points her finger at Tituba as the leader of the group of girls, saying of her, “She’s always making me dream corruptions! I always hear her laughing in my sleep. I hear her singing her Barbados songs and tempting me” (Miller 41). Moments later, after watching Tituba confess to something she did not do in order to save her life, Abigail catches on to the game quickly, as any villain does, and sees how she can gain control of the situation. “I danced for the Devil,” declares Abigail, “I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus… I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil” (Miller 45). Taking heed from Abigail, the other girls begin to spit names of those they “saw” compacting with the devil, thus initiating the accusations of witchcraft on Abigail’s behalf. But like any good evil character, Abigail makes it clear that she is not one to mess with, expressing outright that if any of the girls dares to go against her there will be dire consequences, including a pointy reckoning (Miller 19). One of the main reasons that Abigail danced in the first place was for the purpose of gaining the love of one John Proctor. The only thing keeping her from him is his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, and of course she becomes a target for Abigail. To get rid of Elizabeth, Abigail enlists Mary Warren, who unknowingly wrongs Goody Proctor by giving her a poppet she had sewn. Abigail, who was with Mary at the time Mary was sewing it, saw it as an opportunity. Abigail stabs herself with a pin, and accuses Elizabeth as the one who hexed her with the wound. As evidence, the poppet is found with a sewing needle placed in the stomach for safekeeping, making it appear as though Goody Proctor actually did work black magic on Abigail, when it was merely a gift from Mary. And even Mary falls victim to Abigail’s menacing wrath. When Mary decides to come clean and tell the town that there really was no witchcraft, and the girls did not see anybody with the devil, Abigail in turn accuses Mary, and once again the girls follow, making it seem as though Mary’s spirit was out to get them. Out of the fear of being hanged, Mary gives in, confesses to witchcraft, and sides with Abigail once again. Perhaps one of Abigail’s most conniving schemes i...