Crucible Essay

Abigail Williams: The Evil Genius

In most stories, a villain is incorporated to provide conflict, usually for the hero. There are essentially two types of villains that utilize different methods to achieve what they desire. The first type of villain is the simple-minded scoundrel who is pure evil. They are usually not very powerful and are easily defeated. In contrast, the other villain, otherwise known as an evil genius, is much more intelligent and clever. This villain uses their wit to con those around them and is typically successful in their endeavors. In the play, The Crucible, an evil genius is efficiently depicted throughout the novel. Abigail Williams is a manipulative young lady, driven by jealousy, who wreaks havoc throughout the town of Salem. After being rejected by her love interest, John Proctor, Abigail seeks revenge. Able to reach a position of power while also maintaining a good image, Abigail manipulates her way into being the most powerful, yet terrifying girl in town. Abigail Williams proves to be the most detestable character for her ability to appear innocent and harmless while ultimately destroying the lives of the people around her.

Upon the commencement of the play, Abigail adamantly denies calling spirits in the forest to avoid the wrath of her uncle. She successfully convinces him, however, it is later revealed that Abigail “drank a charm to kill John Proctor’s wife” (Miller 19). Fueled by jealousy, Abigail seeks to satiate her feelings of envy by eliminating Elizabeth Proctor or anyone in her way. With the assistance of the girls in the village, Abigail drank chicken blood and danced for the Devil to replace Elizabeth as John Proctor’s wife. Abigail does not stop there; to further ensure that the girls will remain quiet, she threatens them: “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about other things, and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you … and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!” (20). As a result of the girls’ fearfulness, Abigail is able to preserve her good image. Abigail efficiently exercises her power over the girls and in time, she achieves much more than she bargained for. Surprisingly, Abigail transitions from having power over her girlfriends to having power over the whole village and its residents.

Abigail’s good image begins to tarnish as people in the village began to suspect that she sold herself to the Devil. In response, Abigail exclaims “I never sold myself! I’m a good girl! I’m a proper girl!” (43). Abigail attempts to play the innocent card, but when she fails, she opts to place the blame on Tituba. Considering the fact that Tituba was an inferior black servant, convincing the court that Tituba forced her to drink blood and call on the Devil would be fairly easy for the manipulative Abigail. Again, Abigail fails; her plan to sabotage Tituba backfires as Tituba is dubbed “God’s instrument … to discover the Devil’s agents” (46). Realizing the only way to save herself is by confessing, Abigail immediately switches up her story. She manages to avoid the wrath of the court when she “rises as though inspired, and cries out … I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand” (48). Because of the court’s obsession with being infallible, Abigail goes on unscathed despite her confession. She successfully manipulates her way into the trust of the court and uses that opportunity to decide the fates of the villagers. Along with Tituba, Abigail and her girlfriends are dubbed ‘God’s instrument’ to discover the Devil’s allies. A mere accusation from Abigail is enough to have someone convicted for witchcraft. In the snap of a finger, Abigail goes from being a potential witch to the most powerful girl of the town. Despite her heinous actions, Abigail continues to maintain a good image in the eyes of the court making her the most detestable character in the play.

Abigail is given the power to send even the most well-respected inhabitants to jail. Because of her manipulative ways, the court is blinded by her innocent appearance. Even when the court attempts to further investigate her claims, she finds a way to evade their imposing questions: “I have been hurt … I have been near to murdered everyday because I done my duty pointing out the Devil’s people – and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned” (108). Abigail’s statement causes the court to pity her instead of finding the answers to all their necessary questions. Therefore, the court continues to falsely believe that Abigail is simply a harmless young girl chosen to aid them in their mission. As the court continues to listen to Abigail, the more innocent lives are taken. Though Abigail is the most evil character, it is extremely frustrating that she is the one person able to avoid being condemned.

As an evil genius, Abigail Williams satiated her feelings of envy and also became the most powerful girl in town. It is unbelievable that a person filled with such evil and inhumane qualities can be looked to as holy. When people began to question her innocence, Abigail managed to regain the court’s trust instantly. She easily turned the spotlight from being on her to someone else just by pretending to feel cursed. Because of her ability to avoid condemnation, Abigail Williams is the ultimate con artist and the most detestable character.