Essay | Abigail Williams

Looks can indeed be deceiving and nobody illustrates this fact more than Abigail Williams from Arthur Miller's brilliant play "The Crucible." Thought of as nothing more than a harmless teenager Abigail turns out to be the most ruthless and calculating character in the play. The so called "innocent girl" manages to start a chain of accusations which in turn cause over 40 people their lives all in a desperate attempt to save herself. The apparent leader of a group of women who were seen dancing in the forest, Abigail does not do anything that is not motivated by her own selfishness. Throughout the play it slowly becomes apparent that Abigail is not the sweet innocent girl that she makes herself out to be.

The book begins with Abigail, the seventeen-year-old niece of Reverend Parris. caught dancing in the woods with Betty, Mercy, Ruth, Mary, and...
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