Month: March 2021

Blog Post 3: Crucible – Putting It All Together

Alicia Widjaja2 Comments

In The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams is known to be manipulative and selfish, as she would constantly lie and falsely accuse other people of participating in witchcraft. She often threatens other people in order to get things her own way, and would gain control over them. For example, in Act 1 when she had threatened the girls to not confess to anyone about anything that they had done in the woods, and to only say that they were dancing. If they had said anything, she threatened to stab the girls.

“Abigail: Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.” (20).

8 Things Manipulative People Do to Get What They Want - WomenWorking

Abigail had falsely accused many other people in order to protect herself, but it eventually led to her accusing other people to get things the way she wants. From the people that she has accused, most of them had gotten executed without much proof. This shows how she is the cause of many deaths, and that she has a lot of power.

“Abigail: I want to open myself! They turn to her, startled. She is enraptured, as though in a pearly light. 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. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!” (48).

The reason for why Abigail acts this way is because she might have realized that she can get things done her way easily—by manipulating people and getting them killed.

Similar events that I have personally experienced were often when my siblings had gotten in trouble. An example was when I had caught my sister doing something that would upset my parents, and I was told to not tell anyone or else she would also get me in trouble. As siblings, there were often times when we would tell on one another, constantly getting one another in trouble.

“Manipulation”. Nitinbhatia, 2016, https://www.nitinbhatia.in/stocks/stock-price-manipulation-pledging-shares/. Accessed 16 Mar 2021.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. New York: Penguin Books, 1976.

Blog Post 2: Hypocrites (Crucible)

Alicia Widjaja1 Comment

In The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, many of the characters would have their own values. Some characters would live by their values and beliefs, while others would claim to have their values and beliefs, but demonstrate actions that are not consistent with their claimed beliefs, being hypocrites.

In the play, the girls would often accuse other people that they had performed witchcraft, in order for them to stay innocent and not suffer the consequences. Abigail Williams was among the girls who would often accuse others of witchcraft, leading to the Salem Witch Trial. Throughout the play, Abigail Williams would act innocent, claims that she loves and follows God, “Abigail: I want to open myself! They turn to her, startled. She is enraptured, as though in a pearly light. I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus!” (48). However, She often manipulates her friends, acting very evil, sending many people to suffer the consequences of death after being accused of witchcraft by her.

Events that would be similar to this would be my own personal experience of people I know that would always say to do something, but eventually does the opposite. An example is when someone says that they will finish their assignment on time, but does not get it completed until after the due date of the assignment. This connects back to Abigail allegedly saying that she loves and follows God, but acts devil-like when she had accused other people of performing witchcraft.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. New York: Penguin Books, 1976.

“Hypocrite Person”. Vectorstock, 2021, https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/two-faced-manhypocrite-deceitful-person-vector-16153644. Accessed 9 Mar 2021.