The Crucible 1983, by Arthur Miller is a tragedy based off of the Salem Witch Trials.

We
follow the story of the inhabitants of Salem during 1692, specifically of Abigail Williams and
John Proctor, the main antagonist and protagonist respectively.

Miller presents a complex portrayal of Abigail Williams, being portrayed as both a victim and
an antagonistic figure. The duality of the two contrasting sides of her story makes the
audience question whether she should be excused as a child navigating difficult
circumstances, or condemned as an evil, malicious force.

Abgail is constantly oscillating between victimhood and villany. She acts more as the victim
in the beginning of the play, as we learn fairly early on about her traumatic childhood, as she
expresses when intimidating (other girl): “quote parents death”. Also, her unrequited love for
John Proctor, the protagonist of the story and the suppresion that she faces due to her
position in the social hierarchy and her age position her as the victim of the circumstances
that she is in. But as the play progresses, we can see the complexity of her character. The
intricacies in Abigail’s character make the audience feel a complicated mix of sympathy and
repultion at the same time. This feeling shows us that there is a possibility of sympathising
with Abigail.

Throughout the play, Abigail exhibits dark tendencies, some of them being faking symptoms
of witchcraft and manipulating the other girls involved in the situation. She also blames
Tituba in the beginning of the play for the initial incident, knowing that she wouldn’t really be
able to defend herself since she was at the very bottom of the social ladder, a female, black
slave. And afterwards, when Tituba is proclaimed as (messanger of god) after pretending to
confess, she “confesses” too, taking advantage of the situation to satisfy her selfish desire
for power. Abigail goes for awful lengths in order to secure her own safety, sacrificing the
lives of many innocent residents of Salem in the process. I believe that Arthur Miller portrays
Abigail as an antagonist through her deceitful conduct is a world gripped by mass hysteria,
underlining how one persons malicious intent can cause so much destruction.

Being able to consider the possibility of sympathising with Abigail despite her villainous
actions is a reflection of the multilayered portrayal by Arthur Miller and while the things she
has done are bad, there are the underlying reasons such as the constraints placed upon
women in puritan society. I think that another reason we can empathise with her lies in the
human understanding of social pressures and the pressure of the situation that she has
found herself in. (elaborate further)

Another thing that has helped me sympathize with Abigail more is the Appendix, which was
a scene that was originally found in Act 2 Scene 2. Millier decided against it, as it slightly
changed the overal dynamics of the play. In my eyes, the appendix is very interesting, as it
shows up how John Proctor and Abigail Williams personalities change a little when they’re in
each others presence. They’re also sort of straightforward to each other, which stands out ro
me a little since so many of the other scene are boarded with lies. Abigail expresses her love
for Proctor and how much she really wants to be with him again, while Proctor talks about
his plan in court tomorrow, showing just how much he is willing to do to save his wife, even if
it ruins his name. This scene ends in a somewhat heated argument, Proctor violently
throwing Abigail to the ground as she talks about how Elizabeth Proctors is basically
guaranteed to be dead, and Abigail leaving him alone, claiming that she will “save him”. I
think this scene really shows how much Abigail genuinely loves Proctor, and how she’s
willing to “save him” even after he pushes her to the ground.

Overall, I believe that Abigail can be sympathised with, and I understand her actions - I don’t
condone them, just understand. At the end of the day, she is just a troubled child in a
complicated situation trying to keep herself safe. It doesn’t justify her actions, but I think that
it’s understandable to act the way she did, and I personally would have done the same if I
were her.