Crucible+Essay+Topic+1

Essay Prompt: Although Abigail is the natural choice for the person most responsible for the turn of events in the play, think carefully: is she solely to blame? How did internal and/or interpersonal conflict among the other characters add fuel to the fire? Analyze how at least two other characters (or two other conflicts) bear significant responsibility for the outcome of events.

While Abigail is a troublesome child, there were many other characters that added to the dilemmas of the story. Within the story, it wasn't Abigail that planned out the turn of events, there were other people who had made the problems and left Abigail the one who dealt with them, making it seem as if she was the one who had all the problems. For example, when Abigail, Susana, and Betty were caught in the forest doing a forbidden act, i.e. dancing, it wasn't the one that started accusing other people of being witches. Also, when Proctor kept showing up in Abigail's life, he gave her false hope of romance.

In the beginning of the story Susana Walcott, Abigail, and Betty were caught dancing in the forest only from then on people were accusing others of being a witch. It wasn't Abigail's fault that others thought she was a witch when she was only trying to have fun. Abigail even admits this to Parris this; "Abigail: Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them i confessed it -- and I'll be whipped if I must be. But they're speakin' of witchcraft. Betty's not witched" (Miller 10). Also, before Abigail could even begin to describe what was going on the forest that night, Parris started accusing her of doing unforgivable things. Parris states, "Now look you, child, your punishment will come in its time. but if you trafficked with soirits in the forest i must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it" (Miller 10). Here the reader can clearly see that Parris has some prejudices and beliefs of his own, and he doesn't trust what was going on in the forest.

A fault of another is that of John Proctor. At one point in time, Proctor and Abigail had had an afair with one another and Abigail was left with feelings for him that she could not dissolve. It was clearly shown on page 22, especially in this line: "Abigail, grasping his hand before he can release her: John -- I am waitin' for you every night" (Miller 22). Proctor all this time was stuck in his own mind, not sure whether he was in love with Elizabeth, his wife, or Abigail, his mistress. So, all this time, he was giving Abigail some mixed signs, "Proctor: I had thought to come many times" (Miller 148).So while Abigail was a troubled child, she might have been troubled because of the interactions she had with others.

So yes, Abigail is the "mad" child and possibly the "witch," however she wasn't the one with the most troubles. It was other people that started throwing accusations of witchcraft, she was not the one who started this whole thing. Also, with Proctor giving her mixed signals throughout the story, she was unsure of her feelings for others. Most importantly, this questions whether or not Proctor's name is really that worthy when he blames Abigail for everything, even though he was the one who had the most influence on Abigail.