"The Crucible" Analysis

I don't know if any of you have read the Crucible but if you have, I did a psychological (or at least tried) analysis of Abigail Williams, one of the main characters of the novel who decides to accuse others around her of witchcraft in court. She is such an interesting character that I chose to analyze her for one of my school's "choose your own project" project.

[To be honest, I have never taken a psychology course but I am veryyyy interested in this subject. It amazes and interests me when I begin to ponder on the wonders of the mind and human nature. Then I begin to combine that with modern events, books, daily crises, etc.! Makes my hair rise hehe. So please bear with me if I do not write the name of a specific disease or condition when I write some things but if you do have any knowledge to share with me, please do!!!! I would be happy to know. I am planning to read about psychology soon but have never found the time, but I will!]

Well to introduce you to the book/play if you have never read it: The setting is in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts centered around a teenage girl by the name of Abigail Williams who accuses many civilians in Salem of witchcraft, especially one woman who she especially dislikes, Elizabeth Proctor, the wife of John Proctor. There is a bit of a history between John Proctor and Abigail Williams, if you were not aware. They had an alleged relationship, an affair. Now mind you, this society that they all lived in was strictly Puritan. Imagine the shame that would have been felt by Proctor if the society discovered that this good man was smitten with another woman besides his lovely, innocent wife! Therefore, Abigail and Proctor were forced to separate. The feelings that Abigail felt here would be only a part of the incentive for her revenge.

Abigail is a girl who is pent up with hurt, depression, and trauma. Her first major incentive for all of her current actions is the bloody, malicious murder of her parents that she was forced to witness. This event embedded a horrible trauma into her mind that caused her to feel numb. Abigail’s second incentive is the scar that Elizabeth left when she kicked Abigail out of her house in response to the affair that John and Abigail were having. Abigail felt abandoned at this and she was offended at the fact that Elizabeth had stolen her only source of comfort after her parents’ death, John Proctor. Her third incentive grew when she asked John Proctor to return to her again. He merely compared her to a mare while he called himself a horse. He said, “The promise that a stallion gives a mare I gave that girl!” (pg. 62) At this moment, Abigail felt abandonment once again. In addition, although it was not her parents’ fault for leaving Abigail alone, Abigail most likely felt abandoned and thus hurt that her parents left Abigail alone in the world. Lastly, Abigail was scarred greatly when her own uncle questioned the purity of her name in the society as purity of the name is very significant in a strictly Puritan society. Reverend Parris’s question implied that Abigail was not a girl worthy of living in his house. Furthermore, Abigail’s scars and hurt probably would not have been a great problem if she had the chance to confess her hurt and then have someone counsel her on her feelings. It is a fact that a person has to be able to verbalize their feelings and past, hurtful experiences in order for him/her to be psychologically healthy. This is emphasized among females especially as females are naturally gregarious creatures that depend on verbal topics such as issues in their own lives. Abigail was restricted of this chance because the voice of women was not encouraged in the Puritan society. Finally, when Abigail was given the opportunity to speak out loud and have people listen to her opinion when she became a witness at court, she took advantage of it. Abigail would not have taken advantage of her position if she had been listened to before.