MY CHARCTER THURSDAY [ 12 ] : Abigail Williams

~ Wynona Ryder as Abigail Williams ~ [ source ]

MY CHARACTER THURSDAY HOP ( 12 )

This month I pick “THE CRUCIBLE” by Arthur Miller as the part of Reading Challenge on Plays. My interest on this book are come while I reading ‘The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane’ by Katherine Howe – who through her family history are related with Elizabeth Howe, one of the suspect on Salem’s Witchtrials and hang by the court, and she also had close relationship with Elizabeth Proctor, who survive from the allegations. Arthur Miller write this plays from the main histories that give a black-hole on the good name the laws and government in American History. There’s several interesting characters on this plays, ‘cause Miller give such intense stories and horror on the scene. He also give description on each character, so the reader can ‘sees’ the setting nor the player through their imagination. For the first character, I want you to know the source of this stories : ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, and my opinion based on this book, not the real Abigail Williams from the Salem’s Witchtrials, even there’s similarity on the few facts on history.

Are they protagonist or antagonist?

She definetely antagonist character, act as a victims, but behind that she had really bad-motive to pursue her crazy dreams to become the lover of a married man.  

Who are they? What was their role in the book?

[ source ]

Abigail Williams is a 17 years old girl, a very pretty and attractive one, niece of Reverend Samuel Parris who lead the ministry in Salem’s. This story begin with when Reverend Parris found that several girls are doing a forbidden rituals at the forbidden place, with his daugther, Betty Parris (age 9), Abigail and his black slave Tituba, all taking part on this horrible event. Shock, scare, and probably a little bit shame, little Betty Parris collapse and not waking-up for days. Because of this, rumour are spread that it’s a works of the Devil, ‘cause no doctor can’t cure Betty, then there’s others girl had the strange syptoms too. Knowing that Abigail are the only one stay awake and seems healthy, many ‘hush-questions’ point at here. I think she just start to find another escape-rute from further allegation on what really they are doing in the forest on the occasion, when Reverend Parrish found them. But then one lies goes to another lies, so she do ‘pretense’ on the stories that’s all of that is a Devil’s work, cast on these girls (Abigail had follower, girls who afraid of her and willing to do what ever she told them to do). But this things are carry-away due the works of authority, all adult persons who also had different agenda on their mind, and innocent victims are choose one by one, to by punished and hang.

What was your strongest impression on the character(s)? You can quote the dialogue or narration you got the impression from.

She is a crazy, manipulated, selfis, unhearted girl, even in very young age she already knew that she had the ability to influence people but use that to gets follower to do what she want, no matter how bad that is. I think she also had no counsence, simply the thinks that all the act she leads are sacrifice many life of innocent people, told me maybe she a little-bit ‘pscycopath’ too.  

"It were a fire, John, we lay in fire. And from that night no woman dare call me wicked any more but I knew my answer. I used to weep for sins when the wind lifted up my skirts; and blushed for shame because some old Rebecca called me loose. And then you burned my ignorance away. As bare as some December tree I saw them all - walking like saints to church, running to feed the sick, and hypocriters in their hearts! And God gave me strength to call them liars, and God made men to listen to me, and by God I will scrub the world clean for the love of Him! Oh, John, I will make you such a wife when the world is white again!"

What are the strengths or weaknesses of your character(s)?

Well she had strengths to influence people, otherwise no follower will willing to do everything she told them to do, unfortunally she used it on the ugly-bad-devilish works. If I can say about the weakness, maybe it’s her falling to John Proctor, makes her excuse to all her act. But still I think that could be stop if she had good moral issue or clear mind and counsence.

How do they develop throughout the book?

She become more-more most hatred character on this story, ‘cause after several death on innocent people, she still continue all the parade by her follower, pointing every singla man or woman to be accused as Devil’s servant and will goes to hang for sure. But also through times, I found that the adult and powerful authority, also tooks part on this wrong allegation, so I think with this combination, most likely for all the victims to survive and staying a live on those time, a very little.

What makes you love/hate them?

I already describe how dislike I’m on Abigail’s character. But even sees how horrible she is, still I will blame it on the adult, his uncle specially who knowing (or suspected something) the episode that makes her daugther had ‘strange’ condition, but refuse to see the truth and search for another ‘escape-goat’, and the authority, who suppose to stand-clear on truth and justice, are also doing the opposite choice, it’s a political issue surrounding ‘religion’ and ‘power’.

What lessons or influences you got from them?

[ source ]

Living in a little town sometimes ‘cause a several ‘friction’ from each others, and living in a small and close community also sometimes ‘invite’ crime between them. The way Puritan’s people living are  different than Protestan Church’s people, makes them point at each others. One claimed that if someone does not do the same things like common people do, he/she will be judge as ‘innocent’ souls that should be burn-in Hell. Well, thanks God I don’t live on those time. But small-minded, prejudice, envy, greedy, are still the same topics on this days, only on the different format. It’s hard to be different than others, people often choose to blend or pretend as the common community, rather than be our-self, but out-cast ‘cause your are different. Through this stories, the basic questions are many times appears on the dialogue, are you believe in God’s when not every Sabbath you goes in church, or even known your Ten Commantments. Are you works in God’s side when it’s a day forbidden to works, you choose works in your land rather than staying home and do prays all days ? Are you curse by the Devil’s simply because you had misscarried, having several unborn child, or simply just you body are not healthy ? This story based on true events, and yet all the innocent victims are still not many of them had their recognise as ‘the saint’ for stand-still on their believe in God’s...if wonder what keeps those government to admitted that they are doing the wrong things after many-many years.

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