The following quotes come from Act I of The Crucible, they are spoken by Abigail Williams, the first one concerns her relationship with John Proctor, which we learn about from this comment that she makes.
"I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!" (Miller)
Abigail, in conversation with John Proctor, makes it clear that she was in an adulterous relationship with him and that she is still very much in love with him. She reminds him that he participated in this relationship with her, fully and that she knows that he loved her, and that if what they did was sin, then so be it, but she defies him to admit that he no longer loves her. Proctor won't admit that to her, but he tells her that he won't continue to have a relationship with her because he is devoted to his wife. He won't turn from his wife again, even if he loved Abigail, it does not matter, he is committed to making his marriage work.
This really angers Abigail, who feels compelled to find another way to get Proctor back, so she becomes involved in the witchcraft hysteria, actually leading the other girls to testify, falsely, against people, who are convicted and later executed.
Abigail throws herself into the whole witchcraft hysteria for two reasons, first to get out of trouble, because her Uncle saw her in the woods dancing with the other girls and Tituba, and to access the power that turning to the devil and then being saved back to God holds. In the following passage, Abigail makes a startling confession to get attention at the end of Act I.
"I want to open myself! . . . 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!" (Miller)
With this confession, Abigail sets in motion the first accusations against the fringe elements of society, Sarah Good, Goody Osburn, Bridget Bishop, will all be executed as witches because of Abigail's testimony.
No comments:
Post a Comment