It is in no doubt that Abigail is the leader of the group of girls that lead the trials. She holds immediate authority over the whole group. We know this because of phrases she uses such as, ‘Now look you, all of you’. The tone of this expression is one of confidence and power. The girl’s reaction to this is to simply pay attention. Another reason Abigail holds such sway over the other girls is her affair with John Proctor. The girls have yet to have had any sexual experiences, so Abigail's affair with John must seem to them to be exciting and exotic. Also, the fact that Abigail manipulated and influenced a strong, powerful, level-headed (not to mention handsome) man such as John Proctor gives her great kudos amongst the girls. From the descriptions of the other girls, we also learn why Abigail has such command over them. Susanna Walcott is described as being ‘…a little younger than Abigail; a hurried, nervous girl’. This suggests that she would like to have Abigail's confidence and is drawn to her because she has such a presence and confident air about her. Mercy is described as being ‘…a fat, sly, merciless girl of eighteen’. This shows that although she had the cunning and mental ability to be a leader, she lacks the physical attributes necessary to seduce John Proctor and put the other girls in awe of her. As previously said, beauty gains kudos and influence. The final main girl is Mary Warren, who is described as being ‘…seventeen; a subservient, naïve, lonely girl’. Her subservient nature would instantly attract her to Abigail and Abigail to her as Abigail needs followers to be a leader and Mary Warren simply wishes to be accepted and led. From the quotation ‘[…smashes Betty across the face]’ we learn that Abigail can be very aggressive and forceful. We also learn that she carries through with her threats. Her fulfilment of lesser threats such as these make the girls wonder if she would not ‘…bring a pointy reckoning that would shudder you’.
Abigail's relationship with John Proctor is one of mixed control. On one hand, it is obvious that John still desires Abigail and at one time she had almost complete control over him (‘sweated like a stallion whenever I came near’), but on the other hand he now refuses her advances and although she tries her best to manipulate him, he still declines which gives him more control, ‘I would rather chop off my hand and give it to you than reach for you again’. By not letting him control him or get her own way, Proctor takes the control. He is the only character who comes close to having power over Abigail. She uses many tactics to manipulate John. At the start of the scene she flirts with him, trying to remind him of how much he had previously desired her, ‘[winningly, she comes a little closer]’. The fact that Abigail’s affair was with John Proctor (a moral and religious man of high standing amongst the other citizens of Salem) gives her more kudos than if it had been with another, more easily won, man. This is because he is described as being ‘a sinner…against his own vision of decent conduct’. This shows that Abigail can corrupt and influence even the most moral man, giving her more kudos amongst the girls and even a degree of respect from the other Salem settlers. When her blatant desire fails to win over John Proctor, Abigail then tries to gain his pity, ‘Give me a soft word, John, a soft word’. John then rebukes her for even this, so instating his role as her controller. ‘[Feverishly looking into his eyes]’ suggests that Abigail has not simply used John to elevate her status amongst the girls and for fun, she truly does desire him. When desire and pity fail to gain John’s affections, Abigail becomes desperate, ‘[Clutching him desperately]’ and ‘John, pity me, pity me!’. Abigail’s manipulative nature is shown again when she changes from ‘[with bitter anger]’ to ‘[in tears]’ in the space of a few lines. This shows that she is adaptable and can choose the emotion best suited to get her own way in each situation. ‘[Since Proctor’s entrance, Abigail has stood as though on tiptoe, absorbing his presence, wide-eyed. He glances at her then goes to Betty on the bed]’. This shows that although she is giving him her full attention and obviously still desires him, he merely glances at her. This is more evidence to suggest that Proctor is the only one that can succeed, even a little, at controlling Abigail as he clearly makes her nervous as she has been confident and outspoken up to that point. During the scene between Proctor and Abigail, Proctor only shows any sign of reciprocating her feelings at the start with some mild flirting. As the scene progresses he repeatedly denies any desire for her. She cannot believe this; ‘You’re surely sporting with me!’ and is quick to anger about it because it has never happened to her before, especially with John. Previously, he has been seen looking up at her window longingly, ‘…I have seen you looking up, burning in your loneliness’, so Abigail cannot believe that he is now the one refusing her. Abigail tries to regain the power she once had over John by reminding him of the strong feelings that he had for her, ‘I cannot sleep for dreamin’, I cannot dream but I wake and walk about the house as though I’d find you comin’ through some door’ and ‘You loved me, John Proctor, and what ever is in it, you love me yet’.
During the second act, Abigail doesn’t appear, but her presence is very much felt. The interaction between John and Elizabeth Proctor is strained at best and their conversation almost too careful, as though they are trying to portray the image of a normal family should look like, ‘Proctor: Are you well today? Elizabeth: I am’. This conversation also shows that John is checking that he has not done anything to anger Elizabeth. John and Elizabeth’s relationship, on the surface, seems idyllic, but there is obvious tension shown through the stage directions and the context we know it is in (the aftermath of John’s affair with Abigail). Elizabeth’s opening line, ‘What keeps you so late?’ shows an obvious (but understandable) paranoia. This seems to set the tone for their relationship, an undercurrent of non-verbal tension and suspicion. Abigail is evidently on everybody’s mind throughout this scene, including Mary Warren. When she bursts in later on in the scene we learn that she has deliberately defied Proctor because Abigail has told her to. This is another method of control Abigail uses, she offers protection and gives Mary Warren confidence, in return for loyalty and obedience to her. Mary Warren feels, at that point, it is better to be on the right side of Abigail doing the wrong thing than to do good and make an enemy of her. Elizabeth knows that Abigail is an influential figure in Salem, as she says, ‘The crowd will part like the sea for Israel’. This is why Elizabeth is wary of Abigail's influence and the fact that she has enough power within the village to get her hung for witchcraft. Elizabeth has reason to be paranoid because John is still lying to her about Abigail. At the start of the scene he swears blind that he was planting that afternoon and had not seen Abigail in Salem, ‘I were planting far out to the forest’s edge’. Although this lie may have simply been to save Elizabeth’s feelings and to prevent provoking her suspicion again, it was still a lie and the fact that she found out makes it worse than if he ad simply said where he was that day.
Abigail’s presence is also felt when Mary Warren comes home with the poppet and gives it to Elizabeth Proctor. It shows Abigail's quick judgement, the fact that she saw Mary Warren sewing the poppet and thought she could do some harm with it. It also shows that she never stops thinking about how to better Elizabeth and planning to take her place. This is just one more of the ways that Abigail controls the town and the people in it, as no-one sees through her plan. When Elizabeth is arrested, on false charges, it is on the word of Abigail alone. The people of the court have taken so much evidence from this one girl, that to doubt her absolute authority in the matter would mean they would have to doubt all the condemnations made directly from her evidence. By this point, she can do practically anything and condemn whomever she pleases. Abigail has built up her absolute power over the town bit by bit.
In Act three, Abigail does not appear until nearing the end of the scene. She is obviously the leader, even in court. She is the one who heads the hysterical outbursts from the girls when the person ‘sends their spirit out’, to sentence the accused. Mary Warren turns away from Abigail to tell the truth upon the urges of John Proctor. This re-enforces his role as her controller. Abigail, however, manages to convince Mary to come back to the group of girls. She does this manipulating the group. She makes them cry out against Mary, saying she is sending out her spirit in the form of a yellow bird, which is also a sign of the devil, ‘Why do you come, yellow bird?’. They also mimic everything she says and does as though she is controlling them, ‘Mary Warren: Stop it!, Girls: Stop it!’. This shows the absolute influence Abigail has over the girls, that they will copy her without question.
At the end of act three, Abigail absconds with all of Reverend Paris’ money. She does this because her authority is being questioned and the inhabitants of Salem no longer trust her or see her as the innocent young girl leading them to salvation as they used to. She knows that she will be found as a fraud soon, so decides to leave rather than accept responsibility.
Miller’s ‘The Crucible’ is very much based around the actions of Abigail Williams and the affect one girl can have on a whole society. Miller has confessed that it is Abigail's involvement in the story that got him interested in the first place. Abigail’s motive seems to be her sense of hostility towards Elizabeth as she fails to usurp her and take her place on John’s arm. This, however, is not her only motive. Her ability to control those around her to the point of murder is one of these, as she likes to push people until they snap. It seems that Abigail enjoys controlling those around her and the power she has found as she has grown into an adolescent that she can wield over men and women alike. Although it is not specifically stated, Abigail's viewing of her parent’s murder would have unsettled her, which may be the reason why she feels so little remorse at sending innocent people to their deaths in her pursuit of John Proctor. Abigail is an alarming character, as it is hard to comprehend that a seventeen year old girl could exert such absolute power over a group of seemingly sensible grown men.