Why Does Abigail Have the Effect She Has Upon Salem?

Why Does Abigail Have

The Effect She Has

Upon Salem?

In 1692 the famous witchcraft trials were held in Salem, Massachusetts. The episode began when a group of young girls accused others, generally older women, of consorting with the devil. Before the trials were over, 300 men and women had been accused. Twenty people were executed. Soon after the trials, the weight of opinion in Massachusetts turned against the superstition of witchcraft, and no other trials of this sort were held in New England. When Reading the Crucible the reader can see three points into how the story is set. These points are the culture in Salem, Abigail’s character and history and 1950’s America known as the McCarthy era. To answer the question set these points need to be reviewed.

1950’s America- McCarthy Period

This has been included because Miller's play The Crucible (which was written in 1953) which story line was concerned with the Salem witchcraft trials, it was actually aimed at the then widespread investigation of treasonous activities in the United States. This activity at the time the play was being written shows clear parallels to key parts of the story line. Miller himself appeared before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956. He was convicted of contempt, but later the conviction was appealed and reversed.

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McCarthy attracted national attention with the charge that Communists had infiltrated the Department of State. Although his accusation was never substantiated, during the next three years he repeatedly accused various high-ranking officials of treasonous activities. Again this can also be linked to Abigail in the Crucible. The outcome of the trials had an effect on the outcome of the play; as when reading the play clear parallels can be seen between the two. Some of these are: they both had a leader who would become the main candidate for all of the accusations (Abigail and senator McCarthy), they both involved leading figures and groups (Senate and Church), Accusations were made against innocent people to get a satisfactory result for the leaders. All of the people who were accused were blackmailed into taking loyalty oaths or face death and in both cases it penetrated every heart of the society.

The culture of Salem-1600’s

To review this section the word culture needs explained as it can appear in several different forms. Culture is the beliefs, behaviour, language, and entire way of life of a particular time or group of people.

Salem is a city in Northeast USA in the state of Massachusetts. Salem was at the scene of some witchcraft hearings in 1692. But to understand this phenomenon we have to remember that the inhabitants of Salem believed in witches and the Devil (The devil played an important role in folklore. The thought that it could take up residence in human beings to change the possessed from the normal) and also believed that the Bible had instructed them that witches must be hanged. This very thought and strong belief in witches and the devil acted as a thorn in the side of the community when it came to dealing with the witchcraft accusations. This was because the community was based around agreeing with what the Bible was saying Certain members of the community knew and abused this fact to remove others from the community. The easy targets in a society are the less well off members who live with in it, accusations were based around if people had been to church recently as a register was taken. This left no room for individuality with in the town. At the time the church mainly controlled the justice system and messages to the town’s people e.g. a death warrant were to be nailed on the church door. After the trials had finished the town of Salem was described as “An imploded community that distrust and paranoia had killed”

Abigail Williams

Abigail was the leading figure in both Miller’s play and real life. Her role in the community was the niece of the village reverend. She appears in the play to be deep dark minded but intelligent girl. This is shown as in tricky situations she reacts quicker than anyone else for a result. One key example of this is when the girls are accused of conducting witchcraft, she passes the blame on to a less respected member of the community. But once she releases the power that could be gained from here confessing and naming other witches she takes the blame back.

The reasons for her lighting the spark that started a fire was for revenge and love all aimed at one particular character in the play. The reasons for this might have came from her earlier childhood as on key speech made by her to another character tells us a great deal. She says “I will come to you in the black of some terrible night... And you know I can do it: I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night”. Her violent past may contribute to her actions that took place and her attitude towards using life to get a result can be explained. A well used phrase explains her actions “The end justifies the means”

Abigail stretches the weakness of the village with its religious attitude to the limit until a point where she seems to have control of the village herself. She realises that she has near total control of the village and uses this to accuse the person at who the revenge is aimed at.

Abigail’s effect on the village of Salem takes shape because of the attitude in the village and her character and intelligence of her set by Miller. But the process of the McCarthy witch-hunt affected these both in the 1950’s and the end of this clearly affected the end result of the play itself.