Either one of these offenses would result in severe punishment at the hands of society.Ībigail uses intimidation to create an atmosphere of fear that pervades the entire play. Once Parris discovers her in the woods, Abigail resorts to deception in order to prevent others from discovering that she practiced witchcraft and to hide her affair with Proctor. Thus, from the very beginning, Abigail's desire to possess Proctor motivates her, driving her to drink blood and cast a spell on Elizabeth. The only way that Abigail can legitimately obtain Proctor within the bounds of society is for Elizabeth to die, giving Proctor the opportunity to marry again. Abigail realizes that the Puritanical society will never permit Proctor to leave his wife for her, and that he does not want to leave his wife anyway. She has experienced sexual pleasure with John Proctor and now wants to kill Proctor's wife, Elizabeth. Whereas the other girls may have participated in the rituals out of curiosity, Abigail has a definite agenda. Betty collapses again in a stupor.Īs the action of the play begins, the girls' behavior in the woods introduces deception as a major theme. Threatening to practice witchcraft on Betty, Mercy, and Mary Warren if they tell anyone about the spell, Abigail tells them to say that they only danced, that Tituba raised Ruth's sisters from the dead, and that nothing else happened. She also accuses her of casting a spell in order to kill Goody Proctor. Betty confronts Abigail and accuses her of not admitting she drank blood. The three girls begin to argue and Betty wakes.Ībigail tells Betty that Parris knows everything they did in the woods. The idea that the townspeople will label her and the other girls witches frightens and worries Marry Warren. Mary Warren enters the room and tells Abigail that everyone in Salem blames witchcraft for Betty's illness. Abigail reveals that Mercy is the female that Parris saw running naked through the woods. She also says he knows Tituba called to Ruth's dead sisters. She informs Mercy that Parris knows they were dancing in the woods. Abigail tells Mercy what to say when she is questioned about what she was doing in the woods. Abigail and Mercy, the Putnams' servant, try to wake Betty.
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