Personal Entry

I believe Abigail Williams is the most to blame for 19 people losing their lives in Salem. Abigail, from the beginning of The Crucible, was the ring leader of lies. She manipulated and threatened those who wanted to tell the truth including Betty Parris, Mary Warren, and John Proctor. "Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam's dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breath a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you..." (Miller 20). Throughout the play Abigail had many chances to turn back and tell the truth, to save people's lives, but instead she purposely kept the front up to rid herself of people she had a personal hatred for. She even went as far as to harm herself for her scheme. "...She sat to dinner in Reverend Parris's house tonight, and without word nor warnin' she falls to the floor. Like a struck beast, he says, and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out..." (Miller 74).

Abigail also fled the town after she knew she was too close to being revealed a fraud. Not even having enough remorse to say sorry or tell the whole truth. "There is news, sir, that the court-the court must reckon with. My niece, sir, my niece-I believe she has vanished" (Miller 126). Although I do not believe that Abigail was insane (she probably just realized at some point that she is just too deep in the lie to turn back now) she did have quite the obsession with John Proctor. But eventually she even turned her back on him and had both the Proctors sent to jail and one of them executed. "Give me a word, John. A soft word. Her concentrated desire destroys his smile" (Miller 22).

Overall, I think Abigail Williams is the most to blame for the deaths in the Salem Witch Trails. She knew how to manipulate and lie and thought it may have lead her away from trouble, it also gave her power that no one should be able to hold over other people. "...I have seen my blood runnin' out! I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil's people-and this is my reward?" (Miller 108).