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The Crucible


            
             The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a novel that portrays the witch trials that took place during the late 1600's. The novel offers a motive behind why these trials took place. One such motive is the idea of revenge or retaliation. Four characters in The Crucible demonstrate this theme in its entirety. These characters are Abigail Williams, John Proctor, Anne Putnam, and Marry Warren.
             The best example in the novel is set forth by Abigail Williams. Abigail at first is only trying to keep herself out of trouble by calling witch on other people. However, once she realizes that she can use this power to her advantage, she quickly turns on the person that she feels has wronged her the most, Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail has had an affair with John Proctor, Elizabeth's husband, but John breaks it off and tells Elizabeth of their goings-on. Elizabeth kicks Because Elizabeth then kicked her out of the house so that John and Abigail will no longer be near one another. Abigail feels that Elizabeth is keeping her from John in this manner, so, Abigail cries witch on Elizabeth in an attempt to get John to come back to her. In Abigail's mind, she thinks that John still loves her, and that if Elizabeth were gone then John would come back to her. Abigail is the extreme side of the theme of retaliation since she not only wants Elizabeth gone, but especially wants her dead.
             John Proctor is trying to retaliate against Abigail, because Abigail is the person who has condemned his wife to death. Abigail's revenge on Elizabeth has forced John to seek a means to retaliate against her. In an attempt to discredit Abigail, John reveals to the court that he is an adulterer, and that his affair was committed with Abigail. John's motive behind this is to try to force the members of the court into realizing that because John has had an affair with Abigail, Abigail is seeking revenge on Elizabeth and that is why she accused her, and if Elizabeth is not really a witch, then all of the other people Abigail has accused must also not have actually done anything wrong.


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