The tragic circumstances which resulted from the Witch Crisis in the late seventeenth century was the effect of the mass amounts of power held by a group of individuals. Within the drama The Crucible by Arthur Miller, several characters are pinned as the possessors of the ability to alter their community, and American history, forever. Miller focuses on three individuals in Salem Massachusetts who hold the power to exploit the deception that has swept their community. The most powerful character is that of Abigail Williams, the adolescent niece of the town Minister. Williams is said to have committed lechery with her former employer, John Proctor. She is a jealous and naive young girl who believes that her love for Proctor will justify her sins. John Proctor is the only one who possess the complete truth about the accusations of Abigail. He understands her motives and is capable of exploiting her pretense. The credibility of Proctor, however is questioned by his religious habit. The third character with the competence of exploitation is that with the most power within the community. Judge Danforth reveals the truth behind the madness, but is so afraid of tarnishing his name, that he continues to rule unjustly. .
Abigail was a threatening and powerful girl by nature. Before the trials of witchcraft even began, she held a certain air of intimidation among others. The girls .
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who looked up to her, were threatened and manipulated by her.
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 breathe 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. And you know that 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, and I can make you with you had never seen the sun go down.
