Abigail Williams from The Crucible: The Cunning Nature of This Character

Power will take many alternative forms and meanings in life. Usually, people could be notional. Going against such individuals many result in them showing what they’re capable of, whether it’s painful for someone directly or manipulating other against him/her; it’s dangerous to underestimate people who felt they have been wronged. 

In Arthur Miller's play 'The Crucible', both Abigail Williams and Danforth have the power of who's accused and what's going to happen to the innocent victims. Danforth has major power in Salem because he is the head of the court, so he has the power to decide what's going to happen to the victim of Witchcraft. When Paris comes and tells about the fleeing of Abigail and the girls Danforth begins to understand that the girls were being dishonest about the accusation. After knowing all this Danforth says' Now hear me and beguile yourself no more. I will not receive a single plea for pardon or postponement. Them that will not confess will hang (Miller96). Even though, he knows the people were innocent his desire to stay in power made him say to the people that nothing can happen in court because it could cause violence between people and court. Also, there has been some execution, so he is going to let them continue the trail. 

Although he was a powerful man in Salem because of his desire for power caused a lot of innocent people's lives. Abigail Williams is a cunning, selfish teenage girl. She is also a very powerful person in this play, she has the power to decide who's going to live and who's going to die. In act 2 scene 4 Cheever tells this about Abigail to John Proctor ' The girl Williams girl, Abigail Williams, sir. She sat in 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 bull would weep hear. And he goes to save her and stuck two inches of the flesh of her belly, he draws a needle out. And demandin' of her how she came to be so stabbed. She testify it were your wife's is familiar spirit pushed it in'(Miller 64). By reading this statement said by Cheever it tells us that Abigail will do anything in her power to get what she wants. Here she accuses Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft so that she can marry John Proctor. At the beginning of the play, innocent people had to face the trial. Throughout the play, we will be able to understand that Abigail is a selfish and cunning girl who will do anything that is needed to save her life.