Personal+conflict

= Type of Conflict: Personal Conflict = John Proctor, deeply regrets his lechery with his servant Abigail, but he protests that Elizabeth’s continued distrust meant that “ Icannot speak but I am doubted every moment judged for lies as though I come into court when I comeinto this house. (Page 55). Elizabeth, like all the respectable married women of Salem is a good wife. A “goody”. Abigail had loved John, and it was he who would “put knowledge into her heart “. (pg97). She is described by gossips as” something soiled”. (pg20) and by both the Proctors as a “whore” (pgs 60,97). John describes his relationship with her in animalistic terms, claiming he had only ever given her the promise that a stallion gives a mare”. (pg61) Elizabeth’s decision to perjure herself for her husband –despite Proctor’s conviction that she cannot tell a lie – is a defining moment that causes her immense inner conflict.

Abigail, however, cannot accept Proctor’s rather hollow insistence that she had met so little to him, and her resentment and desire tot ake Elisabeth's place as his wife prompt the chain of events that lead to what Miller describes as the “madness”. She is the catalyst for the conflict that Proctor encounters. His affair with Abigail causes Proctor immense inner conflict and his associated guilt is played out in his tense relationship with his wife. She persuades Parris's slave, Tituba, who is superstitiously believed to have conjuring powers, to meet her and some of the girls in the woods one night. They way dance and dabble in witchcraft, and Abigail drinks a charm to kill John Proctor's wife. (Page26.) When accused of witchcraft, she seeks to save herself by confessing that she has seen a series of powerless women with the devil. As the witch hunts develop their own momentum, she takes the opportunity to add the name ofElizabeth Proctor to her list of witches. The reverend Hale realises too late that Abigail's testimony against her is motivated by private vengeance. (Page 100)

Miller reveals Abigail as a victim, but also a manipulative bully who exerts considerable power over the girls, and eventually, a whole community. According to Miller's stage directions, she furiously shakes Betty Paris and smashes her across the face to stop her disclosing the girl's participation in witchcraft rituals. (Page 26). , She threatens Betty and Mary Warren that if “either of you breathe a word I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you”. (Page 26 (The merciless Mercy Lewis described as fat and sly bends to her will. And Mary Warren, a subservient, naive, lonely girl (page 25 ) is rightly afraid of Abigail's power. When Mary tries to tell the truth in court, the other girls dramatically combine under Abigail's leadership to accuse her of witchcraft.

Mary Warren’s conscience is in continual conflict. From the start of the play, she is concerned that ..”witchery is a hangin offence...” but is carried away by the hysteria of the other girls. Her conflict is a result of her weak character. She seeksto be important but becomes merely a tool for Abigail’s manipulation. Through Mary, Miller suggests that you can encounter conflict – or inflame it – you lack the inner strength to act with conviction. In the end, she saves herself rather than expose Abigail’s lies.
 * __ Question __**
 * Does Miller position the audience to feel any sympathy to Abigail? Support your answer with reasons.

Arhtur does not position the reader to feel any sympathy to Abgail because he makes her character vindictive, manipulative and mean to everyone and only looks out for herself and shows no compassion at all towards anyone with the exception of John Proctor but only for her benefit and because of her wants an needs towardws him. || =﻿=
 * ===James=== ||  ||
 * ===Melissa=== ||  ||
 * ===Vanessa=== || Does Miller position the audience to feel any sympathy to Abigail? Support your answer with reasons.
 * ===Joel=== ||  ||
 * ===Ryan=== || Arthur Miller doesn't position the reader to feel any sort of sympathy towards Abigail, as she is constantly seen as an evil character. When she had the chance to make amends she would throw in another name to go to the gallows. She continously lies to the court to get rid of the people she doesn't like, or whatever action they do that she sees as against her, such as when she accuses Mr Hales' wife. Through her desperation to get rid of Elizabeth, she stabs herself to make it look like Goody Proctor stabbed Abigail through a poppet, which she uses to accuse another innocent life. ||
 * ===Kate O=== || ﻿Arthur Miller shows no sympathy he shows her as evil and a manipulative whore, who did not feel any remorse towards the people who were being executed when she was the cause of it. The fact that she cried witch on so many people in the villages reprsents her as evil and that she enjoys the power. ||
 * ===Jordan=== || Miller does not allow the reader to feel sympathy for abigail. she is shown to be a manipulative lier who is evil to the bone. miller shows that she has no remorse for the death of innocence. she is shown as vengeful wanting the death of elizabeth at all costs. by the end when her world falls apart the audience still feels no sympathy as she does not own up to her mistakes but just runs away. ||
 * ===Ashley=== ||  ||
 * ===Marini=== ||  ||
 * ===Sameet=== ||  ||
 * ===Scott=== || Arther Miller does not position the audience to feel symapthy towards Abigail. Proctor is positioned so the audience likes him, respects his character and respects the views and opinion that he has. Throughout the play Proctor shows he dislikes Abigail and openly argues that she is lying, manipulative and evil person. This view Proctor has on Abigail rubs off on the reader. Abigail is also given multipule opportunity to give in, confess and except the consequence of her actions, but she never does and continues accusing everyone that shows any signs of fight against her. ||
 * ===Brian=== ||  ||
 * ===Tenille=== || Miller does not positon the audience with any sympathy towards abigail. She is the instigator of majority of the conflict that started in the town of Salem. If it wasnt for Abigail there would be plenty of innocent towns folk still alive, but she began accusing others to save her self. Abigail is also given plenty of oppurtunities to confess to her lies but she denies all claims and continues on this rant of accustaions. Although the things she does may seem 'evil' her youth may attract a slight amount of sympathy. ||
 * ===Matthew=== ||  ||
 * ===Arvin=== ||  ||
 * ===Kate E=== ||  ||
 * ===Jennifer=== || Miller doesnt position the reader to feel any sympathy for Abigail at all. Miller continuously depicts Abigail as a lying, conniving indivdual who is out their to destroy the lives of others, mainly for power that the court allows her to have. She has many chances to stop the conflct, however just inflates it but creating more lies, and accusing more innocent people. At first the community respects her for giving the names of 'witches', however later realises that the power has gotten to her head, and are scared to look at her wrong just incase she accuses them. ||
 * ===Brenton=== || Miller predominantly depicts Abigail as sly and vindictive, with a powerful motive to remove Elizabeth from John Proctor's life. While Abigail and her motives should be regarded as evil, the fact that she is of a relatively young age and suffers intense emotional turmoil could be seen as factors that request sympathy, and as such, could be seen as a victim of her own doing. ||
 * ===Emily=== || Miler shows no sympathy for Abigail as he protrays her as evil, vindictive and some who is very selfish. He only allows the read to acknowledge her through her evil plan in trying to get John back, which makes her dance in the forest and summon sprits.This leads her to start accusing people of witchcraft in a selfish attempt to hide her the fact that she was commiting a crime, showing that she is not innocent and requires no sympathy. ||