Miller’s Genius Writing Tactics Judgment— it is a part of human nature to judge others based on our initial impressions or what may have been heard about that person. Once these impressions are implanted in the brain, they are incredibly difficult to overcome or change. This happens in books as well; there are certain characters one might hate and others one might love. In The Crucible, most readers aggressively hate Abigail from the beginning. Arthur Miller ensures this happens by utilizing the stage direction, Abigail’s actions and dialogue with others, and other’s actions towards Abigail to give off the impression that Abigail is vindictive from page one.
Arthur Miller purposely portrayed Abigail as vindictive by how he wrote the stage …show more content…
When it is said that Abigail is now out of Tituba’s control, Giles Corey told Danforth “Aye, now she is solemn and goes to hang people!”(187). Even Giles, an honorable man who has never done the town wrong, has a vendetta against Abigail and is convinced she purposely sends innocents to the gallows to further her own personal agenda. Not only that, Giles tells this to Danforth, who is the head of all the Salem trials, so Giles must be serious. Additionally, Proctor’s feelings towards Abigail are apparent when “(... Proctor leaps at Abigail and, grabbing her by the hair, pulls her to her feet. She screams in pain… ) Proctor: “How do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore!” (189). This exchange occurs in open court in Act III. Proctor is obviously enraged at Abigail to the point that he attacks her and accuses her of one of the most vile crimes in Salem (adultery). Hate that intense hardly ever is unwarranted— Proctor hates Abigail, and the readers do too, because Abigail pretends there is witchcraft in Salem all in hopes to kill Elizabeth Proctor and take her place as John’s wife. Miller purposely included other character’s actions that put Abigail in a negative light to make readers think of her as rude and