Abigail In The Crucible

Abigail is the main catalyst of Millers play The Crucible. She is presented by Milller in a powerful, "strikingly beautiful girl" yet malicious with an "endless capacity for dissembling" which is stated in Act 1 when she is first introduced to the play. This portrays and gives the reader an indication immediately, that Abigail has an everchanging personality and can manipulate people in such a way that they "fall apart". As the play progresses this is brought to light, especially with characters such as John Proctor and Danforth.
Through Act 1, Abigail changes her character a number of times. We, as readers, never get to know her true character. In the beginning of the act she is almost portrayed as innocent, presented with "worry", "apprehension" and "propriety", shown in her stage directions such as "quavering as she sits". From this moment in time, the audience are unsure whether she is genuinely caring for her niece Betty or if she is diguising her true self with a selfless cover up. We learn from her dispute with Parris that she had been found dancing in the woods with
Without the girls acting as well, Judge Danforth may not have believed in such a supernatural cause, as he was already starting to question her. She openly threatens him before her "sighting", "Let YOU beware, Mr Danforth." The emphasis on the personal pronoun of "you" being in italics, where the threat is aimed directly at the judge, to his soul and mind, italics adding to the force behind it. This shows her strength of character again, but she soon realises that this threat could obviously back fire upon her, therefore she quickly manipulates the situation, and utterly takes control by turning cold and seeing a "yellow bird" immediately sweeping the judges authority away, proving her "endless capactiy for dissembling" and her quick