The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is a play about vengeance and greed. The Salem Witch Trials brought out the opportunities to inflict punishment on one's neighbour, claim other's land, and settle old scores. The Witch Trials brought out everyone's inner greed, jealously and the revenge they yearn to seek.
Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Proctor are in constant conflict over John Proctor throughout the play. There is evidence of this conflict when Betty Parris says, "You did, you did! You drank a charm to kill John Proctors' wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!"1 This shows hows there is some inner jealousy involving Abigail's feelings towards Elizabeth and her relationship with John. Abigail and Elizabeth are in this on-going conflict because Abigail's affair with John. Although, John Proctor doesn't feel the same was as Abigail does, "Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again.
Deposition of Abigail Williams v. George Jacobs, S...
"The witch no. 1" lithograph
The Pickman House, Back view that abuts the Salem ...Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby."2. Another piece of evidence is the fact the Abigail hates how John Proctor is being "bent" by Elizabeth, she blames her bad name in the village, on Goody Proctor. "She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, snivelling woman, and you bend to her."3 With the trials happening, neighbors found it easy to create conflict with one another by crying out their innocent names for witchcraft suspicion, like Abigail Williams did to Elizabeth Proctor.
During the Salem Witch Trials, everyone has different opinions. Feelings changed and their true colours came out. It was a chance for this small village of Salem to tell people what they really thought of each other, create a conflict and in this...