Abigail's Role in the Cause of the Salem Witch Trials.
Abigail was the chief cause of the start of the Salem Witch Trials in this play because she acted differently around various people. Because of this, she began to lie, and had to cover up her lie with another lie so she wouldn't get caught. She also thought differently about each person. Her dislike of certain people and desire for John Proctor, being considered important, and her fear of getting beaten or even killed were her chief motivations of accusing people in this play. .
Abigail's dislike of certain people was obvious and could easily be seen by the reader and the audience. She disliked these people because of what they might have done to her or because she was jealous of them. One of the people that she despised and also was jealous of is Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail was jealous of her because she loved John, Elizabeth's husband. Abigail was jealous and therefore if Elizabeth died, John would come to her, or so she thought. This also relates to her desire for John Proctor. The proof coming from Abigail that she was trying to get revenge from Elizabeth was in the deleted scene when she was talking to Proctor and said, "Oh, John, I will make you such a wife when the world is white again. You will be amazed to see me every day, a light of heaven in your house" (150). She is telling him of how she would be a better wife than Elizabeth. This shows that she's trying to get revenge and would have succeeded if John fell for what she was saying and did what she wanted him to do. .
She also was a chief cause of the Salem Witch Trials in The Crucible because for once she, along with the other girls, was considered important. The court made the children feel this way by believing everything they said. Because of this, they abused the privilege and went crazy accusing people. I don't blame her for doing so because children in Salem, as well as all other Puritan children, were really never considered very important.