In act 1 of The Crucible, Abigail Williams is portrayed as a "strikingly beautiful girl" of seventeen with the ability to disguise the truth about everything. She blatantly lies about what she and the other girls were doing in the forest, "we never conjured spirits," and blames everyone for the mischief but herself when confronted with the truth, "Not I, sir-Tituba and Ruth." She is also a great actress, "She is enraptured, as if in a pearly light," when she finally confesses to witchery and begs for God's forgiveness.
Although she is an orphan and must work to help support herself, she has an air of superiority about her, "she hates me...for I would not be her slave...They want slaves, not such as I."
Abigail is also portrayed as a cruel bully, "I'll beat you, Betty...I say shut it, Mary Warren," who intimates others to do as she says, "I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!"
Finally, Abigail is depicted as a flirt and a home-wrecker when she comes on to John Proctor, "John- I'm waitin' for you every night."
Though the audience may feel slightly sorry for Abigail, "I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine," her deceit and cruelty cannot be overlooked.
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