Lies

Abigail Williams: “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.”
I know I should not have been out dancing that night. I should not have taken the other girls with me, either. But it was exciting. And we did not mean for Betty to get sick. That part is not my fault, though. Everything would have been fine if Uncle had not shown up in the woods while we were out there. Betty is scared, nothing else. The problem is that some of the adults in the village disagree. They say that witchcraft is behind it. That is why no one else can know about the charm I cast or the blood I drank. If they found out, we would be in much more trouble than we are now. Instead of just being punished for the dancing, we would also be punished for witchcraft, and that is much worse a crime than dancing. We will not be in as much trouble this way. Yes, it is better for us to lie.

Power

Danforth: Is it possible, child, that you have seen are illusion only, some deception ¬¬that may cross you mind when –
Abigail: Why, this – this – is a base question, sir.
Danforth: Child, I would have you consider it –
Abigail: I have been hurt, Mr. Danforth; I have seen my blood runnin’ out! I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil’s people – and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a –
I know that he was right. It is true that there were not any spirits. The thing is, though, since this whole witch thing started, people have been listening to me. All people, not just the ones who are younger than me or the ones who scare easy. All people. Even the adults. A few weeks ago, I was just a child in their eyes. Now, they do what I say. If I say, “She is a witch. Put her in the jail.” They put her in the jail. They do not know that we are lying, so we can call anyone a witch. Anyone we want. And they believe us. We have never had this power before. I am a child. I am single, and in Salem village that is bad. And I want to keep this power. I guess that is why I did not admit the lie when Danforth asked. Our fun would have stopped. But I think I have them convinced.

Regret

Parris: My niece, sir, my niece – I believe she has vanished.
Danforth: Vanished!
…Parris: My daughter tells me how she heard them speaking of ships last week.
Looking back, it was my fault. All of it. I told the other girls to dance in the woods. I lied to Uncle when I said that all we did was dance. I made the others lie with me. I accused all those in Salem I did not like. I lied to the Court when I screamed and fainted. I accused Goody Proctor. I am the reason for the trouble in Salem. And in Andover. Now, because of me, the man I love will die. So, now I am running away. I did not mean for it to get this far. I really didn’t. It started as excitement. Just having fun dancing in the woods. But it got out of control. I cannot fix what I have done to Goody Nurse, John Proctor, or Giles and Martha Corey. Good people are dead or about to die because of me. It is too late for me to tell the truth. All I can do is leave all of the trouble behind me and start a new life somewhere else. Somewhere I can forget everything… But I won’t. John Proctor will die in three days, and there is nothing I can do. I love him, yet I have killed him. It is my fault, and I will always remember that. No matter what I do, no matter where I go, this will always stay with me.