Abigail Williams and John Proctor are former lovers who engaged in an affair seven months before the start of the play. Abigail is John's former servant; she was dismissed from her duties after Elizabeth, John's wife, discovered their affair. According to Abigail, it was a passionate, exciting affair, and she desires to continue seeing John. In act 1, John Proctor visits Reverend Parris's home to inquire about Betty's strange illness and briefly interacts with Abigail. Abigail expresses her strong feelings for John, who insists that she forget about their prior affair and move on with her life. Although John may still harbor feelings for Abigail, he is adamant about remaining faithful to Elizabeth and regrets committing adultery.
As the play progresses, Abigail begins falsely accusing innocent citizens of witchcraft and attempts to get rid of Elizabeth in order to have John to herself. Abigail then stabs herself in the stomach and claims that Elizabeth sent her spirit out to kill her....
(The entire section contains 4 answers and 837 words.)
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