uncle’s brewin’ now. Put it out of mind, Abby.
ABIGAIL: John—I am waitin’ for you every night.
PROCTOR: Abby, you’ll put it out of mind. I’ll not be comin’ for you more. You know me better.
ABIGAIL: I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! I saw your face when she put me out and you loved me then and you do now!
PROCTOR: (Taking her hands.) Child…
ABIGAIL: (With a flash of anger. Throwing his hands off.) How do you call me child!
PROCTOR: (As 3 or 4 persons off-stage begin a quiet chant—a psalm or hymn.) 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. Wipe it out of mind—(Takes her arms.) we never touched, Abby.
ABIGAIL: (With a bitter anger.) Oh, I marvel how such a (Beating her fists against his chest.) strong man may let such a sickly wife be…
PROCTOR: (Coldly. Grabbing her wrists.) You’ll speak nothin’ of Elizabeth!
ABIGAIL: She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold sniveling woman and you bend to her! Let her turn you like a…?
PROCTOR: (Shakes her.) Do you look for whippin’!
ABIGAIL: (Shakes free.) You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is you love me yet! (He turns abruptly to go out. She rushes to door, blocks it.) John, pity me, pity me!

In the beginning of The Crucible, Abigail is an orphan. She is looked down upon by society. She has no clout. She does not have the respect of the community. People are talking about her and insinuating that she has been involved with John Proctor. Her name has been blackened by the community.

Also, people of the community have a different opinion of children during the Witch Trials:

We also learn something about Salem’s attitude toward children. Miller tells us that Paris, “like the rest of Salem, never conceived that the children were anything but thankful for being permitted to walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, arms at the sides, and mouths shut until bidden to speak.” This is important because it leads us to believe that the children would welcome a respite from such a strict life, as well as a bit of attention from the adults of the town.

When her Uncle Parris finds Abigail and the other girls dancing, some naked, in the woods, she realizes she is in trouble. She had to shift the blame from herself to someone else. Therefore, she begins to blame Tituba, a slave who has less respect than Abigail.

During the time of the Witch Trials, children and young adults were forbidden to speak or even address an adult. They had no rights. They were considered children. They held their heads down when adults confronted them.

When Reverend Parris finds Abigail and the other girls in the woods, Abigail has to create a plan to increase her power. When Abigail begins to see certain adults believing that witchcraft is the cause of what the girls have done, she recognizes the opportunity to shift the blame to someone else, even if that means accusing innocent people of witchcraft.   

When the court officials begin to believe Abigail, she takes advantage of the moment. She begins a pretense that gives her power over innocent people. Abigail remains powerful throughout the drama. She uses her influence to sentence innocent people to hanging. 

Things change by Act IV. Abigail has been exposed as a fraud. She begins losing her powerful control. When John Proctor will not run away with her, Abigail flees. She runs away because she began to fear that the court officials were doubting her. She became powerless in the end. She realizes her deceit could not continue. She becomes powerless. She could not manipulate John Proctor any longer so she abandoned her position as leader of the girls' pretense. After stealing her Uncle Parris's money, Abigail boards a ship that will take her far away from Salem. 

At the opening of the play, Abigail is in a rather bad position. Without parents to defend or protect her, Abigail relies on her uncle. Parris is not necessarily on her side, however. 

Parris warns Abigail that her reputation is already under suspicion as she has been dismissed from the service of Goody Proctor and has not been hired since.

More recently, she has been seen dancing in the woods naked and drinking blood. As Betty pretends to be sick to escape punishment for her role in the revelry in the woods, Abigail realizes that if the girls are truly found out they may be put to death. 

Abigail knows that she needs to protect herself she must also deflect attention from Betty and Reverend Parris. For his part, the Reverend's character suggests that he will cast out Abigail before standing by to defend her.

He knows not only that witchcraft is punishable by death, but also that the consequences of such news getting out in the town are dire to his own reputation.

In this scenario, Abigail has nothing and no one to fall back on. She has no social capital and no actual capital. She has no power in the community and she is close to being accused of a serious crime in Salem. 

A significant number of her actions across the rest of the play can be seen to have grown out of her desperation and powerlessness in this moment.  

Another kind of powerlessness associated with Abigail's character is found in her relationship with John Proctor. She wishes to rekindle their affair, but is powerless to do so. Proctor is now set against any reunion.