If Mary Warren did not accuse others out of self-protection, she herself would have been accused because she was a part of Abigail Williams’s group who conjured spirits in the woods. Mary Warren was motivated by self-protection when she told John Proctor that Elizabeth Proctor was accused. That made it so Mary Warren wouldn’t get whipped by John Proctor and he …show more content…
Abigail was motivated from self-protection when she threatened the girls not the spread the word about dancing and conjuring spirits in the woods. Abigail threatens the girls saying, "Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. 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. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! She goes to Betty and roughly sits her up. Now, you - sit up and stop this!" (20). Abigail told the girls that they only danced in the woods and Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam's sister. Abigail threatens them because if they tell anyone else about what they did, Abigail will shudder them. Abigail also uses self-protection by pretending that she is getting hurt when Mary Warren sends down her spirits. Abigail, unperturbed, continuing to the "bird": "Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape; No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; it's God's work I do." (115). Abigail and the girls pretend that the spirits Mary Warren sent down are hurting them. They are …show more content…
Have you ever lied or changed the subject out of self-protection? I have when I am talking to my friends and they bring up something that would embarrass me so I had to lie and say someone else did it. For example, my parents asked me if I was the one who crashed the car when my parents were out of town. I lied and accused my brother saying it was him who did that so I would not get into trouble. This is also relevant for people in this world today. When people go to court, they sometimes lie and accuse others out so self-protection so they would not get arrested. This makes it seem that they are innocent when they are really guilty. Lots of people lie to protect