Her background story is vague at best, but what we know of it is violent. Personally, I think that in some ways Abigail is a sympathetic character. She is an orphaned Puritan girl who feels sexually repressed in an oppressive society. However, these aspects of him do not necessarily justify his actions. Abigail is willing to ignore Puritan social restrictions as she dances in the woods, encourages witchcraft among girls, and begins a relationship with John Proctor. This distinguishes her from the other characters in the play, but is the cause of her downfall. On the other hand, she appears to have no conscience, as she does not feel bothered by the people she has put to certain death, but simply sees them as tools in her grand plan to end up with John Proctor. Abigail's fantasy of ending up with Proctor reflects her age and birth, but at the same time possesses a mature ruthlessness that she uses to cause fear and intimidation at every turn.