In the literary works The Crucible by Arthur Miller, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton there are many parallel characters. In all of these works the main characters are driven by love, hate and vengeance. Although initially victims themselves Abigail Williams, Zeena Pierce, and Robert Chillingworth become victimizers due to their manipulative and vengeful natures, which ultimately leads to their downfalls.
             Zeena, Chillingworth and Abigail are originally victims after being deceived by their spouses and lovers. In The Crucible Abigail engages in an affair with John Proctor while his sick wife recovers from childbirth. Although John did not intentionally mislead Abigail, she assumes that "a promise was made" to her during their affair (Miller 59). Because John is merely frustrated with his wife's coldness, his affair with Abigail meant little more to him than sexual satisfaction and attention. However, Abigail forms an emotional attachment to John and thinks more of their relationship than he does. Because Abigail misinterprets John's intentions, she is left feeling as though John had not fulfilled his promises to her. Unlike Abigail, Zeena and Chillingworth are betrayed by their adulterous spouses. When Chillingworth arrives at his home in Boston he finds his wife with an illegitimate child. Although he knew that Hester had never loved him he still felt as though his wife had betrayed him. Zeena, like Chillingworth was not in a marriage that was a result of true love. Ethan and Zeena married out of convenience rather than love, but her health soon deteriorated because she had spent her time nursing Ethan's mother. Because Zeena had lost her health tending to Ethan's mother, she expected her husband to be more attentive and understanding, instead of being unfaithful.
             After being victimized Zeena, Ethan, and Chillingworth decided to punish those that they felt ...