THE CRUCIBLE ESSAY

In the play, The Crucible Abigail Williams manipulates the town of Salem, Massachusetts and sends nineteen innocent people to their deaths. Abigail was an orphan girl whose parents were killed by Indians. Being an orphan, she was among the girls at the bottom of the Puritan Salem social ladder. Ministers and men were considered their authority. The chaos of the Salem Witch Trials gave her power. Abigail was a smart, sly, deceitful, and manipulating character. She was clearly the villain of the play. She has many qualities that can be compared to objects such as hot air balloons.
Abigail can be compared to a hot air balloon in several different ways. For instance, Abigail was a round character, and a hot air balloon is round.
Along with being round, the two can also be compared because they both thrive on fire. A hot air balloon cannot rise alone; therefore it needs hot air to rise. The fire gives off the hot air allowing the balloon to soar hundreds of feet into the sky. Abigail also thrived on fire, which was her jealousy and anger. Abigail was jealous of Elizabeth Proctor because Elizabeth was married to John Proctor. The previous year, Abigail and John had an affair, and Abigail could not seem to let him out of her mind. Abigail even accused Elizabeth of practicing witchcraft which sent her to jail, and eventually John to his death.
Abigail and hot air balloons can also compare because they both have “hanging baskets.” A hot air balloon has a basket hung below it, where passengers take a ride. When soaring in mid air, the balloon has control over the passengers inside of it. Unless the passengers want to fall to their death, they cannot jump out of the hot air balloon. The hanging basket can represent the town of Salem Massachusetts in the play The Crucible. Abigail slowly gained control over the town whenever people were accused. They all wanted to believe her and the other girls because they saw them as innocent children who wouldn’t lie. Whenever Abigail accused somebody of practicing witchcraft, they were automatically condemned. This is shown when Abigail accuses Elizabeth Proctor of having poppets.
Abigail and hot air balloons are two completely different objects, but as we have established, their qualities can be compared in many different ways. It is said that Abigail moved to Boston and became a prostitute. Nobody knows exactly what happened to her. However, we can rest on the fact that her manipulation and lies sent nineteen innocent people to their deaths. The Salem Witch trials will haunt the town of Salem, Massachusetts forever.