The Crucible

Many people throughout history have fallen to the seduction of power, a very tempting and alluring concept. George Washington, Napoleon, and Hitler are just a few of these particular people who have absorbed themselves in the appeal of power. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, several characters display the same characteristics of these famous leaders. Throughout the entire play, Abigail becomes insanely obsessed with milking power from her past, adulterous affair with John Proctor so she can be seen as superior to the other villagers. Her uncle also finds the need to control an entire town which he accomplishes by becoming their Puritan minister. Another power-hungry member of Salem is Putnam, a man who exploits the witch trials to gain land from the accused families. All three of these characters do whatever it takes throughout the play to get what they want: power. Their desire for this control brings them to drastic measures, including wrongfully blaming people in Salem for terrible events with conscience of their actions. For some people, the desire to overpower others causes them to do radical and extreme things with no regard for negative consequences.
In the twisted world that is Abigail’s reality, she believes that she and Proctor are soul mates, and by being together she can finally be complete. During the first act, Abigail and Proctor find themselves alone together for a moment where they engage in a very enlightening conversation in which Abigail cries, “I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart. . . (Act 1, Page 24).” Through the eyes of Abigail, Proctor is a source of power that she will obtain with whatever it takes. According to her, Proctor is something of her savior who showed her something meaningful that she can never turn from. Abigail becomes so delusional in thinking that her relationship with Proctor could be a reality that she decides there is a necessity in killing Elizabeth. She decides she can do...