The author Sue Monk Kidd said , “Nothing is fair in this world. You might as well get that straight right now”. This quote fits really well into the theme of “The Crucible”. In this story the people do not have a fair chance in defending themselves against the accusations made by Abigail and the girls. Danforth tells them that the only way to save themselves is to confess that they have been associating with the devil and that they are a witch. He makes the trial unfair for the people which is not something that a judge should be doing. Another thing a judge should be is truthful. “ I swear that the evidence that I shall give, shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” When people go to court they have to …show more content…
swear in under oath when they are being questioned to tell the truth. Truth is a key necessity for a fair and just trial. Lastly a judge needs to have is character. Rush Limbaugh, an american entertainer has said, “Character matters; leadership descends from character”. Danforth does not have a good character which does not make him a good leader. He is more concerned about how he appears whether it is the right or wrong thing. the qualities that Danforth has makes him an unfit man for the job and a big part of why everything in the story happened as it did. One quality that a judge should have is fairness.
In the novel Danforth is not a fair judge. He does not give people the fair trial that they deserve. Danforth accuses people for committing witchcraft when they really did not do it. Not only does he accuse them but he tells them that the only chance they have at saving themselves is if they confess that they have and go back to god. This makes for an unfair trial for the people because they have to lie in order to save themselves. To go along with that he only believes the accusations be the girls. He does not believe what the people have to say and does not give them the chance to explain that they are innocent. For example John Proctor and so many other people in the town tried to tell them it is not true but he believed they were lying when in reality they were the ones that were telling the …show more content…
truth. To go along with a judge needing to be fair they need to be truthful.
Danforth is not a truthful man. The trials in the story thrive on accusations made mostly by abigail and the girls. A real trial should be based on the truth. In the end of the play when they all realize that this is all fake and the people are actually innocent, they do not want to give up their pride and tell the people that they made a mistake accusing Elizabeth Proctor and John Proctor so they tell them that they need to confess if they want to live even though they all know that they are innocent. This makes the trial based on lies. Danforth tells John Proctor the day he is going to be hung that he can save himself ig he signs this paper that he was a witch and it would be hung up around town. Danforth said that if he were to do it then he would be free and allowed to be with his wife as long as they sign it. He knows it is not the truth yet he is making John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor sign a lie to keep Danforth and the other judges
reputations. Lastly a judge needs to have good character and be open minded. Danforth had neither of these traits. He as closed off to believing that the townspeople were being taken over by the devil all because Abigail got the girls to play along with her and get them to believe it. He did not consider that the girls might be lying, he just believed everything they said to him was true without any proof that it actually was. He also did not have a good character. Abraham Lincoln once said, "Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." Danforth does not care about his character; he cares about the reputation.
In The Crucible many people were judged unfairly. It happens to everyone, but in the time of The Crucible people were falsely accused of being a witch, and of doing other crazy things. In Act 2 Elizabeth Proctor was accused by Cheever of stabbing Abigail. Cheever found a poppet with a needle in the stomach at the Proctor house, and it just so happened that Abigail got hurt by a stabbing feeling she felt in her stomach that night. Cheever accused Elizabeth of this even though he has no proof. Elizabeth was judged unfairly which was wrong. No one has a right to judge someone, or jump to conclusion without having proof, or knowing the full story. Elizabeth Proctor was judged Unfairly in Act 2 of The Crucible.
The authority figures on the side of the prosecution also abuse their power in The Crucible. Danforth, the judge, steps in and solidifies that he has the final say in any and all convictions. “The village expects to see [seven people] die this morning” and Danforth seeks to do exactly what the village wants to gain their favor (Miller 129). He will convict whoever he wants and not stop the hangings simply because “postponement now speaks a floundering on [his] part” (Miller 129).
Firstly, throughout the play Judge Danforth acts with pride and arrogance. At the commencement of act III Judge Danforth voices his view on the ongoing phase of the witchcraft trials by stating that “Do you take it upon yourself to determine what this court shall believe and what it shall set aside?” (Miller 85). Here Danforth establishes an ultimatum to Giles Corey when he comes to defend his wife Martha Corey from the accusation of being a witch. Danforth sarcastically questions Giles Corey whether he has the authority to make any decision on the ongoing matter and thereby silences him. He makes it clear that no one else can determine what and how the court should act. In addition, the tone with which he delivers this dialogue is filled with arrogance as displayed by the movie “The crucible”. Overall, the picture profile of Judge Danforth created while saying these lines reveals his pride and haughtiness. Another instance where Judge Danforth reveals this attitude of his is when he snubs Francis Nurse for questioning his judgment and wisdom during the trials. In return Danforth replies “ And do you know that near four hundred are in jail... upon my signature”(Miller 87) and “ seventy-two condemned to hang by that signature?” (Miller 87). These lines show that Judge Danforth is proud of his actions and his power as a judg...
First, Danforth’s strict tone illuminates his power in the trials and perceive him more of a threat. With the power in his hands, he decides the fate of the guilty in the court. As he uses his voice, he can be intimidating and act like he has the rest of the characters under control. Danforth shouts, “Why “must” you say it! You should rejoice it if your soul is truly purged of any love for Hell” (130). The use of this strict tone conveys the message that Danforth is trying to get across to not just Proctor, but the whole audience that he is in charge and they shall follow his command. Danforth’s use of a demeaning tone forces pressure on the
For example, towards the end of the book it was apparent that there was no witchcraft going on throughout the time of the witch trials. However, Danforth had a responsibility of speaking and taking action for the people of the community regardless of what was true. Despite what people said about there being no witchcraft, Danforth had to use what he had observed and what was being said throughout the town. “Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon their victims -- and they do testify, the children certainly do testify (100).”
Judge Danforth, the deputy governor of Massachusetts and leading judge of the Salem witch trials, is described as a man who can do no wrong. The innocent citizens listen and obey to everything that Danforth requests. Part of the reason why Danforth believes he can do no wrong is because he feels he is guided by God, “The law, based upon the Bible, and the Bible, writ by Almighty God, forbid the practice of witchcraft, and describe death as the penalty thereof” (46). Danforth must follow God’s instructions and execute the accused citizens of witchcraft in Salem. As the play progresses the population of Salem decreases due to the amount of hangings, Danforth realizes Abigail is the one at fault. Danforth is put on a problematic situation. Danforth knows he’s killed so many innocent citizens but if he steps down from the court, he would be admitting to all his wrongdoings and he’s reputation would be ruined. When Danforth finds out Proctor is going to be hanged due to witchcraft he says, “Mr. Proctor, you have been notified, have you not? I see light in the sky, Mister; let you counsel with your wife, and may God help you turn your back on Hell.” (58). In this quote, Danforth is trying to persuade Proctor to confess of witchcraft even though he is innocent of it, just because he doesn’t want to be the one to hang him. Danforth is put in a very complicated
... hang! Do you know who I am? I say you will hang if you do not open with me!” (Miller 117). He shouts that if she does not confess what he wants her to then he will hang her for it. This depicts that Danforth hangs the suspects based on no solid evidence and discriminates pure individuals because of his opinion that they are guilty. In the same manner, Danforth ignores the idea that Mary Warren could possibly be innocent which means that he is inclined towards his own suspicion of her and so he plans to take unnecessary actions based on his own self-centered beliefs. To sum up, Danforth makes prejudiced decisions which show his ignorance and abuse of the command he has over others eventually creating the calamity in the play.
The statement,“The Crucible is essentially about courage, weakness, and truth,” is proven true numerous times, throughout the play. The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller, about the true events that happened in Salem, Massachusetts, between the years 1692 and 1693. The Salem witch trials consisted of many hangings, lies, and complete mass hysteria. The citizens of Salem followed the religion of Puritanism, and the ideas of predestination. The root of the mass hysteria comes from their belief in the sense that in something happens then it must have been planned by God. In Miller’s portrayal of the story, Abigail Williams was the ringleader of the witch trials, and she used the idea of predestination to cover up her own sins. Abigail was a very manipulative girl and ruined many lives. John Proctor, Mary Warren, and Elizabeth Proctor were just a few of the victims in Abby’s game. John, Mary, and Elizabeth exhibit the traits courage, weakness, and truth, whether it was in a positive or negative way.
Since everyone was on the lookout for witches and knew the punishment, no one wanted to be accused. An example from the play would be when Abigail says, “I want to open myself! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him; I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil” (Miller 50) !! This quote portrays the fear and hysteria affecting the behavior of the children and alters their decisions to confess. Accusations played a major role in The Crucible in attempts to take the attention away from themselves. These accusations put a damper on finding the main roots of the problem; finding out the residents involvements with the
The Crucible mocks the way society deals with justice. Salem is torn apart, due to the extent of Abigail's imagination and power. It shows the bias of opinions, as it was shown in the court, and how people tend to choose outcomes that suit them. In the end, injustice thrived upon the souls of the community, leaving many innocent people dead. Justice did not prevail, as the heart behind the case, John Proctor preferred to keep his self-respect and integrity, than live a life of lies.
The Crucible: Hysteria and Injustice Thesis Statement: The purpose is to educate and display to the reader the hysteria and injustice that can come from a group of people that thinks it's doing the "right" thing for society in relation to The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I. Introduction: The play is based on the real life witch hunts that occurred in the late 1600's in Salem, Massachusetts. It shows the people's fear of what they felt was the Devil's work and shows how a small group of powerful people wrongly accused and killed many people out of this fear and ignorance.
When Proctor is put on trial, Danforth brings in Elizabeth to questions about the affair. Elizabeth must feel her heart racing because his life is in her hands. The words that came out of Elizabeth’s mouth is taken seriously. When Danfourth questions Elizabeth he says “Look at me! To your own knowledge, has John Proctor even committed the crime of lechery?”(Miller 105). Elizabeth answers faintly and says “No, sir”(Miller 105). At that moment, things went terribly wrong. Elizabeth tries to protect Proctor’s name, so she does not tell the truth. Little does she know, Proctor confesses beforehand. Obviously, she does this because no matter what, she still loves him. After the trial, Elizabeth talks to John about the situation. When Elizabeth soothes John about the situation, she says “John, it come to naught that I should forgive you, if you’ll not forgive yourself” (Miller 126). Elizabeth’s forgiveness makes John want to keep lying. If he knows she is okay with it, he will deny it to others. Her opinion is so important to him because he wants the best for her. Although, he decides to confess. This proves Elizabeth does not want him to die. Finally , after everything Proctor has been through, she lies to the court, so they do not hang him. This proves Elizabeth is a loyal
The Crucible also brings to light the theme of injustice in society. Not only does Judge Hathorne and Deputy-Governor Danforth have no proof of the crimes other than the word of the girls, but they leave the accused no options -- they either lie to save their lives, and hence 'admit' to the crime, or they die telling the truth which will not be believed by the public anyway. Even when Reverend Hale becomes suspicious that it is a hoax and informs the court of his fears, Danforth and Hathorne ignore his pleads for extra time to investigate and continue on with how they best see the court's proceedings.
Throughout The Crucible, Miller is concerned with conscience and guilt. Through the character Abigail Williams, he shows how people are willing to abandon their firmly-established values in order to conform with the majority and protect themselves. Those who refuse to part with their conscience, such as the character of John Proctor, are chastised for it. For this reason, the Salem witch trials raise a question of the administration of justice. During this time in the late 1600’s, people were peroccupied by a fear of the devil, due to their severe Puritan belief system. Nineteen innocent people are hanged on the signature of Deputy Governor Danforth, who has the authority to try, convict, and execute anyone he deems appropriate. However, we as readers sense little to no real malice in Danworth. Rather, ignorance and fear plague him. The mass
The Crucible is a play with many underlying messages and themes. One of which is the idea of power. Power is a very important term in this play in that whoever holds the power, holds the fates of others. The hysteria within Salem has directly effected society. Everything has turned upside down and has gotten distorted. Arthur Miller is telling us that all the power in Salem is given to those who are corrupt and their abuse of it is directly shown through: the actions of Abigail throughout the play, the corruption and desires of Parris, as well as the witch trials held by Judge Danforth.