The Crucible: Danforth & Intolerance

Arthur Miller’s eminent play, The Crucible, is a product of literature set in 1962 Massachusetts, an era in which the city of Salem was under a stirring amount of hysteria due to the accusations of witchcraft on its citizens. The play, based on the true story of the city, displays the importance of reputation, hysteria, and intolerance through the actions of many characters in the play. Perhaps the most prominent is Danforth’s actions making way for a prominent theme of intolerance. Danforth, the deputy governor of the state and the judge presiding at the witch trials, is hypocritical while believing the action he is taking is for the common good of the people. Although these actions in no way resemble the common good, Danforth’s tyrannous personality is thoroughly recognized throughout the play through his determined and stubborn personality, courtroom actions of indistinguishable prosecution without evidence and his biased favoring of Abigail Williams, causing intolerance galore throughout the scenes of the play.

Judge Danforth runs his courtroom with total authoritarian policies – the word democracy is not in his vocabulary. Although he states his intention to protect the people through his ways, the court is simply a dictatorship. Whatever Mr. Danforth is to say shall be the law of Massachusetts without exceptions. This example is pure definition of intolerance right there, as Danforth simply will not listen to the opinions of other citizens, some of which are highly acclaimed, which causes unrest in the previously close-knit city of Salem. His personality really comes about when he states (in Act III):

You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no ro...

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...ter of Danforth. Shown directly by his attitude and unjust accusations, specifically his favoritism of Abigail Williams, intolerance is spread throughout The Crucible. This theme can be easily applied to everyday life, as it is easy to see what inhabiting a few of these qualities at a time can do to a large group of people. Hopefully, as this story is based on a true account, the lessons are taken with the reader, because intolerance is a simple fault which can cause hysteria and mass chaos. In summary, the accounts of intolerance within The Crucible are all visible through the actions of specific characters, mainly Danforth. These actions lead us to see the faults associated with living life through blinders, as Danforth does throughout the play. Maybe if he were to be open-minded, the entire witch trials could have been avoided. But no one will ever know…