In any community, the people rely on the power of law and justice to protect them. When the guardians of the law and order misuse their power it brings tragedy upon the town. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible the inappropriate actions of the character of Judge Danforth, the voice of authority of the community leads to the tragedy of social disruption of the town accompanied by breakdown in communal solidarity.
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...
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...and accusations. The extend to which Abigail has manipulated Judge Danforth is shown here. Danforth’s unconditional reliability in Abigail motivated the people in Salem to accused each other to save their own skins. This brought about chaos and commotion to the people of Salem.
To encapsulate, the character of Judge Danforth, initially thought off as the voice of authority. A person on whom Salem depended the most, for justice. His inappropriately actions due to his misconceptions and self-righteous mentality wiped off the communal trust and social bonds of the people of Salem. Thereby making him the most responsible for the tragedy Salem.
Work Cited
Miller, Arthur. The crucible. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, 1996. Print.
The Crucible. Dir. Nicholas Hytner. Perf. Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder and Paul Scofield. 20th Century Fox, 1996. DVD.
...We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!’ (Act ΙΙ, pg. 63). The court also fuels the concept of ignoble behaviour; the audience can see how the court is based on false accusations, adding to the concept of a corrupt and immoral court. Being the voice of legal authority within the play Danforth’s word is the final word, however, people within the village try to enlighten him to the truth, Hale suggests to Judge Danforth ‘But this child claims the girls are not truthful, and if they are not-‘ to which Danforth responds ‘That is precisely … Unless you doubt my probity?’
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).
Douglas Lavanture."Fear as Governance: Arthur Miller's The Crucible as Contemporary Reflection." Steppenwolf Theatre Company. n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.
Playwright and essayist, Arthur Miller, in his play, “The Crucible”, utilizes pathos, symbolism, and irony to convey his purpose of how the events of the Salem Witch Trials had detrimental effects on the society and how far the elites went to protect their reputation . Miller’s reasoning is to expand Parris’ and Danforth purpose for their side of the argument during the witch trials. He adapts a contrasting tone in order to appeal to similar feelings with reasoning in his american readers.
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
Miller uses the Salem Witch Trials to foster a desire for self-preservation, and Danforth demonstrates that all members of society are affected by this desire. Miller introduces Danforth as: “Deputy Governor Danforth… a grave man in his sixties… with an exact loyalty to his position and his cause” (CITATION). Danforth represents the strong, puritan judge resolute in his belief in reason
The trials divided the community which increased the fear and anger of all the people involved. The trials had a huge effect on the community which made people do thing they wouldn't normally do. Abigail confirms, “ I saw Sarah Good with the devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the devil!. I saw Bridget Bishop with the devil!”(Miller 39). this quote shows that Abigail with her manipulative skills she managed to accuse innocent people of being with the devil, which created tension in the community. Moreover, According to Stanforth, ¨a person is either with the court or it must be counted against it”(Miller 76). this shows that the court is turning the community against each other. It can be concluded that, Fear and anger combined caused the community in Salem to be
Because of Abigail’s deleterious behavior, many innocent victims were brutally murdered. All of her actions were selfish and pretentious. Abigail may not have intended to cause the witch trials, but she certainly did nothing to end them once they began. Abigail’s lustful behavior, her unhealthy habit of lying, and her obsessive desire for power makes her responsible for the Salem witch trials.
The Salem Witch Trials, Who is Really Guilty? After all of the witch trials in 1692 concluded, a total of 20 people were hanged, all because of people craving attention and personal gain. There are three people depicted in Arthur Miller's The Crucible that are most responsible for this and they are, Abigail Williams, Judge Danforth, and Thomas Putnam. Abigail Williams is mostly responsible for the Salem witch trials because she was the first person to start accusing innocent people of witchcraft.
Judge Danforth is the most powerful character in Act 3, because on p. 86 Danforth removed judges from the court so proceedings couldn’t be recorded. This showed that he exercised power over the court that he pulled the judges and made his omnipotent power and how he can control the court. He also put Giles Corey and John Proctor under arrest for going against the court “Marshal! Take [Proctor] and Corey with him to the jail.” (p.111). Judge Danforth didn't like Proctor and Corey challenging the court so he silenced them by putting them under arrest. Also, on p.87 Judge Danforth stated to John Proctor “But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there is no road between.” He made the
...w. Ultimately all order is lost and cannot be redeemed by the high court because Danforth “cannot pardon when twelve are already hanged for the same crime” (4.129) Chaos wins the battle against order and thus breaking the power of theocracy in Salem.
A crucible refers to a harsh test, and in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, each person is challenged in a severe test of his or her character or morals. Many more people fail than pass, but three notable characters stand out. Reverend John Hale, Elizabeth Proctor, and John Proctor all significantly change over the course of the play.
The Crucible by Arthur Miller raises many thought provoking issues throughout the play, including the importance of personal integrity, injustice in society and the rights of the community versus the rights of the individual.
Even though The Crucible is not historically correct, nor is it a perfect allegory for anti-Communism, or as a faithful account of the Salem trials, it still stands out as a powerful and timeless depiction of how intolerance, hysteria, power and authority is able to tear a community apart. The most important of these is the nature of power, authority and its costly, and overwhelming results. “But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or against it,” says Danforth conceitedly. With this antithesis, Miller sums up the attitude of the authorities towards the witch trials that if one goes against the judgement of the court they are essentially breaking their relationship with God. Like everyone else in Salem, Danforth draws a clear line to separate the world into black and white. The concurrent running of the “Crucible” image also captures the quintessence of the courtroom as Abigial stirs up trouble among the people that have good reputation and loving natures in society. In a theocratic government, everything and everyone belongs to either God or the Devil.
The most pervasive effect of power is the deprivation of judgment. Judge Danforth is blinded by his power as it causes him to be unjust in the proceedings of the Salem Witch Trials. He is also blinded by his reputation and brags about his power by claiming “Seventy-two condemned to hang by my signature” (Miller 1133). Similarly, his power and influence prevent him from hearing a defense in the witch trials, even when offered a proper defense by Giles Corey, Danforth calls for Giles’ arrest for being in contempt of the court. Additionally, Judges Danforth further show his incompetence by refusing to postpone the hangings of John and Rebecca by outright denying Reverend Parris’ request. Danforth claims “Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part” this shows Danforth’s incompetence is caused by his fear of losing power and how it has subconsciously influenced his actions and rulings in the proceedings of the witch trials (1158). Correspondingly, Judge Hathrone also seems to power blind like Judge Danforth. Hathrone seems to dismiss any evidence and defense presented as being in “contempt of the court” (1138). This shows how unjust he was in his rulings by favoring one side over another. He continues to de...