Innocence In The Crucible

Though the Salem tragedy was a group effort, one such member played a higher role in the destruction. Judge Danforth, the epitome of theocracy at the time believed you were either for God, or you were not, and there was no road in between. This quickly caused destruction as the system of society began to turn on itself. Those who did not know their commandments were assumed to be cavorting with the devil, and Judge Danforth, power hungry with lynchings, called all the shots. It is evident when he says, “And do you know that near to 400 are in jail from Marblehead to Lynn, and upon my signature?... And 72 condemned to hang by that signature?” (Danforth, Act 3), that all the weight of his signature has gone to his head, and he has begun to regard himself higher than most. Perhaps if Danforth had been less greedy and more open, he would have heard the truth in Proctor's words when he told about the girls decept. However, instead of listening, he asserted his dominance and power, and instead went on to convict more people.

To add on to the last point, not only did Danforth not let people defend themselves, he also used misleading questions with little or no evidence. For example, In act III Danforth asks Giles Corey, “Do you take it upon yourself to determine what this court shall believe and what shall set

In the play, The Crucible, Judge Danforth is an extremely important character. He plays a significant role in the plot of the story, mainly because he is the person who presides over the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts. Generally, as a person, Judge Danforth is gruff and emotionless. Although, as the play goes on, one can tell that he is quite vulnerable and gullible at the same time. Danforth’s decisions and actions have a huge part in the story, and it is interesting to see how his beliefs play out.

Danforth’s bias is both a curse and a blessing, it just depends on what Danforth decides to do with the almighty power of the court. In some instances, men get exactly what they want and get their wives back. In other instances, one might just catch Danforth on a bad day and receive the wrath of his biased opinion, like Giles Corey. The Crucible shows the reader, or viewer, through Danforth, some people will never change, and some will change depending on the

witch trials in Salem. Surprisingly, you praised Judge Danforth for his “impartiality and tact” during this tragic set of trials. You could not be farther from the truth. Judge Danforth abused his judicial power, throughout the trials, to the fullest of his abilities. His abuses range from berating and coercing witness into saying what he wants them go, to blatantly ignoring testimony that refuted the

There are many things that typical Americans expect from their courts. They count upon the ability to use a lawyer, trial by jury, and basic rights to protect themselves. However, what makes a democratic judicial system function is a person’s right to a fair trial, which is judged by someone who is impartial and applies only the law when judging. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the flaws within the religious Puritan courts are on full display. Danforth, the judge of the trials, is seen by most as the essence of the entire mess. Danforth is one of the most important judges in Puritan society, so his compliance with the Puritan trials should demonstrate that he truly believes in that Judicial process. Yet, throughout the book we see Danforth apply the law, instead of religion, more than what would be expected in a Puritan court. So, what is it about this trial that makes Danforth’s style of judging seem less Puritan? Danforth is used to his secular beliefs being in line with his religious values. In most of his trials, he is judging based on religious laws that are written on the side of “righteousness”, so his lawful morals do not prove to be a problem. However, the fact that this trial is based off of an “invisible crime” requires Danforth to rely completely on his own beliefs while judging, therefore shedding light on his attempts to separate the law from religion within his court.

When Francis Nurse provides signatures proving that the girls’ accusations are fraud, instead of looking into the possibility of it being credible proof, Danforth quickly has the signers accused saying “Mr. Cheever, have warrants drawn for all of these- arrest for examination” (Act 3, Page 87). This shows how little he cares about the people of Salem and how much he cares about his career and the number of people he condemns. He even refuses to postpone hanging and spare the lives of John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and others because he fears it will show a weakness in the court. “You misunderstand, sir; I cannot par-don these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just.”

Danforth focuses on the affect that a postponement will have on his own reputation, and in essence says that he cannot stop the hangings now, as it will show the failure of the court in fairly adjudicating the fates of those previously accused of witchery. Instead of being concerned with providing justice. Danforth attempts to save his reputation from the shame that would follow a stay of execution. He only truly cares about on the personal consequences for his actions, rather than acting as an impersonal arm of the law and declares that “there will be no postponement.” Judge Danforth does not heed the pleas of Reverend Parris, but instead says that if he stops the trials and hangings now, it will imply weakness on his part and be detrimental to his reputation. This decision shows that he is continuing the trials because he is more concerned with his reputation than he is with administering justice.

When questioned in court, Danforth repeatedly asked Giles, “what proof” (96) did he have for his charge. Essentially, he is not being taken seriously, which would’ve been the same case with his earlier personality. Thus, Danforth has yet to see a change in his personality, even if Giles did himself. Regardless of his first or newer personality, both contributed to the Salem hysteria. When Giles accuses Putnam’s daughter of witchery on Jacobs, Giles explained that Putnam, “is killing his neighbors for their land” (96).

Danforth he’s lying”-Abby. Danforth was strict with witchcraft. He had to believe that witches are real. Otherwise the people who he had killed would have died in vain so this was his way of saying that this was an equal punishment. This stubbornness lead to multiple deaths in Salem to the point where there was no one that was taking care of the cattle or taking care of the basic needs of the average human. It is hard to run a town if most of the population is in jail. This ties into the modern world because most of our fights are based off of stubbornness. As sad as it is we are all wired to defend our stances no matter how pointless it

Another example of how Danforth carries the blame for the hangings and the deaths of many innocent people is the death of Giles. When Giles was accusing Thomas Putnam of attempting to benefit of the witch trials Danforth replies back with “In that case, I have no choice but to arrest you for contempt of this court” (Miller 1299). Danforth arrested Giles for contempt of the court. Danforth believes Giles knows something about the witchcraft. Later in the play, he was trying to get answers from Giles and caused the death of Giles by pressing him with rocks. Danforth killed another innocent

A judge should acquire the trait of honesty because it is their job to be truthful. It is their job to view evidence, follow the laws, and listen to each person equally. If they were to ignore evidence or a witness, the fate of the person put on trial can change immensely. Danforth is an honest judge who believes and values the truth over anything else. “The pure in heart need no lawyers” (Act 3).

The real meaning behind this quote is that many people in the village of Salem practice Puritan culture and it is a sin to lie. Knowing that about the village he says he shouldn’t have to be a judge if everybody is pure in heart and doesn’t lie. Also another example of Thomas Danforth going along with the majority is on page 77. Danforth says, “Fetch Mister Parris.” this means he doesn’t want to deal with it and wants Parris to take care of the problem.

Judge Danforth shows this by refusing to reverse his judgment that all the accused were guilty of witchcraft. Danforth is the head judge of the court and a narrow minded, strict interpreter of the law. At the beginning of the play, he believes the girls are telling the truth about the witches because in his eyes, the girls could not be lying about such a remarkable event. Danforth viewed the young girls as victims. However, when Hale confronts Danforth about the unlikeliness of all the accused being involved in witchcraft, Danforth changes his point of view.

He is depicted as stubborn, as shown in his response when Giles Corey provides evidence that proves his wife’s innocence. Danforth responds by saying “Do you take it upon yourself to determine what this court shall believe…? This is the highest court…in this province, do you know it?” His refusal to hear evidence that is likely to contradict his guilty verdict indicates that ultimately, Danforth considers himself the final judge of what is right and wrong, reflecting the corruption inherent in Salem’s authority. The authors thus provide valuable insight into the signs and motivations of a corrupt government.