Who does Judge Danforth accuse?
Summary and Analysis Act III: Scene 3. Danforth summons Abigail and three of the girls into the vestry room, where he questions Abigail. She denies Mary Warren’s charge that she is lying and that she falsely accused Elizabeth Proctor.
Who is most to blame in the crucible?
Abigail Williams
How does Judge Danforth abuse his power?
Danforth demonstrates an abuse of power, dominating the court by their fear of being accused of witchcraft, or of being condemned for contempt of the court. He bullies them into confessing, threatening them with death or jailing if they don’t.
What kind of person is Judge Danforth?
Governor Danforth represents rigidity and an over-adherence to the law in The Crucible. Danforth is clearly an intelligent man, highly respected and successful. He arrives in Salem to oversee the trials of the accused witches with a serene sense of his own ability to judge fairly.
What does Judge Danforth symbolize?
Arthur Miller uses Judge Danforth to represent not only the government’s complete control of America’s early settlers but also to illustrate the arrogance of many of our country’s leaders from Puritan times all the way through Miller’s experience with McCarthyism in the 1950s.
What is Danforth’s role in the proceedings?
Danforth, as we are told in some background information in act three, is the Deputy Governor of the colony. He is, evidently, the chief magistrate in the trials as a result of his position, and people present themselves and their evidence directly to him.
What actions of Proctor’s are used against him?
Parris invalidates them by calling Proctor a bad Christian and telling the court how he doesn’t go to church and even works on Sunday, Sabbath day. Giles deposition is turned against him when he is unwilling to betray anyone else.
Why does Elizabeth lie to Danforth?
The result of Elizabeth’s lie is to make a bad situation worse for herself and Proctor. She is asked by Danforth whether her husband had an affair with Abigail, and she denies it, wanting to save Proctor’s reputation.
Does Danforth believe in witchcraft?
In this way, Danforth’s belief or disbelief in witchcraft itself is immaterial. He only cares about the integrity of the authority of the court. Political authority and religious authority are one and the same in Salem, and Danforth upholds what he strongly believes is the unarguable truth.
What does Danforth say about proof for witchcraft?
In answer to Hale, Danforth puts forth the argument that witchcraft is an “invisible crime.” Basically, he’s making the claim that such a crime is largely committed apart from the community’s knowledge. Danforth asserts that only the witch and the victim can attest to the guilt of the witch.
What is Danforth motivated by?
Danforth is clearly an intelligent man, highly respected and successful. He arrives in Salem to oversee the trials of the accused witches with a serene sense of his own ability to judge fairly. At first, he is motivated by an honest cause, to help the people in Salem afflicted by witchcraft, starting with Betty Parris.
Why does Danforth not allow Proctor to obtain a lawyer?
Why does Danforth not allow Proctor to obtain a lawyer? The evidence is invisible, and the lawyer would only bring in irrelevant evidence. How does Abigail respond to Mary’s claim? She denies it, saying they are not pretending.
Why does Danforth refuse to stop the proceedings?
Danforth refuses because he’s already executed other prisoners accused of the same crimes, and he doesn’t want to look weak. They decide to bring in Elizabeth Proctor so she can talk to John and hopefully convince him to confess before he is sent to the gallows.
When Danforth hears that Elizabeth is pregnant?
When Danforth hears that Elizabeth is pregnant, what does he allow? He allows her time to see if her ” natural signs” appear. If they do not, and she is truly pregnant, he will allow her one year before she is hanged , to have her baby.
What does Proctor scream at the end?
When Proctor screams “God is dead,” it is an expression of his frustration with the situation in Salem.
Why does Miller end the play with proctors refusal?
Why does Miller (the playwright/author) end the play with Proctor’s refusal to sign the confession and Elizabeth’s refusal to beg him to do it? Miller was accused of a communist during the Cold War and refused to admitted to say he was a communist.
What is ironic about calling the confessions of witchcraft coming to God?
What is ironic about calling the confessions of witchcraft “coming to God”? The confessions are lies and therefore sins against God. The confessions confirm that sins against God have been committed. The confessions save them from death, thereby postponing their “coming to God.”
Why does Elizabeth feel guilty for John’s situation?
The guilt is from the affair with Abigail. Now he is trying to get Elizabeth to forgive him and he has to forgive himself too. John and Elizabeth’s relationship is still awkward from his affair with Abigail. Elizabeth’s attitude is “frosty” and “cold” towards John.
What does Hale urge Elizabeth do to save John’s life?
What does Hale urge Elizabeth to do? To convince John to confess to whatever the court has accused him of (witchcraft). All they want is a confession and Elizabeth and John can go on living as they once did. To get John to confess.
Why does Elizabeth blame herself for John’s predicament?
Elizabeth is telling John that she was never clear with her emotions with John. When Elizabeth talks to John, he is a condemned man. He will be hanged if he does not confess to witchcraft. Elizabeth blames herself for John’s predicament, to a certain extent.
What argument does Hale use to convince Elizabeth that she should urge her husband to confess to witchcraft?
What argument does hale use to convince elizabeth that she should urge her husband to confess to witchcraft? he says to not let him die for “********s a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride.”