Preview

Blindness In The Crucible

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
230 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Blindness In The Crucible
Amber Sweet
Ms. Giffhorn
English III
10 Oct 2016 Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, is full of dishonesty and pain. It’s set during the Salem witch trials, where “witches” were hanged for associating with the devil. Many people can be blinded by the truth without knowing. Some tell a convincing lie and we believe it because we sometimes have no reason to question it. In The Crucible, some characters blind to the truth are Judge Danforth, Reverend Parris, and Thomas Putnam. These people were well respected and smart, but were still blinded by the lies. Danforth, Deputy Governor of Massachusetts, was a judge of the witch trials in Salem. He was more open-minded than Judge Hathorne. Judge Danforth’s blindness to the truth caused several residents

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    David Fremon, writing in the nonfiction book The Salem Witchcraft Trials in American History, describes both Hathorne and Corwin as “respected businessmen in Salem Town, would serve as magistrates, though neither had legal experience” (56).…

    • 217 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the book “The Crucible”, by Arthur Miller, Deputy Danforth is more to blame for the trials continuation than Abigail Williams because he always believed whoever had been accused a witch, refused any evidence showing that the accused were innocent, and was more concerned with the court’s image than justice being served.…

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    ‘The Crucible’ is a novel which was written by Arthur Miller in 1953. It takes place during the times of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. This was a time of much hypocrisy in the people of the town of Salem. Many people believed anything they heard or saw. Although The Crucible is fictitious, the story depicts the historical information of the Salem witch trials, and blends them with fictitious characters to create a very realistic plot and conflict in the story. Miller wrote this play as a response to the political environment in which he lived. The story relates to the McCarthy trials. During the 1950's Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many American leaders of being communists. This lead to many accusations that people were communists. Some people believed him because they had fear of communism. McCarthy was, in effect, conducting "witch hunts". The Red Scare was a witch hunt where the US government was searching for "dangerous communists." Accusations came from left and right, much the same as the characters did for "real witches" in The Crucible. This meant that people were forced to either confess to the crime of witchery or shove the blame towards a different person. As an effect of this bias, the accused were never discharged, but were given the opportunity to confess to the crime of witchcraft to lessen their sentence. With the red scare, the accused were given a chance to give up names of other suspected communists to lessen their sentence as well. In both situations, there were people who confessed even though they had no relation to the crime at all. The majority, however, valued their morals and refused to give into political pressure by lying. This is shown as abuse of power. The puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th century. The entire plot of the novel is moulded by the repressive Puritan society. Like many puritan women, Elizabeth Proctor is dutiful and loves her husband dearly. Yet, Elizabeth is hurt by the fact…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the play, “The Crucible”, written by Arthur Miller has a theme about reputation and respect. In the small town of Salem reputation is very important, especially important to the leaders of the town. They want to keep a good name, and the people also want to be good citizens. When people have a good reputation others give you more respect. When you have a good reputation in a small town, it's easier to get a fair hearing. However, when people started getting accused of witchcraft their reputation was destroyed. This made people more cautious of their own reputations. The characters in “The Crucible” John Proctor, Reverend Parris, and Judge Danforth all want to be known for something good to have a good reputation. All of the characters in “The Crucible” will make a bad choice in order to keep a good reputation.…

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the play The Crucible there was a character that was afraid to admit they were wrong. In this particular case, Governor Danforth was afraid to admit he was wrong when accusing people of witchcraft. In the play, Danforth was the judge that determined who was a witch in Salem and who was not. If someone was accused of being a witch and they admitted to it they got to live. However if someone was accused of being a witch and denied it they were hung or killed.…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    A few imperative traits that describe a responsible and mature judge are devotion, integrity, and accuracy. Some say that Danforth is a seemingly intelligent and experienced judge, but does he contain the traits that are desired in every judge? Others may believe that his pride leads him to making irrational decisions in “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller. Danforth likes to think of himself as a fair-minded man, which is not clearly represented throughout the play. He is unwilling to believe the truth and has no integrity.…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    HATHORNE: Danforth we are intelligent people, we can see what is happening in these trials. They said to be foolish. DANFORTH: How dare that be said. There is the Devil in Salem.…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In addition, Danforth did not allow people to have their own opinions about the court of Salem. He suppressed the individual freedom of a person to have their own attitude about the court and express that opinion. Danforth believed that “a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there is no road in between” (Miller 94). He did not anyone to go against his opinion and if they did, he saw it as a rebellion against the court. As a result of this, he even went on to say that “if retaliation is your fear, know this- I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law” (Miller 129). He was not afraid to make his opinion known and to threaten the people of Salem. Danforth did not want to be proven wrong by anyone.…

    • 202 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While the Salem witch trials are occurring, the girls talk complete blasphemy about invisible doings. Judge Danforth throws all reason out of the window and believes these girls over anyone else. “Horrified: Mary Warren! Draw your spirit back out of them!” Danforth was swayed more about young girls screaming of an invisible bird in the room that no one in the room saw over a petition that proves the wives of the men were indeed innocent. These girls framed everyone in town on account of witchcraft. Judge Danforth shows a bias towards witchcraft since this is the puritan era. The puritans consist of religious extremists and witches were seen as the help of the devil. Danforth then, without hesitation proceeds to believe the girl’s accusations and goes through with hanging half of the town. Danforth is unfair on account of his extremist ways. An effective judge would not show bias to religious affairs and would need hard, cold facts; Not any superstition or “invisible bird spreading its wings on the rafters.” Danforth is also going through with these hangings and trials because the success rate will be extremely high. The bias qualities of the puritan society to punish every evil overpowers the law. Danforth will have a great reputation for being the man who saved Salem from witchcraft. He is backed up religiously as well, so his career will be full of success and to him that is more important than the fate of an accused human in…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Bibliography: Adams, Gretchen A. The Specter of Salem: Remembering the Witch Trials. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008.…

    • 2692 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Crucible Danforth, the judge, blindly believes nearly every claim he hears and rather than make an objective conclusion with presented information, he strictly relies on subjective accusations. For example, he ignores the fact that the accused women were loyal church-goers and that nearly a hundred credible people declared the women’s innocence to instead listen to teenage girls name witch after witch with no evidence at all. Said best by Proctor, “Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God’s fingers” (Miller…

    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Reputation In The Crucible

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Reputations are an enormous factor of one’s life in today’s society. They can affect one’s future, past, and present. In the novel, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the characters John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Reverend John Hale are the characters most concerned about their reputations. Because they are attempting to protect their prominence, each of them tend to act abnormally in the Puritan society. All of the characters tend to continuously lie about their sins. However, they do contrast when it comes to the reasoning for each of them "protecting" their reputation. In a Puritan society during the witch hunting era, protecting one's name was more important than telling the truth. If one were to confess to a witch related crime, they…

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The crucible shows a lot of lies that overpower the truth told by the innocent…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Crucible

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A prime example of someone who has gained power through accusations and manipulation is Abigail Williams. She had the most power throughout the whole book and one person she had power over was Elizabeth Proctor. On page 80, Cheever states “… And he goes to save her, and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he drew a needle out. And demandin’ her of how she come to be so stabbed, she testify it were your wife’s familiar spirit pushed it in.” Cheever is explaining to Hale and Mr. Proctor that Elizabeth had something to do with Abigail being mysteriously stabbed during dinner. Since Hale and Cheever found the poppet Mary Warren had sewn and gave to Elizabeth, they saw this as hard evidence and Elizabeth was arrested and taken to court. This all started when Abigail saw Mary Warren sewing the doll for Mrs. Proctor and took this to her advantage. She came up with the idea to pretend the Elizabeth was causing harm to her through the poppet and this is how she was able to get Elizabeth arrested and on trial. Another way Abigail has power over Elizabeth is through her own husband.…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Crucible

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the article "Witch-Hunting, Thwarted Desire, and Girl Power: Arthur Miller's The Crucible by Karen Bovard, Bovard talks how people fight to gain power in the hysteria of the witch trials. Abigail Williams leads the girls into accusing people and turns people against each other. Mary Warren tires to stand up and tell the truth but fails. Male ministers and judges fight for power. Proctor and Abigail have an affair that starts the turning of friends against friends by the towns’ people accusing others of being witches. Bovard says that it is interesting that no young men have interest in Abigail, except a married one. Proctor and Abigail’s relationship could be seen as harassment because Abigail worked for the Proctors in their home as a maid. Proctor’s wife Elizabeth knows about Abigail’s desire for Proctor before the affair even starts. She knows that Abigail want to replace her, in her home and bed. Another desire is of Ann Putnam who has lost 7 children during childbirth and she starts to accuse her neighbors of witchcraft. She accuses Rebecca Nurse, who has had many children and grandchildren and out of jealousy Ann accuses Rebecca. When girls are found dancing they are thought to be posed by the devil and then they fall ill and everyone thinks it was the devil and witchcraft. Bovard also makes the comparison about how slaves in Barbados and the town misfits are accused of witchcraft because they are easy to accuse and easy to bring down. And they accused people by what they were. More women with accused and race were also an issue.…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays