At the beginning of chapter 5, Jo is in her exercise clothes, and Meg can not believe that Jo decides to go out on such a cold, wet day. Jo heads over to her neighbor’s house, the Laurences. Ever since the New Year’s Party, Jo has wanted to talk with Laurie. To get his attention, she throws a snowball at his window. Laurie pokes his head out and explains that he is very sick and very bored, so he can not go outside.…
n The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the court and its judges use the fallacy of the undistributed middle to attain the conclusions they desire. In order to arrest people, Judge Danforth creates conditions where citizens who oppose the court fall under suspicion, and threatens those who might oppose him with, “No uncorrupted man may fear this court”(98). Because the court assumes that all people who fear the court are witches, instead of all witches also happen to fear the court, many people innocently oppose the court’s ways and suffer. Miller uses the fallacy of the undistributed middle to show the dangers of assuming. Those who wish to avoid false conclusions should know the difference between causation and…
In court, Proctor attempts to prove Abigail and the girls are lying because he desires justice for all. When Danforth told Proctor his wife said she was pregnant, he said she would be freed until she gave birth, “‘Good, then, she is saved at least this year, and a year is long … will you drop this charge?” (92). Proctor still doesn’t drop the charge, and this tells Danforth his purpose is greater than simply freeing his wife. He wants his friends’ wives and everyone else to be saved, because he believes they are innocent. This tells Danforth that he is a man of honor because if he abandoned his testimony his friends’ wives would be killed, but if he pursued it he might not get Elizabeth back if Danforth ruled otherwise. As Abigail is called…
Proctor, we know is not the greatest puritan , and Cheer in the courtroom mentions this up. Cheever tells Danforth, “He plow on Sunday sir” Proctor misses church to plow, which obviously is a sin to miss church, and just for plowing. This is one of many other sins Proctors sins. Proctor has no justice, not getting what he deserves isn't fair to others. Cheever also says, “ Excellency, does it not strike upon you that so many of these women have lived so long with such upright reputation.” Danforth is guilty and not realizing that the girls have been faking it this whole time. He is not getting his justice he deserves for the innocent lives.…
Although there are people like John Proctor, who knows the girls are lying and are trying their best to change everyone's opinion before people die for it, there are other people in the story are only trying to protect their own reputation. The main characters that represents the people are john Proctor, Abigail Williams and Judge Danforth. John proctor is an honest man who believes in helping others, but when his reputation is on the line he is forced to make a decision. On the other hand, Abigail Williams controlled the girls through intimidation, because she was the oldest and she could turn all the other girls against her opponent. Judge Danforth is a judge that is corrupted and will do anything to prove he is in charge, even if it means a bunch of innocent people die by not accepting any evidence that would allow…
In the play, Danforth had already made the decision that 12 people were witches that did not admit it and they were killed. Later on Danforth saw and knew it wasn’t a good idea to be killing all those people for being witches when they were not. He was afraid to admit that he was wrong…
As he, among others, believed “the bewitched” and convicted many individuals in a strikingly similar yet different manner that they did. However, Danforth is not a fabulist, he may be portrayed in The crucible as a wicked or cruel man but he is a daresay a honest one who believed that he was acting as if he was guided by God. He brought all of the people who declared the good charachter of Martha, Elizabeth, and Rebecca before the church even after Francis had promised that no harm would come to the people associated with the declaration. Yet, Danforth did listen to the evidence that Proctor presented in court, the evidence being that Abigail and the rest were fabricating the whole situation about being possessed. Proctor openly admits about his infedility to the court, back then since it was a puritan village; this would’ve been considered a crime and critically damaged Proctor’s reputation. But, Danforth realizes that this might become a problem and wonders if its a lie to save goody Proctor, he then calls her into the room and tries to debunk the underlying matter.Danforth questioned her” Did your husband commit the act of lechery? Goody Proctor responded with a definitive but quiet ” no”; Since, Goody Proctor did not confess to save her husband’s reputation, she along…
Throughout the play, Danforth consistently fails to examine evidence or proof to stop the tension within the community. He refuses to see that the witchcraft trials and hangings might have been part of the reason why people are accusing others. After John Proctor tells Danforth that he has committed adultery, Danforth is horrified by the realization that Abigail may be accusing others based on jealousy and revenge. Danforth ignores this chance and continues to…
Leading Proctor to exclaim to Danforth “I have rung the doom of my good name---you will believe me, Mr Danforth! My wife is innocent, except she knew a whore when she saw one!” (111). Therefore, Proctor confesses his sin of adultery attempting to save Elizabeth from the gallows, end the hysteria and stop the trials, however, he forsakes his public reputation and good name.Leaders within a society who influence public opinion and command the respect of their peers are subject to the desire to preserve the public’s opinion of their good character within the community. John Proctor is a strong-willed, level-headed local farmer who valued his public reputation over his better judgment to challenge the accusations driven by hysteria and put an end to the trials. In the scene at Parris’s house, Proctor misses an opportunity to stop the consideration of witchcraft as the source of Betty’s illness, due to his fear of admitting his amoral relationship with Abigail. His secret relationship with Abigail threatens to diminish his moral standing and influence in the community, as well as, damage his perception of his personal…
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.…
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…
When Proctor was prosecuted for being one with the devil, he was asked a series of questions. Danforth demanded Proctor to confess that is he saw certain people, innocent people, with the devil. Proctor answered with, "No, I did not," (Page 1230), every single time. As other people who were prosecuted did accuse these people, such as Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey. He did not put anyone else's life in danger as he was putting his own life in danger by not accusing them. Having the guts to stand up to others is something that all heroes have mastered in.…
Throughout the play Arthur Miller portrays John Proctor as a brave man. In Act IV, John Proctor says that he has nothing to do with witchcraft. Governor Danforth is saying that if Proctor continues to lie, he will be hanged. John Proctor says, This shows that John Proctor is a very brave man because he is willing to tell the truth and die rather than lie and wrongly stay alive. If John Proctor was not a brave man, he would have lied to stay alive to watch all his friends die. This shows that John Proctor is brave because he…
Danforth’s stubborn demeanor controls most of his accusations and influences his decisions. He truly believes that the only way to prove there is witchcraft is if the victim accuses the assailant. However, there is a serious flaw in this method. Anyone can make an accusation and no one will be the wiser as to if they are lying. When Proctor comes into the court to give evidence of the girls lies, he accuses Danforth of not using evidence. Danforth tells Proctor if people are accused of being witches then it’s “Ipso facto” and they are guilty (103). Francis Nurse then gives a petition to Danforth. Instead of looking at it as evidence he tells Hathorne to “arrest for examination” the 91 names on the petition (97). Danforth cannot think of the girls as a lie because his behavior prevents him.…
He follows “procedures” and refuses to admit Proctor’s deposition. He maintains that a “person is either with this court or he must be counted against it”. He maintains that 4000 are already set to hang in jails upon his signature and 72 are ready to be hang in Salem here as well. There is “no road in between.” Danforth is convinced that “the voice of Heaven is speaking through the children” and that any hesitation would be to admit that he has already erred in the sentencing of prior convictions. He does not brook any exceptions and will not stay the proceedings because this will cast aspersions on his honour and reputation, which he confuses with the court’s.…