Judge Danforth in the play The Crucible
The Crucible
The Crucible is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as an allegory for McCarthyism, when the United State…
How is Judge Danforth described in the Crucible?
Judge Danforth is the epitome of over-adherence and rigidity concerning the law. He is intelligent, successful, and highly respected. Danforth has come to Salem in order to oversee the prosecution of those accused of witchcraft. He has serene confidence in his ability to deliver fair judgment.
How does Judge Danforth react to people questioning his decision-making ability?
If a character, such as Giles Corey or Francis Nurse, attempts to defend his wife, Judge Danforth contends that the advocate is trying to overthrow the court. The judge seems to believe that his perception is flawless. He is insulted when anyone questions his decision-making ability.
What is Danforth's attitude toward the Salem witch trials?
Deputy Governor Danforth oversees the witchcraft trials in Salem, as well as in other parts of Massachusetts. He likes to think of himself as fair-minded, so it disturbs and angers him to discover that people fear the court.
How does Judge Danforth resort to manipulation when bribery fails?
When bribery fails, Judge Danforth resorts to manipulation in saying, ''a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between'' and ''no uncorrupted man may fear this court.''
What was Judge Hathorne motivation in the crucible?
In The Crucible, Judge Hathorne is an arrogant and stern judge, determined to convict people of witchcraft. He believes in the court and already has his mind made up. He refuses to consider that the girls might be pretending and that the accused are innocent.6 Dec 2021
What does Danforth want in the crucible?
After John confesses, what does Danforth want him to do? He wants him to sign his name to the confession, so that it can be hung up for everyone in town to see. Danforth wants to use John Proctor's name to prove that the witch craft is real and that Danforth/the court did not hang innocent people.
What does Judge Danforth do in the crucible?
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.
How does Danforth show power in the crucible?
Danforth: Judge, Jury, and Executioner Judge Danforth's position in the crucible is the Judge assigned to the proceedings of the Salem witch trials. Instead of treating this immense responsibility with the respect and restraint that is needed, Danforth abused his power by betraying the people of Salem and the Law.
Is Judge Danforth a fair judge?
He is intelligent, successful, and highly respected. Danforth has come to Salem in order to oversee the prosecution of those accused of witchcraft. He has serene confidence in his ability to deliver fair judgment. The hysteria of the trials does not extinguish his personal belief that he is the most qualified judge.6 Jul 2019
What does Judge Danforth represent or symbolize in court?
Danforth represents the evil of blind certainty in the play: he refuses to accept the truth because to do so would humiliate him.
What is Danforth's role in the proceedings how would you characterize Danforth's personality?
How would you characterize Danforth's personality? Danforth is the judge. His character is weak because he is proud. He is doing anything to save his reputation.
What is Judge Danforth's first name in The Crucible?
Thomas DanforthThomas DanforthBornbapt. November 20, 1623 Framlingham, Suffolk, EnglandDiedNovember 5, 1699 (aged 76) Province of Massachusetts BayProfessionMagistrateSignature11 more rows
What is Danforth's reputation?
Danforth was known to be extremely arrogant and anyone who questioned him was questioning the court and therefore accused of being ungodly. It is very obvious that if anyone had proved the girls were lying it would mean Danforth was wrong and make him look like a fool.
How is Judge Danforth characterized Support your response with a specific detail?
How is Judge Danforth characterized? Support your response with a specific detail. Judge Danforth is a "by-the-law" man who judges with law and religion combined. Why does Reverend Parris fear John Proctor and Marry Warren's evidence?
What is Danforth's motive for discounting the testimony?
What motive does Danforth have to discount the testimony of Giles Corey, John Proctor, and Mary Warren? Danforth needs to validate his job as well as the witch court by finding witchcraft in people. Of course nobody is a witch but Danforth needs to find them to keep his job and power. You just studied 13 terms!
Why does Judge Danforth believe Abigail?
Danforth believes Abigail and the girls because he does not want to publically admit he was deceived by them, for it will harm his reputation.
What does Governor Danforth represent in The Crucible?
The Crucible. 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. The chaos of the trial doesn’t affect his own belief ...
What does Danforth believe?
Danforth believes in sticking by a principle in spite of all evidence that his belief is wrong.
Why doesn't Danforth accept the truth?
Danforth represents the evil of blind certainty in the play: he refuses to accept the truth because to do so would humiliate him. He’d rather see people die. Previous section Elizabeth Proctor Next section Mary Warren.
What happens at the end of Salem?
At the end of the play, Salem is falling apart, Abigail has run away, having stolen Parris’s life savings, and many other lives have been ruined yet Danforth still cannot agree that the trials were a sham. He remains firm in his conviction that the condemned should not be executed.
What does Judge Danforth believe?
There is no questioning that Danforth believes he is doing the work of God and that those on trial shall not be treated unjustly in his courtroom. However, his misguided belief that the accusers speak the undeniable truth in their charges of witchery shows his vulnerability. Character traits of Judge Danforth:
Who is Judge Danforth?
Judge Danforth is the deputy governor of Massachusetts and he presides over the witch trials in Salem alongside Judge Hathorne. The leading figure among the magistrates, Danforth is a key character in the story. Abigail Williams may be wicked, but Judge Danforth represents something more agonizing: tyranny.
Why does Danforth hang innocent people?
He hangs innocent people to avoid sullying his own reputation. Bradford, Wade.
What does John Proctor say about Abigail?
During the trial, John Proctor announces that he and Abigail were having an affair. Proctor further establishes that Abigail wants Elizabeth dead so she can become his new bride. In the stage directions, Miller states that Danforth asks, "You deny every scrap and tittle of this?".
What does Judge Danforth assume when he shouts out a name?
If the young women so much as shout out a name, Danforth assumes the name belongs to a witch. His gullibility is exceeded only by his self-righteousness. If a character, such as Giles Corey or Francis Nurse, attempts to defend his wife, Judge Danforth contends that the advocate is trying to overthrow the court.
What is Danforth's character?
Elderly and semi-fragile though this is hidden behind his gruff exterior. Danforth rules the courtroom like a dictator. He is an icy character who firmly believes that Abigail Williams and the other girls are incapable of lying. If the young women so much as shout out a name, Danforth assumes the name belongs to a witch.
Who is the judge in the Crucible?
He wrote and directed seven productions for Yorba Linda Civic Light Opera's youth theater. Judge Danforth is one of the key characters in Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible.".
Who is Judge Danforth in The Crucible?
Judge Danforth in The Crucible. Judge Danforth in Arthur Miller's play about the Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible, isn't the sort of guy you would want to invite to dinner. As a deputy governor sent to oversee the witch trials, he swaggers into Salem from Boston with other ''weighty magistrates,'' fully convinced of his own importance.
Who is Judge Danforth?
Judge Danforth from Arthur Miller's ''The Crucible'' is the epitome of the cranky, domineering old man. As a judge sent from Boston to hear the Salem witch trials, he brings with him a capacity for neither mercy nor humanity. Updated: 01/21/2021.
What does Judge Danforth ask Elizabeth?
Judge Danforth is asking Elizabeth to incriminate her husband in a court of law. She's not allowed to know he had already confessed, so of course she refuses to blame him. Danforth takes this as absolute proof that John was lying about Abigail in the first place.
What is Judge Danforth's last word?
He remains unmoved by quantities of evidence and impassioned pleas, so it's not surprising that Judge Danforth's last words in this play are directions to ''Hang them high over the town! Who weeps for these, weeps for corruption!'' With that, Judge Danforth and his blind, selfish ego ''sweeps out past them'' he has condemned to death.
What does Judge Danforth do when he is presented with evidence contrary to his judgements?
When he is presented with evidence contrary to his judgements, he tries to silence, bribe, and manipulate those who challenge him, as well as make insinuations, like call Elizabeth's husband a lecher, which is someone who commits a sin of a sexual nature, like adultery. In the end, even when others are moved to question the many death sentences that have been issued, Judge Danforth stands resolute and unwilling to bend. ''Hang them high over the town!'' he cries out, closing the play completely unrepentant of the blood on his hands.
What does Judge Danforth say to Reverend Hale?
Judge Danforth responds indignantly to their challenges, asking ''Do you know who I am? '' as if his very presence should solve all their problems. Later, he bristles against a question from Reverend Hale by saying, ''you surely do not doubt my justice.'' Judge Danforth apparently thinks himself above questioning.
What is Judge Danforth's response to those who challenge the court's proceedings?
Judge Danforth's initial response to those who challenge the court's proceedings is to silence them. When Giles Corey speaks up in court, Judge Danforth commands him to sit back down. When that doesn't work, he calls for the marshal to remove Corey.
Who is Judge Danforth (The Character)?
Judge Danforth is invited to Salem to make the ultimate decision in "The Crucible": Are the accused truly witches, or are the accusers lying? His job is to oversee the situation and announce his judgment to the town. He is in charge of the prosecution of these so-called witches, and he takes this job seriously.
Danforth in Real Life
Many readers of "The Crucible" are not aware of this, but Judge Thomas Danforth was a real person who played a role in the Salem witch trials. The real Danforth was born in England in 1622 and moved to the New England area in 1634 with his father and siblings after his mother's untimely death.
Thomas Danforth: How Does He Compare to His Fictional Self?
The real Thomas Danforth and the fictional Thomas Danforth are not much alike. Though Thomas Danforth was deputy governor when the hysterics of the witch trials in Salem began, he didn't play as big of a role as some people might believe.
Danforth's Initial Response
Giles Corey and Francis Nurse are the first to experience Judge Danforth's wrath. He initially responds to retaliation by attempting to completely silence them. At one point, Giles Corey, whose wife is accused, speaks up during a court proceeding when he feels Danforth is not being fair. Danforth immediately responds by commanding him to sit down.
What Does Mary Tell Danforth?
Mary Warren, a teenage character who is one of the accusers, eventually becomes wrought with guilt and starts to believe she is doing the wrong thing when she goes along with the likes of Abigail Williams.
How Does Danforth Treat Elizabeth Proctor?
While Mary Warren is trying to prove the innocence of the accused, John Proctor attempts to back her up by admitting he had an affair with Abigail Williams--he even admits his wife knows. Danforth is skeptical, so he orders Elizabeth Proctor to court to confirm the truth. Elizabeth's face is filled with pain when she walks in.
Why did Judge Danforth come to Salem?
He is intelligent, successful, and highly respected. Danforth has come to Salem in order to oversee the prosecution of those accused of witchcraft. He has serene confidence in his ability to deliver fair judgment. The hysteria of the trials does not extinguish his personal belief that he is the most qualified judge.
Why did Danforth order the execution of the convicts?
He remains steadfast in his belief that the convicts should be executed because it would be unfair to those who had earlier been hanged. The moment Proctor declines to allow him to post his confession at the church entrance, Danforth immediately orders for his execution. This shows how Danforth fanatically believes in standing by a principle despite being proven beyond any reasonable doubt that he has an incorrect conviction.
What happens to Danforth after believing the girls' feigned possessions?
Upon believing the girls’ feigned possessions, under the leadership of Abigail, he gets trapped in his ego. Danforth is now unable to admit that he has been duped simply. He is representative of the evils of blind faith in the play. He has refused to accept the truth since doing so will embarrass him. Danforth would rather let people die instead.
What does Judge Danforth do when Giles Corey speaks up?
The moment Giles Corey Spoke up in the courtroom, Danforth orders him to sit down immediately . When this method fails to work, he summons the court-martial to have Corey taken out. He considers Corey’s plea for a fair hearing as a rebellious act.
What is the Crucible about?
The Crucible, a play composed of utter panic and paranoia written by Arthur Miller, is an allegory to the McCarthy trials of the 1950’s. An allegory is a story with two levels of meaning-literal and symbolic. In an allegory the characters, events, and instances all relate to real people, events and instances (“Definition of Allegory” R104). Characters like John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Mary Warren represent Arthur Miller, Senator Joseph McCarthy, and Elia Kazan. Corresponding events that happened
Who is the rhetorician in The Crucible?
A particularly strong rhetorician is Deputy Governor Danforth, who has a position in the hierarchy of the Salem Court in determining whether the convicted witches are guilty. Danforth’s goal is to find the truth, and he resolutely understands that his verdicts so far are of the true. In defense
Why did the witch trials continue in the Crucible?
One of many reasons the witch trials were able to continue was because of Judge Danforth’s ignorance towards what was actually going on in Salem. When Francis Nurse and John Proctor try to explain to him the girls are deceiving him, he over rules their
Why does John Proctor value his reputation?
Reverend Parris values how people perceive him because of its effect on his job. Judge Danforth values his reputation because it grants him a level of esteem and control. John Proctor, on the other hand, values his reputation because he believes it is a direct representation of himself. Although the motives of these characters
Who are the three characters in The Crucible?
In this story there are three characters who care deeply about their reputation. John Proctor, Reverend Parris, and Judge Danforth. John Proctor , a good man who is known as someone who defends the people he cares about. He has good morals, is the good citizen. John is one who cares and worked hard to protect
Who said "Nearly all men can stand adversity but if you want to test a?
Abraham Lincoln once said: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man 's character, give him power.” In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, the issue of authority is emphasized; many characters seek to unfold the truth behind the justice system, when faced with wrongdoings and immoral behavior. For example, during the Salem witch trials individuals try to challenge the men in power when they see authority being abused, in favour of having an honest justice system. When testing
