ipl-logo

Religion Based Court System In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

470 Words2 Pages

Religion based court systems often lead to downfalls within a community. In addition, religion based courts also can lead to cruelty within a community. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller uses characters to show human cruelty in the name of righteousness can be used as a tool for their own interest. For example, Reverend Parris and Judge Danforth both used God in order to harm others. This is also used in determining, and eventually kills Giles Corey. Reverend Parris used religion in order to protect his family and his own reputation. When Abigail was accused of witchcraft, she blamed Tituba for what happened to Betty. Reverend Parris would believe Abigail, troubled and insane, of being under Tituba’s command. Parris would then use his power to threaten Tituba. “You will confess yourself or I will take you out and whip you to your death, Tituba!” (161), Parris commanded. To explain, Parris uses his power of the religion based court in order to threaten and whip her. Parris would go to the extent of whipping someone just to keep up his “good” reputation. …show more content…

Hale and Parris wanted the trials to end, Hale notices that the trials are getting out of hand, and Parris gets threats from the townspeople. However Danforth, authoritative and cruel, decides that the trials should continue. He even uses religion to persuade the men to continue the trials. “...Now draw yourselves up like men and help me, as you are bound by heaven to do…”(205), he demands. In other words Danforth argues, if these men don’t continue the trials with him, they'll be sinners. In the same way as Reverend Parris, Judge Danforth only refuses for the trials to stop because he wants to maintain a “holy”

Show More
Related

How Is Judge Danforth Corrupt In The Crucible

508 Words | 3 Pages

Judge Danforth was the person who decided what happened to the ¨guilty¨ people, which led to 24 killed, 19 hanged, 1 pressed, and 4 who died in prison. "Near to four hundred are in the jails from Marblehead to Lynn, and upon my signature...and seventy-two condemned to hang by that signature" ( Page 183). Danforth talks about how with his signature he killed many people and put many people in prison. He shows how he is responsible for many deaths in not just Salem but, other places too. Judge Danforth used his powers as a Judge to his advantage, he was the most corrupt in this story.

Read More

The Role Of Judge Danforth In The Crucible

106 Words | 1 Pages

As the voice of authority of Salem, Judge Danforth leads to the tragedy of their social disturbance by breakdown Salem’s solidarity.

Read More

Character Analysis Of Judge Danforth In The Crucible

447 Words | 2 Pages

Judge Danforth’s unwavering egotism culminates in the unfortunate deaths of Salem townsfolk. Arthur Miller’s classic play The Crucible demonstrates how the actions of one person can affect many others. Judge Danforth cares more about his own reputation than what is right. Often times people try to think of what is right instead of saving their own face, Judge Danforth is an exception to this stereotype. The Salem Witch Trials were a horrible time where many people lost their lives due to an unjust court system.

Read More

What Role Did Religion Play In The Crucible

326 Words | 2 Pages

The Crucible took place in Salem, Massachusetts where the Puritans lived in a restricted society with a unique culture and lifestyle. Puritans lives focused on religion and following God’s plan. Throughout the The Crucible religion played a major role in regards to the plot of the story. Religion was a big deal to the Puritans as it was a requirement to attend church. They wanted to live a simple and peaceful life.

Read More

Danforth And Hale In The Crucible

533 Words | 3 Pages

Hale acknowledges human’s mortality more so than Danforth who believes his word is the final say. Furthermore, Judge Danforth appears to only be concerned with having those who were jailed, confess to being witches whether they were or not. All those who do not confess to conspiring with the devil in his eyes are evil and those “who weep for [them, therefore] weep for corruption” (134). In contrast, Hale is desperate to save the innocent from their inevitable doom because he believes “life is God’s most precious gift” and “no principle [] may justify taking it” (122). He even encourages Elizabeth Proctor to “prevail upon [her] husband to confess” because “God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride” (122).

Read More

The Salem Witch Trials In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

1257 Words | 6 Pages

The Salem witch trials proved to be one of the most cruel and fear driven events to ever occur in history. Many innocent people were accused of witchcraft, and while some got out of the situation alive not everyone was as lucky. Arthur Miller the author of The Crucible conveys this horrific event in his book and demonstrates what fear can lead people to do. But the reason as to why Arthur Miller felt the need to write The Crucible in the first place was because the unfortunate reality that history seemed to have repeated itself again. In the article “Are You Now or Were You Ever”, Arthur Miller claims that the McCarthy era and the Salem witch trials were similar and he does this through his choice of diction, figurative language, and rhetorical questions.

Read More

Examples Of Confession In The Crucible

1240 Words | 5 Pages

Reverend Parris, Deputy Governor Danforth, and Reverend Hale’s desire for Proctor’s confession demonstrates their need to keep up their reputations and the well-being of the citizens of Salem. A motive for Proctor’s confession is for Reverend Parris and Danforth’s reputations to be upheld and avoid a rebellion of the townspeople against the court and leaders. Parris fears that if Proctor is to be hanged, then the town will attempt to overthrow the court for it’s dishonesty and rebel against him. Danforth’s beliefs are similar to Parris’: if Proctor does not confess, then his reputation of holding up an honest and valid court would be ruined.

Read More

The Crucible Power Analysis

705 Words | 3 Pages

One of the main elements that eventually build up to the main plot in the play is power. Many of the characters in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible have a strong desire for power. The Salem witch trials empowered several characters in the play who were previously marginalized in Salem society. It gave them the chance to misuse it leading to horrible suffering and even deaths of some innocent people in the town. Some of these characters are Abigail Williams, Deputy Governor Danforth and Reverend Parris.

Read More

Theme Of Manipulation In The Crucible

831 Words | 4 Pages

“’She makes me drink blood”’ says Abigail (Miller 160). The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller. The play takes place during the Salem Witch Trials, where many people were accused of witchcraft. The accused were either jailed or hanged. In the play many characters are blind to the truth and are changing the path of life.

Read More

Theme Of Religion In The Crucible

305 Words | 2 Pages

Religion In The Crucible In The Crucible, religion is a theme that aids in developing the story, it helps to begin the story and build the plot. Religion in the story is what, overall, pushes many people to talk about witchcraft, and blame it on others. Though religion is normally thought of as a thing of value amongst those who follow one, the people of Salem use it to their advantage, as trying to take someone 's land. “Old scores could be settled on a plane of heavenly combat between Lucifer and the Lord” shows how the people of this time period could call a person evil, or a witch, in order to take their property from them, using religion all the while (Miller 8).

Read More

The Crucible Danforth Character Analysis Essay

769 Words | 4 Pages

Along with the final say in the putting to death of people during the Salem witch trials. Miller portray’s Danforth’s characterization as stubborn, highly religious, and arrogant in order to to provide a clearer understanding. Judge Danforth wants to keep the full respect of the people, and therefore is stubborn on any decision he makes in the court, so he

Read More

The Themes Of Intolerance In Arthur Miller's The Crucible

803 Words | 4 Pages

He says, "a person is either with his court or he must be counted against it". The witch trials, as seen in the story, can express this idea, this quote of what Danforth is saying. They have this logic of which happens in the witch trails, so it us, it might not make much sense, but to them it made sense; they thought that if it wasn 't for God, it had to do with satanic activity or the devil. One symbol that was used in the story was the doll that was found in Elizabeth 's house. Abigail Williams purposely pointed Elizabeth as a suspect of witchcraft through the

Read More

Examples Of Injustice In The Crucible

615 Words | 3 Pages

Danforth tries to turn the evidence that Giles gives against him. Parris tries to deny Mary Warren when he says "Your Excellency, this is a trick to blind the court!"(Miller 518). What he is trying to do is to turn Mary's confession to not seeing spirits against her. Parris doesn't want to look bad and tries to save himself. The people have no power to defend themselves to be innocent.

Read More

Essay On Judge Danforth In The Crucible

741 Words | 3 Pages

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. He did not listen to the people of Salem defending themselves before inevitably being sent to death; and he cared more about his reputation and the law than he did about peoples’ lives. Danforth was a ruthless power over the people of Salem he demanded respect for himself and the court; and nothing was more important than that.

Read More

Theocracy In The Crucible

984 Words | 4 Pages

The author, Arthur Miller, displays a theocracy to demonstrate a court's ignorance towards actual facts. A theocracy is a religion based government. Throughout the novel, The Crucible, the religion of the government corrupts decisions that are made in court. If someone was not a part of the church or did not attend every Sunday they were thought to be a witch, or at least dishonorable. Danforth, deputy governor, brought forth the main issue of the whole novel, "A person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between" (Miller 94).

Read More

More about Religion Based Court System In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

Related Topics

Open Document