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Who Is Judge Danforth In The Crucible

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In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible we are introduced to the dynamic character of Judge Danforth. We first meet Thomas Danforth in Act III where he is in his sixties depicted as the gullible deputy Governor of Salem, Massachusetts. Alongside Judge Hathorne during the witchcraft trials of 1692. Our first meeting with Danforth is in the courtroom. The situation taken place is the questioning of Martha Corey, who is the wife of Giles Corey. Martha is being questioned about being a witch which she denies. Giles Corey later enters the courtroom saying he has evidence for the court, but his evidence is denied, and he is pulled out by Cheever. Through his interactions and relationships with other characters, we get to know his personalities. We …show more content…

Anyone that tries to present evidence to him is shut down automatically. Giles Corey, for instance, presented evidence to the court but was told to be quiet by Danforth. Danforth says proudly (Act III, Scene 1 ): "This is the highest court of the supreme government of this province." Judge Danforth is bragging about his power. He goes on and states (Act III, Scene 1): "near to four hundred are in the jails...and upon my signature...and seventy-two condemned to hang by that signature." The townspeople's who are condemned, their lives are hanging by his signature. John Proctor, whose wife is in the custody of the court, also presents evidence to the court to prove that the girls are fake. Danforth also denies the evidence and says that Proctor is trying to overthrow the court rather than just saving Elizabeth Proctor. Danforth goes on to say (Act III)"a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it...no uncorrupted man may fear this court.This is a sharp time, now, a precise time—we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world. Now, by God’s grace, the shining sun is up, and them that fear not light will surely praise

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Another viewpoint, maybe that Judge Danforth was just trying to get the Salem witch trials to blow by quicker, but if this was true, he would´ve accepted John Proctor´s evidence showing that the girls were just playing tricks them. This would make the witch hysteria go away much quicker. Instead, he benefits himself by letting the Salem witch trials live longer. If Danforth was a good Judge he would not have acted so adamant and did his job as a judge to interpret the

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In our society, many people rely on the power of law and justice in order to protect themselves. Some powerful men abuse and misuse their power which brings many unfairnesses and tragedies. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Judge Danforth is a deputy governor of the state, and he is also the judge for the witchcraft trail. Judge Danforth represents the authority and supremacy in the entire play. Throughout the play, Danforth’s tyrannous and stubborn personality caused many wrong decisions that he made in the court.

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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.

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Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. During this time, many people are hung for being accused of performing witchcraft, but who is there to blame? During this time, many people feared for their lives, and others used this as a time to get rid of people. In The Crucible, Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Deputy-Governor Danforth are responsible for the witch trials in Salem. The play begins with many girls dancing in the woods and people being accused of witchcraft.

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A conservative Puritan, he served for many years as one of the colony’s councilors and magistrates, generally leading opposition to attempts by the English kings to assert control over the colony. He accumulated land in the central part of the colony that eventually became a portion of Framingham, Massachusetts. His government roles included administration of territory in present-day Maine that was purchased by the colony. Danforth was a leading figure in the colony at the time of the Salem witch trials, but did not sit on the “Court of Oyer and Terminer.” Despite this, he is inaccurately depicted in Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” and its movie adaptions as doing so.

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769 Words | 4 Pages

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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.

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