Who is Judge Danforth in The Crucible?
3 min read
Asked by: Michelle Martinez
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.
What type of character is Judge Danforth 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 is Danforth presented in The Crucible?
In Arthur Miller’s 1953 play The Crucible, Danforth is depicted as the leading judicial figure overseeing the Salem trials. William Stoughton is not a character in the play, and Miller portrays Danforth as an honest but domineering and selfish judge, under whose authority many are imprisoned and sentenced to hang.
Why is Judge Danforth so powerful?
The reason Judge Danforth is the most powerful out of all the characters in The Crucible is because, Judge Danforth has the power of speaking, the power of speaking is where Judge Danforth decides who is able to speak or who is able to be heard, where Judge Danforth says “Turn your back.
What is Judge Danforth’s motivation?
He likes to think of himself as fair-minded, so it disturbs and angers him to discover that people fear the court. He believes that no innocent person should fear the court, and that he and Judge Hathorne are guided by God, so nobody will be punished unjustly.
How is Judge Danforth corrupt?
Judge Danforth was corrupt in “The Crucible” because he knew that the hysteria and cries of witchcraft from the teenage girls was all a farce. He knew that the girls were lying and accusing people based on their personal judgments, and yet, he let the trials continue.
What is Danforth’s role in The Crucible?
The Ruler of the Courtroom Who Cannot See the Truth
Judge Danforth is one of the key characters in Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible.” The play tells the story of the Salem Witch Trials and Judge Danforth is the man responsible for determining the fates of those accused.
How did Danforth abuse his power?
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.
Who does Judge Danforth accuse?
Danforth summons Abigail and three of the girls into the vestry room, where he questions Abigail. She denies Mary Warren’s charge that she is lying and that she falsely accused Elizabeth Proctor.
What was Danforth 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 did Danforth cause hysteria?
In ¨ The Crucible¨ by Arthur Miller many people panicked from the witch hysteria which caused many to be accused of being witches, Judge Danforth decided what happens to the accused witches and is the most corrupted in Salem because his power of being a judge made him go overboard with his decisions on people.
