42). (Hale, Act 2, p. 68). By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Abigails presence is always rife with irony in. In his case, it's more hysteria than fear he doesn't particularly fear that he may be accused as a witch, but he has been persuaded by the "frightful proofs" he's seen and this has blinded him to any other possible reasons that the witchcraft accusations might be being made. (Proctor, Act 2, p. 76). Stephen Hendry criticises Mark Selby and Mark Allen The Crucible Judge Danforth Character Analysis | ipl.org Parris Act 1, Power, paranoia, hysteria, repression, self righteous society, "It's a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman" Abigail about Elizabeth Act 1, "My name is goodI will not have it said my name is soiled" Abigail to Rev. Mary Warren feels entitled to, asks for, and (to some extent) receives respect because she is now in a greater position of power. Parris asks Danforth to postpone Proctor and Rebecca's executions in Act IV after Abigail and Mercy run away, which casts doubt on the entire trial. Choose a single character and discuss how this person embodies one of the themes. I have seen too many frightful proofs in court - the Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points!" 61). You'll also receive an email with the link. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, list of every single character in the play, details on the history and thematic parallels behind this connection. 60 The Crucible Quotes With Page Numbers | Ageless Investing First off, what is irony? This line is a reference to the name of the play, The Crucible. I'll give a short summary of how each plays a role in the events of The Crucible. However, this runs up against Danforths desire to preserve his reputation as a strong judge. She openly threatens Danforth for even entertaining Mary and John's accusations of fraud against her. This means that much of the population that remains is comprised of the power-hungry, the selfish, and the cowardly. Look no further! makes them feel the best about themselves. John tells the judge to summon Elizabeth to back him up because he knows she always tells the truth. John attempts to crush his guilt instead of facing it, which only ends up making it an even more destructive factor in his life. If retaliation is your fear, know thisI should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and an ocean of salt tears could not melt the resolution of the statute." The play illustrates the sudden empowerment of women, the fall of community, and the loss of power of high-ranking people, like Reverend Parris and John Proctor. The witch and the victim. We have listed the best ones for you here. The town, already primed with rumors of black magic, is quickly willing to accept that the first few women who are accused are involved in black magic because theyre beggars and slaves. Rational explanations are ground up by the drama of the rumor mill, and people see only what they want to see (whatever keeps them in the good graces of society andmakes them feel the best about themselves) in situations that don't appear to have easy explanations. One example of this is when Mary Warren accuses John Proctor of being the Devil's man: when push comes to shove, she is not strong enough to tell the truth (Act 3, p. 110). In The Crucible, the reputation of the church, the government, and the individual is called into question. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! In Act 1 he jumped on board with the hysteria to preserve his power, but he ended up losing what little authority he had in the first place (and, according to Miller's afterward, was voted out of office soon after the end of the play).