The Crucible Group

Question:

cheyenneraeguisti
cheyenneraeg...

Do you think the questions and methods of questioning are fair? explain.

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Posted by cheyenneraeguisti on Wednesday September 30, 2009 at 5:53 PM and tagged with literature, the crucible.

Answers:

  1. dneshan
    dneshan Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    In the courtroom scenes of this play, Judges Hathorne and Danforth use completely unfair questioning methods and questions.  They are asking questions of the accused that could never be answered in a way that would make them seem innocent.  First of all, they are questioning these people right in front of the girls (or others) who are accusing them of being witches.  For this reason, if the accused answered the question "incorrectly", the girls could easily pretend that a spirit was making them answer that way or begin to be bewitched.  Secondly, the judges do not seem to believe in "innocent until proven guilty", and are definately questioning the accused as if they are already guilty of the crime.  Therefore, the accused has to prove that they are innocent which would be impossible with the girls sitting right there in the room.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/crucible

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    Posted by dneshan on Wednesday October 28, 2009 at 6:51 PM