Discussion Topic
Danforth's Characterization and Influence in The Crucible
Summary:
Deputy Governor Danforth in The Crucible is characterized by his initial confidence and belief in the court's righteousness, but he becomes increasingly desperate to protect his reputation and authority as the play progresses. Despite recognizing the falsehoods in the girls' testimonies, Danforth prioritizes maintaining his power over seeking truth, leading to strained relationships with characters like John Proctor and Reverend Hale, both of whom lose respect for him. His pride and stubbornness ultimately drive the tragic outcomes of the play.
Does Danforth change throughout The Crucible?
At the risk of giving him too much credit, I do think Danforth changes. When the audience first meets him in Act Three, he seems to honestly believe that the girls are telling the truth when they accuse others of witchcraft. That the Puritan religion admitted both the existence of witches as well as the possibility of the devil working constantly in their daily lives to tempt and corrupt them meant that Danforth could legitimately believe the seemingly wild stories the girls were telling him. He says, "We burn a hot fire [in this court]; it melts down all concealment," and I think he believes that this is true because of the evidence (convincing to him and others) he's heard from both the girls and the people who confessed to witchcraft.
By Act 4, however, Danforth has changed. I think he now recognizes that the girls were lying. He calls...
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Reverend Parris "a brainless man" now that Abigail and Mercy Lewis have robbed him and run off, and certainly Abigail's theft and flight make her look immoral and guilty. Further, he seems more concerned about his and the court's authority now than he does about truth. When Parris and Hale ask him to postpone the hangings, he refuses, saying, "Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now." Even if all those who've been hanged were innocent, he cannot now seem to admit the possibility because it would mean that he and the other judges have been tricked. He swears that, if the town should rebel, he would rather hang them all than appear weak. Therefore, during the course of the play, Danforth seems to have lost sight of what is important: truth. By the end, retaining his own reputation, authority, and appearance of righteousness trumps his concern for truth.
How do Danforth's traits affect his relationships with characters in The Crucible?
Judge Danforth is primarily developed through indirect characterization. Unlike the characters introduced earlier in the play, we do not have the benefit of a narrator's explanation of Danforth and his behavior. Therefore, we primarily get to know Danforth by what he says and by his relationship with other characters.
Through Danforth's actions in the play, we understand him to be a very proud and stubborn man. He greatly dislikes and mistrusts Reverend Hale because he questions the proceedings. He also greatly dislikes Reverend Parris, calling him a "brainless man" (Act 4) and repeatedly telling him to be quiet (Act 3). Both of these men are challenging Danforth's authority in some way -- Hale by questioning the veracity of the girls' testimony and Parris by trying to take over the questioning of Mary Warren (see Act 3).
John and Abigail pose a different type of threat to Danforth. They question is judgment and discernment. Through these two characters we see the extent of Danforth's ego and stubbornness. The evidence against Abigail is staggering, but admitting that she was a fraud means admitting that he made a mistake in condemning supposed witches to their deaths, which Danforth cannot do.
These traits of Danforth seal the fates of the main characters. They cause Reverend Hale to compromise his beliefs, asking the prisoners to save their lives by lying. They lead to the condemnation of John Proctor, and allow Abigail Williams to escape her deserved fate. They even cause Reverend Parris, the court's biggest supporter, to plead and pray with prisoners to save themselves. Danforth's pride is the catalyst for the climax and resolution of the play.
What is Danforth's role in The Crucible and how would you characterize his personality?
Danforth, as we are told in some background information in act three, is the Deputy Governor of the colony. He is, evidently, the chief magistrate in the trials as a result of his position, and people present themselves and their evidence directly to him.
As for Danforth's personality, Miller says that "he is a grave man in his sixties, of some humor and sophistication that does not, however, interfere with an exact loyalty to his position and his cause." Danforth proves that he cares more about his authority and position than he does about finding the truth and protecting the innocent. In the court, he says things like, "We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment." But, in the end, in act four, when he is presented with information that indicates that the convictions the court has made are actually in error—that those sentenced to die are actually innocent—he chooses to move forward with the executions rather than delay and risk undermining his own authority and power. To those who advise him to delay the hangings, he says,
Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. While I speak God's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering. If retaliation is your fear, know this—I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and an ocean of salt tears could not melt the resolution of the statutes.
Rather than risk undermining his authority, he sends people who he knows are very likely innocent to their deaths. Thus, he is more interested in protecting himself and his position than he is in finding the truth or protecting innocent people.