Crucible Seis

1.) Danforth: "I tell you straight, Mister--I have seen marvels in this court. I have seen people choked before my eyes by spirits; I have seen them stuck by pins and slashed by daggers. I have until this moment not the slightest reason to suspect that the children may be deceiving me. Do you understand my meaning?" (Miller 90).

Danforth is in a sticky situation. As we find out, Danforth is the member of court that issues warrants, jails, and condemns people. Even if the judges are the ones who make the decisions, there is still a lot of weight thrust upon his shoulders. He has jailed close to four hundred people because of this witchcraft case, and has even sentenced seventy-two more people to hang, all by his own hand. Until now, he has had to no reason suspect that anything he was doing was wrong, no reason to suspect deception. He, like most of the court, believed what they were doing was just. Now that Proctor comes forth claiming it was all an elaborate hoax, Danforth has near 500 lives on his conscience. If what Proctor says is true, Danforth has searched villagers' homes and taken them against their will for nothing. He has locked near 400 villagers' up without a just cause. Even more severe, he has killed seventy-two innocents because of a handful of teenage girls. The magnitude of the situation is enough to make any man quiver. After what Danforth has seen, he has had no reason to doubt until now.

2.) Giles: "My proof is there! [...] If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property--that's law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!" (96).

Putnam is shown for what he really is. Giles shows Danforth a valid motive for accusing Jacobs as a witch(Rachael, men apparently CAN be witches in this...even though they should be warlocks). Putnam is obsessed with land, as is evident from the land dispute between the Putnams and the Nurses. If Jacobs hangs, his land goes up for auction, and the only person who will be able to buy that land is Putnam. That is enough incentive to call anyone a witch. Who knew Giles would be able to come up with such an intelligent motive. It would hold up in any court of law. This relates back to our discussion of the characters' true motives. Putnam is sneaky and will do anything for land, even making his own daughter cry out against someone for it. Ironically, Danforth does not believe it, or at least asks for proof: "But proof, sir, proof" (96). This is the same society that believes any accusing finger of witchcraft, yet needs proof for a reason behind it. Logically, it does not make sense.