Crucible Siete

1.) Danforth: "Abigail. I bid you now search your heart and tell me this--and beware of it, child, to God every soul is precious and His vengeance is terrible on them that take life without cause. Is it possible, child, that the spirits you have seen are illusion only, some deception that may cross your mind when--" (Miller 108)

Danforth says that God is vicious on those who kill without cause. Meanwhile, he has been killing without cause! He speaks from the perspective of God's eyes, and likewise, he has no cause in God's eyes. He has an earthly cause--that these people are accused of witchcraft by their court--but in truth, these are innocents. Danforth has ordered near a hundred to hang, and he thought it was for a just cause. The Court, including Danforth, believe themselves to be God, not in the literal sense, but they are putting themselves in His shoes. They believe themselves infallible, and that their word is law. When he is questioning Abigail if she is lying, Danforth is drawing away any blame from himself and washing his hands of it. He realizes that, with this new evidence, maybe he was the one unjustly taking lives, but he instead puts the blame on Abigail. Instead of thinking the spirits he saw were false, he questions whether the spirits Abigail saw were false. He saw the same spirits as Abby, and yet he believes that he cannot be wrong.

2.) Proctor: "I have made a bell of my honor! I have rung the doom of my good name--you will believe me, Mr. Danforth! My wife is innocent, except she knew a whore when she saw one!" (111)

Proctor did it. He told the court of his affair and his lechery. Unable to stand Abby's connivery any longer, he explodes, calling her a whore. He had to give Danfroth proof, and the proof was his unfaithfulness. When Danforth questions Abby, she threatens him that she will walk out: "If I must answer that, I will leave and I will not come back again!" (111). Afraid of losing his only chance of making the court indeed seem infallible, Danfsorth falters. Proctor has flaunted his affair now, all for his wife. He confessed his sins--knowing there is no way to redeem himself--and gave Abby a possible motive. Still however, Danforth does not believe him fully. Proctor has done so much, and it was all for nothing. Imagine the courage Proctor needed to admit such a blemish. He had to get over so much, and yet Danforth will not believe him. Abby has more sway over Danforth than Proctor does, even though Proctor is the older, more sensible choice than the 17-year-old. They have both not been as "faithful", in the court's eyes, as someone should be, so they cannot be discriminated against for that. Still, though, Danforth chooses Abigail.