Miller makes the hunt for witches in Salem sound mad, he also said the same for the hunt for communists, especially when he was convicted. This shows the similarities between the witch-hunt and the communist-hunt and how alike they are.
Miller structures the Crucible so it is set into four acts and tells most the story straight to the viewer or reader. This is minus the John Proctor affair, which took place off stage.
In act one were the story begins, the situation is told. We get told that a group of young girls have been practising witchcraft in the woods with Tituba. The initial incident is the actual accusation of the woman, Tituba of witchcraft by the several girls, which were in the woods. This leads to the town’s people to get into a mad frenzy, which get the story in motion. The witch-hunt itself is the main action of the story. The audience learn that in later acts that several women are being tried and hanged for witchcraft when most the time they are blatantly innocent. This shows how Danforth, the judge is unwilling to change his views even if he realises the people that are being accused are actually innocent.
The climax of the Crucible is the accusing of the Proctors for being involved in witchcraft. The proctors try and get their servant, Tituba to confess her doings on what she did in the woods along with the other girls. When the trial finally reaches the court, Tituba turns her back on the Proctors and goes along with the other girls. The court reaches it finally conclusion. The conclusion being that John Proctor is guilty and will be punished by being hung and executed.
The death of John Proctor is the final piece of action for the Crucible. He is being executed but yet he still holds his innocence of being possessed by and evil spirit and finally he is killed.
Danforth comes across in the play as being a hard man, and one not willing to change his views. He is also a prominent character in the play and one of the main judges that prosecute those accused of witchcraft. He is in charge of hearing all evidence against people, and judging them on his final conclusions. The fact that he doesn’t let any one of those accused off, unless they confess, creates the impression that he a valiant man of his word and a hard man with little sympathy or any other kinder human traits.
In act three is the first mentioning of Danforth. Miller includes notes about some of the characters in stage directions, and those notes of Danforth give us an instant impression about him.
Miller writes; ‘Danforth is a grave man in his sixties, of some humour and sophistication, that does not, however interfere with an exact loyalty to his position and his cause.’
Danforth seems to criticise those who do not attend church regularly, as he is a highly religious man; he even brings religion into his arguments a lot. He seems to have lot more respect for those who he thinks are ‘good Christians’ who uphold and lead a Christian lifestyle.
Danforth: “you are in all respect a gospel Christian?”
Proctor: “I am, sir”
Danforth: “such a Christian that will not come to church but once a month?”
Danforth: “…plough on Sunday?”
In the days Miller was writing about, a man generally could not call him self a Christian unless he adopted a rather strict was of living, known as a ‘good Christian’ and obeyed the rigid rules of the church. Danforth seems highly disbelieving that a man who considers himself as a Christian could plough on a Sunday as shown in the conversation quotes above. Nowadays all this would be acceptable, being a Christian doesn’t mean that you have to attend church every week, or follow any rules, it’s all about your own beliefs to this day. Danforth respects Christians, and while using an apparent lack of Christianity against the people accused of witchcraft, he seems to admire the use of it to accuse them justly.
Danforth feels he has to choose someone to believe and stick to his or hers point of view. He does this because when the girls are questioned they frequently shout “I am with God” or “I am with God now”, Danforth seems to believe the young girls and almost sees this as a reason of why they may be telling the truth. He seems to believe that the girls are ‘with God’ although he refuses to believe it about any one who is accused. This seems rather hypocritical, however if he believed any one who was accused was ‘with God’ and announced them innocent then he would be accusing the girls of lying. He realises this when some of the people use ‘I am with God’ as a reason to why they are innocent so he realises that he can not contradict himself and goes along with the girl’s point of view.
It would certainly be a popular decision to believe the girl’s, which is what Danforth did. This would be highly recommended by the people living there because they think it would be keen to ‘carry out god’s work’.
He shows some kind human traits, although the select conditions, under which he does these, make it seem a lot more false. When he is talking to Goody Proctor, he seems kind and respectful. When he dies this, she is already a condemned woman, and this may be for his own gain, as he is trying to get Proctor to confess.
Another theme, which links us to Danforth, is his pride. He obviously has a lot of pride. He thinks of himself as a good Christian and has a lot of belief in his own personal power. He sees ant challenge on the court as an attack, therefore an attack on him. He refuses to hear defences against those accused, by whoever is trying to defend a so-called ‘witch’. I think that Danforth realises that he has being wrong in some stages, because when Mary Warren challenges the truth of the accusations, he listens and probably has doubts about the charges against Goody Proctor, and later on Proctor. This shows how he does not withdraw his decision already made, as it would prove him wrong in an earlier act. He does this because he doesn’t want to show any weakness or give other people the satisfaction that they have won a battle against him.
Usually when people’s lives are at stake a fairer trail is given. Danforth stays to his word and doesn’t feel he can let anyone off any charges for which other have already been punished for. Surly a judge who believes in justice and follows a strong religion would rather lose his good reputation rather than the lives of many of innocent people? Danforth obviously does not feel this way and now shows remorse at the end of the play as he says: “let them hang high over the town. Those who weep for these weep for corruption.” This shows Danforth staying to his beliefs and decisions and feels no mercy for those who were executed.
