Crucible Character Analysis- Judge Danforth

Judge Danforth

Judge Danforth is a selfish man who puts his reputation before the lives of others. Danforth remains a static character throughout the play. He stays self-absorbed, cold-hearted, and determined to protect his reputation from the beginning to the end. Danforth takes advantage of his high position and thinks he "speak[s] God's law" (129) by condemning innocent people to death. How does Danforth know what God wants or what God thinks? Danforth is a cold-hearted judge who does not do his job. As a judge, Danforth is supposed to bring justice to the court, yet he brings justice by making decisions that will benefit him in the long run. The man has the audacity to think he is infallible: "Mr. Hale, you surely do not doubt my justice" (99). Danforth's overflowing pride leads him to believe he is at the same level with God. By condemning the so-called witches, Danforth is actually clearing Salem of the true Christians. Danforth even tells Proctor he "cannot live in a Christian country" (141) when there really is no Christianity left.

Judge Danforth is like a mother bear, protecting her cubs. If another animal comes too close, then she will attack it. Likewise, Danforth will attack anybody that may ruin his reputation. A mother bear hunts down prey to feed her cubs, just like Danforth condemns innocent people to feed his hunger for reputation. A mother bear scavenges for food to keep her cubs alive, just like Danforth hunts for reasons to keep his reputation alive.

Judge Danforth is like a parent who does not allow anybody to question his authority.

9. Crucible pg.127- END

Danforth: "Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part. [...] While I speak God's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering" (129).

Danforth remains a static character. He stays self-absorbed, cold-hearted, and determined to protect his reputation from the beginning to the end of the play. Danforth takes advantage of his high position and thinks he "speak[s] God's law" (129) by condemning innocent people to death. How does Danforth know what God wants or what God thinks? Danforth is a cold-hearted judge who does not do his job. As a judge, Danforth is supposed to bring justice to the court, yet he brings justice by making decisions that will benefit him in the long run. The man has the audacity to think he is infallible: "Mr. Hale, you surely do not doubt my justice" (99). Danforth's overflowing pride leads him to believe he is at the same level with God.


Elizabeth: "[Giles] stood mute, and died Christian under the law" (135).

Giles is also a static character. Giles stood by his belief and died a martyr. The old man was pressed with stones and encouraged more stones to be pressed upon him, dying a man of faith: "More weight" (135). He died with pride, leaving his sons his land and staying a true Christian. Giles did not need to prove himself to anyone because "God sees everything" (110). In order to stay alive, Giles would have turned away from God, lying that he was a witch. By condemning the so-called witches, Danforth is actually clearing Salem of the true Christians. Danforth has the nerve to tell Proctor he "cannot live in a Christian country" (141) when there really is no Christianity left.

8. Crucible pg. 113-127

Hale: "I may shut my conscience to it no more- private vengeance is walking through this testimony!" (114).

Hale has reached his turning point. He has grown sensibility and has forgotten about his reputation. Hale joined Proctor as the voice of reason. Proctor also mentioned that "vengeance is walking Salem [and] writes the law" (77). Now, it is Hale and Proctor against the judges. After angrily walking out of the court, Hale takes one last chance to convince Rebecca Nurse and the other condemned women to confess of doing witchcraft, knowing that this is the only way to save their lives: "Reverend Hale has returned to bring Rebecca Nurse [and the other condemned women] to God" (125). Parris and the judges have no idea of Hale's intentions, which makes Hale look like a good man, atoning the fact he stormed out of the court room: "I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!" (120). Hale sees the vengeance among the accusers when Danforth should be the one acknowledging this. If Danforth really does take his job seriously, then he should leave his reputation aside and look at the real sinners in front of him.


Proctor: "For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud- God damns our kind" (120).

Proctor makes his last attempt to shove reason into the judges' heads. If Danforth realizes he made a mistake, then he will be responsible for several hundred lives. In other words, no matter what, Danforth will continue condemning people in order to save his reputation. He puts his superior position before the lives of innocent people. When Giles came up to Danforth with his deposition defending himself, Danforth continued to question him: "Mr. Putnam states your charge is a lie. What say you to that?" (96). Danforth chose to believe Putnum's word over Giles's solid evidence. God will damn those that knowingly commit sin. In Danforth's case, he has committed a sin for every innocent person he put to death. Now, he is trying to find good reason for why those people needed to be hanged, so he does not look like a fallacious man.

7. Crucible pg. 98-113

Proctor: "A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything" (110).

It may not mean anything to Danforth and the other judges, but it should strike Abigail and her followers. If God sees everything, then He sees their deceitful acts and the evil game they play with society. The girls think they are safe by acting innocent, but if God is watching over them, seeing righteous people being hung and jailed by their hands, then they will be the ones doomed. By calling themselves "God's instrument[s]" (46), they are using God's name as a means of getting out of trouble, showing no actual value for Him. Almost everybody is taking advantage of religion and using it to seek vengeance upon their neighbors. These people know what they are doing is wrong, making themselves the real sinners.


Proctor: "[Elizabeth] only thought to save my name!" (113).

Elizabeth demonstrates her admirable character when she denies Proctor had an affair with Abigail. In the previous act, Proctor insisted that he should be forgiven or at least given some credit for confessing his lechery to her: "Spare me! You forget nothin' and forgive nothin'. Learn charity, woman" (54). Elizabeth showed the compassion Proctor was looking for at the wrong time. Although Elizabeth was crushed by Proctor's misbehavior, she did not give him up to the court. This could have possibly saved her life, but she put her husband ahead of her own desires. Unfortunately, so did Proctor: "I have made a bell of my honor! I have rung the doom of my good name- you will believe me" (111). Proctor ruined his name to save Elizabeth, and she was too kind to let his name be ruined. Everything looks even worse on Proctor because he insisted Elizabeth "[was] an honest woman [and] cannot lie" (111); thus, Elizabeth's confession was viewed without uncertainty. In the attempt to save each other, Proctor and Elizabeth got both of themselves in trouble.

6. Crucible pg. 83-98

Hale: "Excellency, he claims hard evidence for his wife's defense. I think that in all justice you must-" (86).

Giles presented Danforth with solid evidence, but Danforth still wanted proof: "But proof, sir, proof" (96). He does not question Putnum, but Giles, who has experience with the court and "know[s] [his] rights" (95). Giles knows that if he gives up a name, then that person will be investigated or put into jail under suspicion:"I have brought trouble on these people; I have-" (94). Hard evidence was put on the table, but Danforth has the power to believe what he wants. In this case, he is putting Putnum's accusing finger over the solid evidence of Giles. The court is unjust and Hale is beginning to realize this.


Danforth: "Do you know, Mr. Proctor, that the entire contention of the state in these trials is that the voice of Heaven is speaking through the children?" (88).

Danforth is a fool for believing this. He has a powerful position in court and it would be assumed that the man has common sense. Children are young, naive, and do anything in their power to get what they want, either by throwing a tantrum or acting innocent, like Abigail. How does it make sense that "a Christian girl [has the power] to hang old women" (58)? Danforth is putting a child's judgment over an adult's logical standpoint. There is no proof to even say Heaven is speaking through children. It takes one teenage girl to rally up a group of girls and put on a show. Abigail is clever and controls what goes on in the court. It is easy for Danforth to agree with her and the other accusations because he is not being affected by them.

5. Crucible pg. 67-81

Mary Warren: "I cannot charge murder on Abigail. [...] She'll kill me for sayin' that! Abby'll charge lechery on you, Mr. Proctor. [...] She'll ruin you with it, I know she will" (80).

Proctor is outraged when Cheever comes to take Elizabeth away. Proctor tries to keep Elizabeth from going, showing that he really does care about her. When Abigail approached him in the previous readings, he told her not to speak ill of Elizabeth and defended her. Whatever happened with Abigail has passed and he regrets it: "I will cut my hand off before I'll ever reach for you again" (23). Proctor does not care if Abigail accuses him of lechery because he is more concerned about Elizabeth: "Good. Then [Abagail's] saintliness is done with. We will slide together into our pit; you will tell the court what you know" (80). He could also be taking the matter in his own hands because he is sick of "children [...] jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance [writing] the law" (77). Proctor represents the strength the other male characters lack in the play. He speaks reasonably and is not afraid of what people think of him.


Proctor: "You are a coward! Though you be ordained in God's own tears, you are a coward now" (79).

Hale's uncertainty has increased, but he is not willing to speak up. He is just as scared as the innocent people who need to claim they were once witches in order to save their lives. Hale is a reverend who is not doing his job. If he has been ordained in the light of God, there is no need to be afraid, or else this shows Hale has doubt in Him. Hale feels guilty when Elizabeth is taken away. There would be no guilt if he agreed that Elizabeth was a witch. Cheever and Herrick seem to be working for Abigail. If she claims somebody is a witch, they hunt that person down without a question. Nobody sees the absurdity of teenage girls empowering the court.

4. Crucible pg. 49- 60

Elizabeth: "John- grant me this. You have a faulty understanding of young girls. There is a promise made in any bed-" (61).

After seven months, Elizabeth still holds Proctor's mistake against him. Even though he admitted to adultery, she has a tough time forgiving him and simply forgetting about it. Elizabeth has reason to despise Abigail, but her emotions cannot interfere with reason. Proctor explains the difficulty of telling the court Abigail is a fraud, but Elizabeth is more concerned that he was alone with her when he found this out: "You were alone with [Abigail]?" (53). Proctor wants Elizabeth to appreciate his honesty and notice the effort he makes to compensate for his misbehavior: "I mean to please you" (50). Knowing a spouse has cheated on you is not easy to forget, but under the circumstances of their strict community and Christian relationship, she has no choice but to deal with it. The deed was committed; now, Elizabeth must move on.


Elizabeth: "[Abigail] thinks to kill me, then take my place" (61).

Unfortunately, Elizabeth is right when she believes Abigail wants to kill her: "[Abigail] drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! [Abigail] drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" (19). Since Abigail is obsessed with Proctor, she will do anything to get Elizabeth away from him. Abigail also has a strong influence in the court, so Elizabeth needs to be careful: "Where [Abigail] walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel" (52-53). In other words, it is necessary for Abigail to be stopped before she causes anymore harm to innocent people like Elizabeth.

Pride and Prejudice Essay

Marriage unifies two people into one being, but there are a multitude of reasons for why two people marry. People often make the mistake of marrying a person for their wealth, rather than valuing their partner’s qualities. Others make the decision to marry based on practicality, without care for commitment. The reason that truly justifies a marriage is when two people are blissfully in love and mutually make the decision to spend the rest of their lives together. In a love marriage, nobody benefits more than the other, and there is a growing depth to the relationship, which makes love the most favorable basis for marriage.
In Pride and Prejudice, the characters reveal three types of marital motives through differing relationships. Mr. Wickham is first introduced as a man to die for, with charming good looks and personality. After attracting Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Wickham immediately shifts his interest to Miss King when he finds out she inherited a large sum of money: “[Mr. Wickham] paid [Miss King] not the smallest attention, till her grandfather’s death made her mistress of this fortune” (Austen 118). Mr. Wickham suddenly becomes interested in Miss King because he wants her wealth, which reveals his mercenary intentions. Unfortunately, this does not stop Mr. Wickham from acquiring enough money to get out of his debts: “Wickham still cherished the hope of more effectually making his fortune by marriage” (245). As the novel continues, he makes a swift move onto the docile heart of Lydia Bennet. Initially, Mr. Wickham used Lydia as an excuse to leave the militia. When Mr. Darcy asked Mr. Wickham if he was interested in marrying Lydia, “[Mr. Darcy] easily learnt, [marrying Lydia] had never been [Mr. Wickham’s] design” (245). Mr. Darcy convinced Mr. Wickham to marry Lydia, because running away without a cause would put more shame upon Mr. Wickham and the Bennet family. Mr. Wickham’s motive stayed resolute, and he acquired the money for his debt from Mr. Darcy. The greed of Mr. Wickham still continued after his marriage with Lydia: “[Mr. Wickham] not wholly without hope that Darcy might yet be prevailed on to make his fortune” (296). Mr. Wickham wanted more money, showing no gratitude for Mr. Darcy’s help.
Mr. Wickham’s first attempt of acquiring wealth must not be forgotten. He charmed the innocent heart of Miss Darcy into almost eloping with him: “Mr. Wickham’s chief object was unquestionably my sister’s fortune” (155). Mr. Wickham purported his love for Miss Darcy and broke her heart with no remorse. A mercenary marriage benefits one partner through the other’s wealth; in this case, Mr. Wickham would have been the benefactor of all three of these ladies. Mr. Wickham managed to reach his goal when he married Lydia.
A mercenary marriage does not unite two people into one being; it unites one person with the other’s wealth. A person with mercenary interests is using the means of marriage for their own personal advantages, not pursuing what the true meaning of marriage is: love. A person marries another for the love of their partner, not the love of their partner’s money. Mr. Wickham did not love Elizabeth, Miss King, Lydia, or Miss Darcy. Even as a married man, his love for Lydia withered away: “His affection for [Lydia] soon sunk into indifference” (296). The amount of wealth one shares with their partner should not affect the love that is shared between them. Mr. Wickham left Elizabeth and the other women ignorantly without considering their feelings. In the end, Wickham is not happy with his relationship, which clearly shows that money is one of the least favorable reasons for marriage.
Mr.Collins took a practical approach to marriage when he came to Longbourn. In order to find a wife, Mr. Collins went down the line of Bennet daughters. Since Jane was taken by Mr. Bingley, he proposed to Elizabeth. In his proposal, he explained his motives for marriage, which solely benefited himself: “I think it is a right thing for every clergyman […] to set the example of matrimony in his parish. […] I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness. […] It is the noble advice […] of [my] patroness” (81). Mr. and Mrs. Bennet wanted one of their daughters to marry Mr. Collins in order to keep the Bennet land among family. Since Mr. Collins was to entail the land after Mr. Bennet’s death, it made sense for Elizabeth to marry him. Besides that, Mr. Collins did not love Elizabeth. He claims to hold “violence of […] affection” (81) for her, yet marries Charlotte Lucas within a day of Elizabeth’s rejection.
A practical approach to marriage was also taken by Charlotte Lucas when she decided to marry Mr. Collins. Charlotte listed the necessities she believed would make her happy in order to justify her marriage with him: “I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins’s character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair, as most people can boast on entering the marriage state” (96). This prudent marriage benefits not only Charlotte with a home and a nice living, but also Mr. Collins with a wife. This list of benefits only supply satisfaction and not true happiness, something a love marriage would provide.
The relationship between Charlotte and Mr. Collins had no depth, unlike a love marriage. Both characters were incapable of showing the other any affection because there was no physical attraction to begin with. Charlotte and Mr. Collins shared neutral feelings and showed no genuine care for each other. They did not marry because they loved one another; they married for their own benefits. Similarly to a mercenary marriage, a prudent marriage is also taking advantage of matrimony. In this case, instead of two people uniting as one being, Charlotte and Mr. Collins united for their own personal needs.
As for Jane and Bingley, they married with a focus on love and affection. The Bennet family needed to marry their first daughter; thus, Jane was introduced to Mr. Bingley. Jane and Mr. Bingley were two optimistic people who found joy being together. When Mr. Bingley left Longbourn, Jane was heartbroken and tried convincing herself to forget about Mr. Bingley: “The first wish of my heart […] is never more to be in company with [Mr. Bingley] […] Let me never see [him] again!” (257). After Mr. Darcy brought Mr. Bingley back, it did not take long for Jane and Mr. Bingley to rekindle their relationship. After a year without communication, Jane and Mr. Bingley’s love remained strong. Distance did not stop the love between the two characters, showing the powerful affect love can have on a person.
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy took a completely opposite route to their marriage. Mr. Darcy’s comment on Elizabeth’s appearance shifted their relationship towards disaster: “[Elizabeth] is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” (7). From that point, Elizabeth kept a grudge towards Mr. Darcy and judged him on his first impression: “[Mr. Darcy’s] character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world” (7). Elizabeth held her grudge and rejected Mr. Darcy’s proposal, but she reconsidered her feelings when he paid for Lydia’s wedding: “[Elizabeth’s] heart did whisper, that [Mr. Darcy] had done it for her” (248). Mr. Darcy went out of his way to help Elizabeth’s family even though he despised Mr. Wickham and had “neither regard nor esteem” (248) for Lydia. Mr. Darcy hindered his wealth and status, also sacrificing the respect of his aunt to marry Elizabeth. He did not care about the dishonor that would come to his name if he married her because he loved Elizabeth passionately.
Mr. Darcy did not stop trying to win Elizabeth’s love even though she rejected him: “I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed to marry” (148). After realizing her idiocy, Elizabeth expected Mr. Darcy to court her yet again. She did not even believe the things Mr. Darcy said to her in his proposal and continued to doubt them: “A man who has once been refused! How could I ever be foolish enough to expect a renewal of his love?” (260). Mr. Darcy fixed the flaws Elizabeth saw in him and took the time to write her a letter, justifying his actions with Mr. Bingley and Mr. Wickham. Mr. Darcy went through many obstacles to achieve Elizabeth’s love. She opened her eyes and eliminated her prejudice towards him to see the true gentleman he really was: “I am the happiest creature in the world. Perhaps other people have said so before, but no one with such justice. I am happier than Jane; she only smiles, I laugh” (293).
Wealth and practicality of a marriage are overpowered by love. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy’s love for their wives was more important than the dishonor of their status. When two people unite as one being, materialistic objects are worthless. It is the person, and solely the qualities of that person, which make one fall in love with another and wish to marry. In Pride and Prejudice, love marriage brought the most happiness to the characters, whereas the growth of the mercenary and prudent marriages was limited. Love challenged Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, and the Bennet sisters, but all four characters overcame many obstacles for the love of their partner. A love marriage promoted the unity of two people through true love, whereas mercenary and prudent marriages are held as a means to an end. In a love marriage, there is no end, simply never ending growth.

3.Crucible pg. 31-49

Quote 1: "I know it, sir, I sent my child-she [Ruth] should learn from Tituba who murdered her sisters" (38).

Mrs. Putnam is also an instigator, just like her husband, but she is digging a hole for herself towards being the reason for her daughter's craziness or in other words, witchcraft. She knew sending Ruth, her own child, to communicate with the dead was a sinful thing to do. The two times Mrs. Putnam mentions she sent Ruth to the forest, she is given the same surprised response from two different characters: "Goody Ann! You sent a child to conjure up up he dead?" (39). It is a shocking thing to do, especially sending your own child to do something that is considered sinful. If Mrs. Putnam wanted to learn something about her deceased babies, she should have gone to Tituba, not sent her daughter. It seems like the only reason for why she would put her daughter's life at risk is to protect her own reputation from being called a witch. Mrs. Putnam defends herself to justify it was an acceptable thing to do by attempting to win sympathy for the loss of her seven babies. Mrs. Putnam should not be complaining about why Ruth is acting strange. Ruth was sent to the forest by her. It does not matter what the reasons are, entering the forest is crossing the limits, which everybody knows. Having a child do it is worse. Somebody could easily point a finger at Mrs. Putnam and accuse her of being the cause of her daughter's strange behavior. This would be a change because Mr. and Mrs.Putnam are usually the ones to instigate an accusation against somebody else or blame others for the use of witchcraft.

Quote 2: "No man has ever been blamed for so much [...] He [Giles Corey] didn't give a hoot for public opinion" (40).

Giles Corey is the only character in the play so far that does not hold his reputation as a priority. It does not matter to Corey what people think of him. When Parris is introduced, it is clear that his reputation as a minister is more important to him than the fact his daughter is not feeling well. The Putnam couple is quick to blame others for witchcraft, pushing away any accusations that could possibly come their way, leaving them with a clean slate. Abigail Williams claims to be a good soul, but the audience knows very well that she is a conniving minx. Corey has understood that every member in society will accuse another for strange things happening to them. He is so used to accusations, that it does not shock him when somebody thinks he is the reason for their unfortunate event: "It suggests to the mind that the trouble be among us all these years. Think on it. Wherefore is everybody suing everybody else? [...] I have been six time in court this year-" (31). Corey takes a more logical perspective on this. Instead of blaming others for being witches, he states that witchcraft seems to be an ongoing issue for many years and needs to be eliminated. Since witchcraft is conflicting with the characters' daily lives, everybody is quick to point a finger at somebody else they are not on good terms with, assuming it was their fault. Being one of the eldest characters, Corey has had a fair share of hearing about witchcraft.

P&P Assignment #2- Lady Catherine

Lady Catherine

Many battled for social supremacy during the time period of Pride and Prejudice. The high class of society were revered and known to be the poised and the privileged. Jane Austen uses Lady Catherine as a representation of a member from the elite class gone wrong.

Mr. Darcy and Lady Catherine were from the same social status, but were polar opposites. Lady Catherine showed her arrogance by boasting the good she had done to Elizabeth and her other guests: “It is wonderful how many families I have been the means of supplying [...] I am always glad to get a young person well placed out” (Austen 127). On the other hand, Elizabeth heard of the virtuous deeds Mr. Darcy did from his own servant: “He was always the sweetest-tempered, most generous-hearted, boy in the world” (188). Not once did Mr. Darcy boast about how charitable he was and what he had done to help society. He was humble, unlike his pompous aunt. A genuine upperclassman like Mr. Darcy did not need to flaunt his goodness; however, Lady Catherine found a need to express how generous she was when many were already aware of her wealth.

Mr. Darcy treated people below him with the same respect he treated upperclassmen, whereas Lady Catherine excessively averred the distinction in status between herself and those of lower classes. She spoke to Elizabeth in an impertinent manner, belittling the parenting skills of her mother: “I suppose you had no opportunity. Your mother should have taken you to town every spring for the benefit of masters” (127). Lady Catherine had no right to involve herself in the Bennet family’s private affairs. In contrast, when Mr. Darcy met the Gardiners at Pemberley, he conversed with them amiably: “I was never more surprised than by his behavior to us. It was more than civil; it was really attentive; and there was no necessity for such attention” (195). When Mr. Darcy and Lady Catherine interacted with members of the lower class, Mr. Darcy impressed the Gardiners who expected him to act arrogantly, unlike Lady Catherine, who insulted Elizabeth, giving her a terrible first impression. Mr. Darcy was courteous to his guests. He did not need to present his high status by acting superior to them; however, Lady Catherine not only showed her supremacy, but also her discourtesy of lower classes.

With regards to acts of civility, Lady Catherine did not know how to show class. Although Mr. Darcy made a mistake in breaking up Bingley and Jane, he had good intentions in mind. He convinced Bingley out of marrying Jane because he thought she did not care for Bingley. Lady Catherine wanted to break up Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s potential relationship to save Mr. Darcy from the dishonor of marrying a lowerclassman. Instead of talking Mr. Darcy out of it, Lady Catherine stormed into the Bennet household and rudely attempted to convince Elizabeth not to marry Mr. Darcy: “When the wishes of both sisters would be accomplished, in their marriage, to be prevented by a young woman of inferior birth, of no importance in the world, and wholly unallied to the family!” (271). Lady Catherine had the audacity to go to the Bennet household and affront Elizabeth in her own home. One would not expect a woman of such elite status to degrade a young woman of a lower class in such a manner.

Jane Austen creates the allusion that an elitist is expected to be generous, honorable, and virtuous. Mr. Darcy fits this description of the ideal elitist, whereas Lady Catherine puts the class to shame. Austen is telling her audience that title and money should not dictate class structure; however, in reality, a person’s status and wealth will always separate one person from another. Lady Catherine only achieved a high social status because she married into a wealthy family, which gave her a sense of authority over the lower classes. The means of working hard to achieve an honorable position was the least of concerns.

Bibliography:

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 1970.

2. Crucible pg. 8-30

Quote 1: "It is not surprising to find that so many accusations against people are in the handwriting of Thomas Putnam, or that his name is so often used as a witness corroborating the supernatural testimony, or that his daughter led the crying-out at the most opportune junctures of the trials" (15).

Thomas Putnam seems to be an instigator towards witchcraft. He maintains his reputation and position by putting other people's lives at stake and uses references that allude to possible witchcraft in order to raise awareness that somebody is using it: "That is a notorious sign of witchcraft afoot, Goody Nurse, a prodigious sign!" (25). Putnam tries to persuade Parris that he should tell the village about the witchcraft going on when he knows this will destroy Parris's position in society, especially because Parris is a reverend and strange things should not be happening in his house of all places: "Let your enemies make of it what they will, you cannot blink it more" (16). As long as Mr. Putnam is not being negatively affected, it does not matter to him what occurs. His presence in the village seems to focus a lot on himself.


Quote 2: "Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring you a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it" (20).

Abigail Williams turns out to be somewhat of a lunatic and will definitely be pinned for being a witch some time in the book. She sounds innocent when she speaks to Parris, but when she converses with other peers, we hear more of her inappropriate deeds she is hiding. Abigail starts off saying she only danced in the forest, but then it is later revealed that she also drank blood in order to kill Goody Proctor and had some sort of an affair with her husband. Considering how Parris took Abigail into his home just like a daughter, this is not a way she should be repaying him for his hospitality. The things she does will cause Parris, herself, and possibly Betty to be suspected as witches. If one goes down, then the others are at risk. The characters introduced so far all have some sort of tension between each other and disagree with at least one other person very often. They need to be careful what is said or else it will not be difficult to accuse somebody of saying something sinful, and have that person be penalized for it. It is hard living in such a society where nobody can be trusted.