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.