Judges

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by Mike Springston0 views·Updated Sep 24, 2020
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  1. okay. Talk a little bit about the judges at the
  2. trial. Um is obvious in the play that and evidence
  3. keeps on mounting that the girls are lying, that it's
  4. all a sham.
  5. But none of this evidence is taking is taking whole
  6. because the judge is just refused to accept it.
  7. Uh, when?
  8. Uh when Francis Francis nurse brings in a letter signed
  9. by over 90 people as to the quality of the
  10. of the women being charged, uh, Judge Danforth wants to
  11. issue warrants Thio interrogate thes 90 people.
  12. And Francis is just a gas that Oh, my God,
  13. that's going thio.
  14. These people were just trying to be honest, and now
  15. they're gonna be in front of the court.
  16. Which things have gone kind of nuts.
  17. Um, so a za trial unfolds.
  18. Danforth becomes people like John Proctor come in thinking they're
  19. going to get justice.
  20. And once they're in there, they're kind of thrown for
  21. a loop.
  22. Even um, Giles Corey, who's had a lot of experience
  23. in court.
  24. He liked to suit people.
  25. Um, Judge Danforth, he refuses Thio.
  26. He cites a technicality for why didn did not need
  27. to testify, and Danforth quickly flips around and says, Okay,
  28. we're gonna make this part of the court hearings, so
  29. you're gonna be compelled to testify.
  30. So Danforth is kind of heavy handed on this thing.
  31. Okay, So what is his motivation?
  32. Uh, for one, he's a very proud man.
  33. He came in, probably does believe that witchcraft exists, But
  34. when the trial starts, he believes the girls and goes
  35. along and convicts people and people get hung.
  36. But is the play moves along?
  37. Even though evidence is starting to mount that Abigail and
  38. her friends are scamming them, Danforth refuses to back down.
  39. A lot of this is pride.
  40. Um, he would have to admit he was wrong.
  41. He would have to admit that he basically murdered people.
  42. So he doubles down on being hardcore anti witchcraft person.
  43. Um, and, you know, similar to the McCarthy thing, his
  44. The way he gives people an out is if you
  45. admit that your took the witchcraft, we won't execute you,
  46. you know?
  47. And John Proctor actually has that option.
  48. You know, Give us your confession and we'll let you
  49. go. Type of thing.
  50. Okay. So Danforth really becomes well, e think Avondale's always
  51. bill into this play.
  52. But Danforth is, uh is pretty much your enabler through
  53. this whole thing.
  54. You know, uh, now the rial Danforth did not go
  55. all in on this.
  56. Uh, Miller admits that he kind of took some dramatic
  57. licenses. And the real villain to this is the guy
  58. named William Start.
  59. Um, William Stoughton.
  60. Uh, just like the Danforth character in the play.
  61. Uh, he allowed all kinds of all kinds of testimony
  62. that most courts would not allow.
  63. Uh, starting himself was more of a theologian than the
  64. judge. So when he got into this whole, you know,
  65. the witchcraft thing, uh, he didn't really follow the laws
  66. to Well, he would, you know, he would allow spectral
  67. evidence. Hey, refused to let the defense have a witness,
  68. have lawyers.
  69. Um, you know, it was just a total total miscarriage
  70. of justice.
  71. Ironically, the rial Danforth was the guy who brought the
  72. trials to an end.
  73. You know, he finally realized things were going south and
  74. did this.
  75. And in the play, it kind of mentions to later
  76. on that there were other communities who had started their
  77. witch trials, but they kind of backed down.
  78. And now Salem was kind of looked at, like Look
  79. at those crazy people in secular man.
  80. Even the Puritans were just kind of Oh, man, we
  81. don't wanna go there on They started mentioning places that
  82. had not hail mentions places that had not been this
  83. of That is as Salem and they've stopped the trials.
  84. But Danforth is still still sticking to his guns.
  85. He's not gonna back down, you know?
  86. Ironically, William Stoughton guy Danforth is based on, um so
  87. much trials.
  88. Didn't really hurt him.
  89. He eventually he was named governor of Massachusetts.
  90. Um, so that's a little bit on the judge is
  91. just a really crucial in this, uh, and even the
  92. way they get manipulated by the girls.
  93. When when the girls start seeing the bird's spirit of
  94. Mary attacking them.
  95. Uh, Danforth totally believes the girls, you know, it's He
  96. refuses to think that they've been scanned.
  97. Part of it is the innocents of young girls, you
  98. know? Why would you know girls couldn't be this evil,
  99. could they?