Judge Danforth
E20004
Judge Danforth is a stern, self-righteous deputy governor and presiding judge in Arthur Miller’s play *The Crucible*, emblematic of the inflexible authority driving the Salem witch trials.
Aliases (1)
- Danforth ×1
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
dramatic character
→
fictional character → literary character → |
| appearsInWork |
The Crucible
→
|
| associatedWithEvent |
Salem witch trials
→
|
| basedOn |
William Stoughton
→
|
| characterTrait |
authoritarian
→
inflexible → self-righteous → stern → |
| conflictWithCharacter |
Giles Corey
→
John Proctor → Reverend Hale → |
| countryOfOriginOfWork |
United States
→
|
| createdBy |
Arthur Miller
→
|
| decision |
demands confessions to justify the court
→
refuses to postpone the executions → |
| embodies |
abuse of judicial power
→
hysteria-driven justice → inflexible authority → the dangers of theocracy → |
| firstPublicationOfWork |
1953
→
|
| genreOfWork |
tragedy
→
|
| languageOfWork |
English
→
|
| literaryFunction |
antagonist
→
symbol of rigid institutional authority → |
| medium |
stage play
→
|
| moralStance |
believes the court is infallible
→
prioritizes reputation of the court over individual justice → |
| nationalityInFiction |
English colonial American
→
|
| notableAction |
condemns John Proctor to death
→
orders the arrest of those who challenge the court → pressures accused witches to confess → |
| occupation |
deputy governor
→
judge → |
| positionInCourt |
chief judge of the witch trials
→
deputy governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony → |
| roleInWork |
presiding judge in the Salem witch trials
→
|
| settingOfActions |
Salem, Massachusetts
→
|
| supportsCharacter |
Abigail Williams
→
the accusers in the trials → |
| themeConnection |
integrity versus survival
→
justice versus the law → mass hysteria → power and corruption → |
| timePeriodOfActions |
1692
→
|
Referenced by (2)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
John Danforth
("Danforth")
→
|
familyName |
|
The Crucible
→
|
hasCharacter |