The Crucible Danforth Character Analysis

A man’s name holds more than just his identity; it also holds his character. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, three prominent men were concerned with how their names defined them within their town. In the chaotic period of the Salem Witch Trials, Reverend Parris wanted to uphold his holy reputation as well as the church’s. John Proctor, a very influential man in the town, was determined to keep his family name from being blackened in the courts despite his own sins. During these trying times, the reputation and integrity of the court was to be upheld by Judge Danforth, who served as the head judge during the Trials. Although these men were influenced by different reasons, all were selfishly occupied with ensuring that their statuses and reputations …show more content…
During the beginnings of the trials, Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, was accused of witchery and was to be taken and tried in the court. Refusing to believe that his wife may be a witch, Proctor questioned, “Excellency (Danforth), does it not strike upon you that so many of these women have lived so long with such upright reputation…” (180). He knew that no outcome of this situation will be stellar, however he fought to keep his wife’s reputation clean by arguing and ensuring that she was a good person, even going so far as to having obtained signatures for a petition proving that his wife and the other accused persons were free of the Devil. Had Elizabeth confessed to witchcraft or been found guilty, the Proctor family name would have been damaged and John and their children would have had to carry the weight of her crimes for the rest of their lives. After all of his fighting to keep his wife from persecution, John was tried as a witch as well. Unlike the other victims of the trials, John was required to write down his confession to witchcraft so that the village may see that he had confessed. Embarrassed and ashamed, John was hesitant to give over the paper with his signature. When questioned about why he would not hand over the paper, John screamed, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! … How may I live without my name! I have given you my soul; …show more content…
As the figurehead of the court, he decided what he thought was best for the court, and not necessarily for the people that the court represents. He justified his way of ruling of the court when he claimed, “I have been thirty-two year at the bar, sir, I should be confounded were I called on upon to defend these people” (184). He believed his reputation alone carried heavy weight and was evidence enough to prove his ability to decide who was guilty and who was not. He reasoned that he had spent a lifetime building up his good name, therefore he was overqualified to run a courtroom during the trials. Danforth saw destruction of Salem after months of witchcraft accusations rummaged through the town. There could have been a chance of rebellion, as what happened in a neighboring town, but he insisted, “Postponement speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now,” (201). He could not have had himself seen as weak or his reputation would have gone to shambles. Instead, he remained a strong-willed character who made sure he stayed consistent despite the damage and grief the town went through at the hands of his decisions. His name meant more to him than doing what is best for the