Skip to main content

In The Crucible, what did Abigail do that caused Danforth to stand agape?

Danforth can’t believe it when he hears Abigail stole Parris’s money and fled town on a ship.


Abigail is a very sneaky girl. She is responsible for the horrors of what happens in Salem because her lies get the ball rolling on the witch trials. Even after things get out of control, Abigail likes the attention and continues to milk it. She pretends bewitching is happening.


When Hale questions her integrity, Abigail flails around screaming...

Danforth can’t believe it when he hears Abigail stole Parris’s money and fled town on a ship.


Abigail is a very sneaky girl. She is responsible for the horrors of what happens in Salem because her lies get the ball rolling on the witch trials. Even after things get out of control, Abigail likes the attention and continues to milk it. She pretends bewitching is happening.


When Hale questions her integrity, Abigail flails around screaming at the ceiling.



Hale: I believe him! Pointing at Abigail: This girl has always struck me false! She has —


Abigail, with a weird, wild, chilling cry, screams up to the ceiling.


Abigail: You will not! Begone! Begone, I say (Act 3)!



Paris tells Danforth that his niece has “vanished.” She didn’t just vanish; she stole everything he had and left him penniless. She is hardly a paragon of virtue, but they based their trials on believing her and this news shocks Danforth.



Parris: Excellency, I think they be aboard a ship. Danforth stands agape. My daughter tells me how she heard them speaking of ships last week, and tonight I discover my — my strongbox is broke into. He presses his fingers against his eyes to keep back tears (Act 4). 



Danforth calls Parris a “brainless man.” Parris seems to think the witch trial game is over. He tells Danforth that Andover has “thrown out the court” and is no longer interested in pursuing people for witchcraft. He talks of riots in Andover, but Danforth won’t hear of it. 


Danforth truly believes in witch trials, and loves the power his authority gives him. He comes in excited and ready to banish the devil, and his enthusiasm never wanes. He doesn’t seem to understand he is being led around by the nose by a girl with other agendas.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more