The Crucible p. 81-98

"Danforth: Let me continue. I understand well, a husband's tenderness may drive him to extravagance in defense of a wife. Are you certain in your conscience, Mister, that your evidence is the truth?" (89).

This is what we talked abut in class. Because Elizabeth, Mrs. Proctor, is in jail, Danforth is suspecting that John is strictly there for the single purpose of setting his wife free. However, I wonder what these judges would have said if Proctor had gone before Elizabeth had been placed in jail? I do think that they would have found something else to complain about. Possibly to prevent his wife from going to jail, or because of a vengeance towards one of the girls. These people are never pleased, it seems like, and they would have found even the smallest or most obscure loophole they could and played on it to make it seem like a gaping wound in his complaint. This, I believe, was just the one thing they picked to make it seem as though his argument did not hold water. Proctor was screwed simply because the entire town is in a witch frenzy, and they will not allow one man to ruin their chance of revenge.

"Parris: This is a clear attack upon the court!
Hale, to Parris, trying to contain himself: Is every defense an attack against upon the court? Can no one-?" (94).

When witch-crazy Hale is trying to defend the accused girls, you know that he really believes that they are not what the accusers say they are. He's annoyed with Parris for his constant outcries of all of the defenses being an attack. Hale is just missing the reason for why Parris wants to continue this trial so badly. If only Hale were to stop and think about it, then find the facts of Parris' passion for the case, then the whole thing would end. Yes, it may seem as if he is worried for Abigail because of the needle, but there is only so well a man can act. There is a difference between fear for yourself, and fear for others. You panic when you are afraid for yourself. If Parris really feared for Abigail, would he not want to be sure that the women he were accusing were actually witches? He is even spoken of as "a widower with no interest in children" (3). That should be known by the townspeople in such a small town! Why aren't they questioning him?!