As the trials progress, Danforth realizes that Abigail
Williams and the rest of the girls are duping the court and community (perhaps he knew
even from the beginning of the proceedings but chose to move forward). When Abigail
Williams absconds with her uncle's money, Danforth knows that he can no longer ignore
any doubts he might have had about Abigail's integrity. This knowledge forces him to
decide privately if he will continue with the trials and executions because that is
what the privileged in the community desire and because if he stops the trials, then
people will question his credibility and the justice of all previous
sentences/judgments. If Danforth proceeds with the trials, as a religious scholar, he
surely recognizes the personal spiritual danger in sentencing innocent people to
death; unfortunately, in the play as well as in real life, he and the other judges allow
their pride to rule their actions, and they refuse to postpone or stop the trials as
soon as they are aware of Abigail's running away.
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