Wednesday, August 19, 2015

On pages 95-96, Danforth gives the premise for judging a witch. Summarize his guidelines.

The page numbers you give are particular to the publisher
of the book in which you are reading the play.  Those numbers do not apply universally. 
I believe, however, you are referring to the second scene of Act 3, when Danforth tells
Mr. Hale why there is no need for lawyers in the witchcraft proceedings.  Danforth says
that in a normal court of law, lawyers call upon eye witnesses to accuse or to defend
the accused.  However, he says, witchcraft is an invisible crime, meaning that witches
can send invisible spirits out to do their evil work while they, the witches, sit
peacefully at home or in public in full view of witnesses.  Therefore, Danforth
contends, the court can take the word of the victims at full value without those
supposed victims providing any sort of physical proof against those they accuse of
attacking them. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comment on the setting and character of "The Fall of the House of Usher."How does setting act as a character?

Excellent observation, as it identifies how the settings of Poe's stories reflect the characters of their protagonists. Whet...