As Proctor pressures Mary to utilize informational power against Abigail, but she fails to effectively use her power within the court. Starting Act III, Proctor takes Mary to court to present a signed deposition as evidence against Abigail. Proctor uses coercive power to force Mary to use her informational power, for if she doesn’t testify she will be punished. Proctor’s use of coercive power goes against Judge Danforth’s use of coercive and expert power on Mary. Danforth places Mary in a challenging position by stating “you are either lying now, or were lying in the court, and in either case, you have committed perjury and you will go to jail for it”, by saying this he threatens Mary to not recant her statement and instead stick to it for it she doesn’t she will go to hell …show more content…
Danforth’s expert position further weakens Mary because as a Judge he has the power to make the final decisions. Despite this Mary continues to use her informational power to share her knowledge about Abigail’s deceitfulness, she also provides reasoning for the seeing of spirits and fainting. Once she reveals to Danforth and the rest of the court that her fainting was just a pretense, Hathorne questions “Then can she pretend to faint now?” (Miller 3.736). At this moment Mary has the potential to stop Abigail, for if she faints she can prove she and the girls were previously faking. But Mary admits “I have no sense of it now”, which leads to her credibility diminishing (Miller 3.750). The power Proctor placed in her hands granted her the opportunity to defeat Abigail, but Mary doesn’t effectively use it to faint and instead weakens under the court's questioning. Abigail detects Mary’s power abating and claims “A wind, a cold wind, has come.”, Mercy continues by asking “Mary, do you send this shadow on me?” (Miller
He is stern with her at times, but does so because he wants to save both his life and his wife’s life. Mary’s character is involved deeply in both. She is also accused of witchcraft in both and escapes death in both. In the play when Mary wants to tell the truth about what happened in the woods and also about Abigail and John. Abigail then makes it seem like Mary is trying to hurt her by using her “spirit” to do so.
Judge Danforth is concerned and arrogant that the girls could be lying about everything. Even when Mary Warren confesses to the court that she never says any spirits, Abigail uses her power over the town and courts to convince Danforth that the claims are false. This makes it harder for Judge Danforth to follow his strict code, especially when Abigail uses her powers to cloud his
Danforth, when offered Mary’s deposition, declined it with a quick, “No, no. I accept no depositions. ” We can see that the court was more afraid of being overthrown than giving out fair justice to those accused. We see more evidence of this when Proctor is asked if he had given the story out to the village yet.
This moment demonstrates how powerful Abigail is because even though she is refusing to do an action ordered by the judge and lies multiple times, Danforth still stuck on to her like some
Her power finally back fined when she tried to accuse Elizabeth so she could be with John. Abigail loved John that is why she accused Elizabeth ,his wife, of witchcraft. This plan was almost ruined when John went to the court with an Affidavit from mary Warren, one of Abigail’s girls saying that the whole time the girls were lying. When the judge did not take it, John snapped and confessed to the affair he had with Abigail. Abigail then threw a fit saying she saw mary Warren’s spirit as a bird flying around the courtroom.
While alone, Abigail and the girls approach Mary threateningly, trying to hurt her for ratting them out. Though, when confronted, the girls pretend to be attacked by Mary’s spirit, and when accused of witchcraft by Judge Danforth Mary immediately resorts to lying and blames John for tempting her into witchery. Mary was being attacked by both the girls and the judges and no one believed her when she told the truth, so Mary pushed the blame to John Proctor. Mary Warren did it for her safety,
Abigail knows that if she accuses someone, the court and adults will believe her. She feels in charge when accusing since people truly believe her. However, Abigail blames others since she is selfish and self-centered. Judge Danforth takes Abigail and the other girls’ side by stating, “Mary Warren! – Draw back your spirit out of them!’.
When Mary finally decides to stop lying and confesses to never seeing spirits Danforth questions her making her lie again to save herself. “I will tell you this-you are either lying now, or you were lying in the court, and in either case you have committed perjury and you will go to jail for it. You cannot lightly say you lied, Mary. Do you know that?”(3.515.758-764). This quote shows that once Mary tells the truth instead of the decision of if that is the truth or not being out in the courts hands, it's put into Abigail's.
Abigail shivers, “I-I know not. A wind, a cold wind, has come. ”(Act 3). Abigail is lying by saying she feels a cold wind Mary Warren sent to her. She gets all the power and attention in the court and gets Judge Danforth to believe
(pointing at Abigail) This girl has always struck me false! She has—(Abigail, with a weird, wild, chilling cry, screams up to the ceiling.)" (Miller page 521) After reading this quote, it is apparent that Abigail hides the truth Hale speaks from Danforth, by distracting him with another made up act of Mary Warren
After continuous pressuring Mary Warren replies with ‘I cannot, they’ll turn on me— “showing us the mob has driven fear into people and how Marry is afraid to tell the truth in the case everyone will turn on her and blame her. Mary’s feeble attempt to recompense backfires, so when Abigail uses the poppet to blame it on Elizabeth, making Mary feel even worse thus she agrees to go with proctor to testify against Abigail in court. Later after agreeing to go to court to support Proctor Mary is asked who is at fault and in fear replies pointing to proctor “You’re the devil’s man!” (act three, page 119). This demonstrates how the fear of the mob and the overwhelming pressure from the Abigail makes her turn from the truth.
Since Hale is known as an expert on the supernatural, he has the authority to accuse Mary of attempted murder through supernatural means. We are also shown an example of Mary crumbling under pressure in act three after Mary fails to faint in court; Abigail and a group of girls pretend to be bewitched by Mary to turn the court against her. Abigail proceeds to say “Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change shape” (1005 & 1006) and “Mary, please don’t hurt me” ( Miller 1016 and 1017) After faking being bewitched, Mary fails to defend herself, leaving Abigail to turn the tides of the court in her favor. In this scene, Abigail is using informational power against Mary to alter how the court sees Mary.
Danforth's sympathy shifts again to Abigail during Hathorne's cross-examination of Mary Warren. Hathorne makes a legitimate request when he asks Mary Warren to repeat her fainting performance. If she pretended to faint the first time, then she should be able to do it
(Miller 18). Mary was afraid of Abigail Williams and didn’t tell the truth fearing that Abigail would hurt her. While, she developed as a character and made better choices for herself. Acts 3 and 4 she attempted to help John try to accuse Abigail Williams of lying about witchcraft in the court. “I-I promise you, Mr.Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not’.
My wife is innocent, except she knew a whore when she saw one!” (189). Once again, John Proctor think he has the authority to demand things from People. His ego is extremely massive, thinking he is in a position to demand something from the Governor. Proctor protrudes his massive ego by making threats to Abigail and making demands of