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Even Tituba is accorded greater status than before. Women, traditionally marginalized in a religiously oppressive society, can gain power through the mechanisms provided by the witch hunt and the tribunals headed by men who believe the girls (or want to believe the accusers). Some of the men leading the hunt seem to genuinely think that they are doing God's work, while others seem to have more mixed motivations. All seem to enjoy demonstrating their authority, although they do not fully realize the degree to which they are being manipulated by the girls.
Power-hungry Abigail suddenly has more authority than even Elizabeth Proctor had as a wife overseeing a household. Elizabeth once had the power to expel Abigail from her home; now the town is in fear of who the girls will 'discover' to be a witch. People are afraid to upset the young women. The townspeople's own prejudices mix with their fears and belief in witchcraft -- John Proctor is disliked because...
Both will die as a result.
Perhaps the greatest exemplar of authority in the play is that of the Reverend Parris. Parris clearly believes that he has the power of God behind him when he fights against accused witches, and that he is saving his young daughter Betty from their grasp. But although he has the authority to condemn others, he is really being used by Abigail to further her agenda -- to do away with Elizabeth, so she can have John to herself. Parris' foolish actions show that possessing authority means little without intelligent judgment and responsibility. The dynamic between Parris and Abigail shows how the existence of power can have many forms. Power in the form of Abigail Williams twists institutional beliefs and judicial mechanisms to suit a girl's ends and makes a man in authority like Parris a plaything of a love-sick, irrational adolescent.
This tactic has proved probably the most effective out of the previous mentioned. Unlike Hitler who was only in power a short period before loosing control of his newly created empire to the United States and the Soviet Union, Stalin held his red Russia with an iron fist for close to a half of a century. When he died, efforts were taken to try and de-Stalinize the country through
The fact that he often falls victim to his conceit or that he is, at one point unable to do his work because of his substance-abuse problems are not enough to influence his fans to like him less. He still remains a significant hero and it seems that it would be perfectly natural for everyone to appreciate him and his work. The series' producers focused on presenting audiences with a
The court case scene also shows how focused the leaders are on maintaining their power. This is seen where Danforth says to Proctor, "You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between" (Miller 94). This shows the complete lack of choice that the people of the society have. If they do not accept the will
This type of certainty only signifies authority, but it shows Danforth to be truly powerless over his convictions or any sort of lasting truth. Like Proctor, he is also described upon his first appearance, with Miller commenting that he was of "some humor and sophistication that does not, however, interfere with an exact loyalty to his position and his cause" (Miller 73). Though Danforth has authority over life and
Jensen's "The World is a Business" Speech from Network (1976) The speech by Arthur Jensen in the 1976 film Network is given to an audience of one -- Mr. Howard Beale, network television news show host. It takes place in a large conference room, nicknamed "Valhalla" by Mr. Jensen. It lasts just over four minutes and its effect is profound in that it produces a radical transformation in the audience: Mr.
However, using today's less rigid religious standards make the outcome of the trials seem ridiculous and completely unjust. Today, most people do not consider witchcraft a reality, and so, basing a court decision on the confession of bewitched young women seems almost ludicrous. As critic Bloom maintains, "Today's audience cannot take the possibility of witchcraft seriously; the implication for us is that no enlightened citizen of any age would