Invisible Crime

[elreinh38]

On page 100 Danforth says, "In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? One calls up witnesses to prove his innocence. But witchcraft is ipso jacto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other." Danforth's description of witchcraft as an invisible crime points to how easily Abigail and the other girls have been able to spread the fear of witchcraft throughout Salem. Without the possibility of witnesses to prove them wrong, the girls have used their imaginations and acting skills to create panic in Salem. The people being accused have no way to prove themselves innocent and therefore, the power lies within Abigail and the girls. Who else has used witchcraft's invisibility to their advantage? Also, how else has it helped the fear and chaos spread?

[sahearo38]

If there was someway to prove that witchcraft didn't exist, Proctor would have a chance to free Elizabeth, but because he don't have proof, besides Mary who betrays him, he panics in court. He does not know what else he can say and gets frustrated because he knows his case is hopeless. This causes chaos and fear in the court and in Salem. Another character who used witchcraft's invisibility to their advantage is Parris. He cares about his self- preservation and the fact that he is losing power in his position so he manipulates the crisis to his advantage. He gains control again and the people of Salem are listening to him. He gets very nervous in court when Proctor appears to have some proof and quickly starts accusing him of being unreligious and plowing his lawn on Sunday. His fear shows he felt his position and power slipping away when Proctor appeared to have proof against witchcraft through Mary.

[edhan38]

It has certainly helped spread the fear and chaos. Because the girls are the "victims of witchcraft", they have obtained the sympathies from the community and are considered saint-like for summoning up the courage to point out who the witches are. Because the statements from the victims are automatically assumed as true, there is no stopping the girls from accusing whoever they want in the community that they don't like, such as Abigail accusing Elizabeth.
It's a fool-proof plan: No one will believe people who accuse the girls of lying since most people are already siding with the girls and sympathizing for them. And because they are the "victims" they have the power to accuse anyone, since no one checks the validity of their accusations. Because they continue accusing names, and they are not able to be stopped, they help in the increase pf fear and chaos in the society.

[mireill35]

For one, Mary is able to use witchcraft's invisibility to save herself when the girls accuse her of witchcraft. By claiming Proctor is the witch controlling her, she is able to save herself from hanging. With the nature of witchcraft being without evidence other then testimony, all it took was Mary's hysterical reaction to put Proctor in an inescapable fate. Had he denied being a witch, he would die to prove his innocence, claiming he was a witch did nothing more than if he wasn't. Besides, Proctor was already outside the consensus by this point. He may as well be a witch when he's backed up in a corner and no way to prove his innocence. The least he can do is to a mildly hysterical speech claiming "I see [the Devils] filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud - God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!" (Miller 120). In Proctor's last stroke of self-defense, he claims that not only he will go to hell, but he drags down Danforth to hell with him. When Proctor hangs as a witch, Danforth will be guilty of murdering a innocent man.

[mahein38]

The invisibility of the crime of witchcraft provides for a court system in which it is always one's word against that of someone else. In this case, it is often the respective reputation's of the opposing forces which determines the outcome of the conflict. On page 96 in Act III, Giles Corey accuses Mr. Putnam of prompting his daughter to name George Jacobs as a witch. Putnam obviously denies this accusation. When Danforth asks for legitimate proof, Corey discusses how Putnam will gain Jacobs' land if he hangs and says, "The proof is there! I have heard it from an honest man who heard Putnam say it" (Miller 96). However, because it is simply Corey's word against that of Putnam Danforth declares that Corey does not have a case and he is dismissed. In this situation, because neither side has proof to the contrary the court sides with the Putnams as they are a respected family whilst Corey has been to court 33 times. This makes for an extremely corrupt and oppressive court system in which the pleas of the lower class and those with bad reputations are not heard, no matter their legitimacy, simply because of their low social standing. Those with power retain such power and an oligarchy is established.