Essay About Governor Danforth And John Proctors Moral Reasoning

The Crucible
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Lt. Governor Danforth was most responsible for the injustices of the witch trials
because Danforth Could not comprehend John Proctors moral reasoning. The most
important similarity between the two is that both men are looking for the truth in the
witch trials. The two are morally different in that Danforth is staunchly at the fourth
stage of moral development, law and order, while Proctor transitions from stage four to
stage five.
The most prominent similarity of these two characters is that both of them are
searching for the truth behind the witch trials. Both characters have their own method,
and as a result the two have different findings. Danforth though that the truth would
reveal itself, as his explanation on page 100 shows just how. From that explanation, one
can tell he expects the victums to reveal the witches, which happens, but the only
evidence required to convict somebody was “spectral evidence”. One can sum up spectral
evidence as a “my word against yours” case. And since the accused are witches, one
would agree with the accuser if the accused is denying it, which the accused would do
since the accused is telling the truth, while the accuser can be lying and there is no way to
confirm that they are lying. John Proctor planned to find the truth by revealing the girls
for the pretenders that they are. It was what he was trying to accomplish throughout all of
act three. Even when Danforth guaranteed his wifes life would be spared, for another
year, he admitted that he had a “larger purpose”, as Danforth replied to Proctor. Even
though the two are similarly
looking for the truth, their different methods lead to
different stages of moral development.
The most important differences between the two characters drastically contrasting
stages of moral development is that Lt. Governor Danforth is unmoving at stage four,
while Proctor can see through the girls lies and the need to do what is right, regardless of
what the law determines to be right or wrong. One can tell that Lt. Governor Danforth is
at stage four and there to stay from his decision to not postpone the hangings, even
though it could cause an uproar in Salem just as it did in Andover. Proctor is seen at stage
four until he admits to “working for a larger purpose”. One can also make the case that he
does not reach stage five there, but later on when he admits adultery. The last piece, and
possibly the most crucial, is that according to Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development, a
person at a lower stage than somebody at a higher stage cannot understand the person at
the higher stage. This is most obviously seen when Proctor spends a great deal of act
three trying to reason with Danforth, but to no avail. Danforth holds his ground and does
not progress to stage five to see the truth that the girls are indeed lying. This leads to why
Danforth