Danforth is most concerned about the presence of John
Proctor in jail. It has nothing to do with believing Proctor is innocent. Instead,
Danforth is most concerned because of the town's attitude toward the hanging of Proctor,
Nurse and Corey. Danforth is worried that an uprising could take place like in other
neighboring towns.
Danforth receives strong arguments from
Parris and Hale trying to convince him to stay the executions hoping that one of the
three big, influential people will confess. Danforth argues that such an action will
make him and the other judges look weak before the
town.
Danforth hopes that if he can get a confession from
Proctor, it will allay any murmurings of Proctor's innocence. Danforth then elicits the
help of John's wife Elizabeth who is pregnant with their
child.
However, Danforth does not get the confession from
Proctor or Nurse, and they hang at the end of the play. In the afterward, it insinuates
that these hangings directly lead to the downfall of the terror of the witch
trials.
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