In every community, people rely on the power of law and justice to protect them. When law and order enforcers abuse their power, tragedy strikes the city. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible the inappropriate actions of the character Judge Danforth, the voice of community authority lead to the tragedy of social disintegration of the city accompanied by the collapse of community solidarity. First, throughout the play Judge Danforth acts with pride and arrogance. At the beginning of Act III Judge Danforth expresses his views on the ongoing phase of the witchcraft trials by stating that "do you take it upon yourself to determine what this court will believe and what it will set aside?" (Miller 85). Here Danforth sets an ultimatum to Giles Corey when he comes to defend his wife Martha Corey from the accusation of being a witch. Danforth sarcastically asks Giles Corey if he has the authority to make any decisions on the matter at hand and then silences him. It makes it very clear that no one else can determine what and how the court should act. Furthermore, the tone in which he speaks this dialogue is full of arrogance, as shown in the movie “The Crucible”. Overall, the profile photo of Judge Danforth created while speaking these lines reveals his pride and haughtiness. Another example where Judge Danforth reveals this attitude is when he snubs Francis Nurse for questioning his judgment and wisdom during the trials. In return Danforth replies "And do you know that nearly four hundred are in prison...under my signature" (Miller 87) and "seventy-two condemned to hang for that signature?" (Miller 87). These lines show that Judge Danforth takes pride in his actions and power as a judge... amidst paper... and accusations. The degree to which Abigail manipulated Judge Danforth is shown here. Danforth's unconditional trustworthiness towards Abigail motivated the people of Salem to accuse each other to save their own skin. This caused chaos and commotion among the people of Salem. To summarize, the character of Judge Danforth, initially thought of as the voice of authority. One person Salem depended on the most, for justice. His inappropriate actions due to his misconceptions and hypocritical mindset have swept away the common trust and social bonds of the people of Salem. Thus making him most responsible for the Salem tragedy.Work CitedMiller, Arthur. The crucible. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1996. Print.The Crucible. Dir. Nicola Hytner. Perf. Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder and Paul Scofield. 20th Century Fox, 1996. DVD.