Final answer:
The authority figures in these scenarios are seeking important information from individuals who are under pressure to confess. These incidents involve themes of authority, confessions, and the challenging moral choices associated with revealing or withholding information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The magistrates and ministers in the depicted scenarios want individuals to reveal vital information. These figures of authority are seeking secrets or confessions that pertain to various incidents or circumstances, ranging from court proceedings to personal tragedies.
In each context, the person of authority is exerting pressure on another individual to disclose something significant that is currently unknown or being withheld. For example, in one case, Bishop Dyer is shown trying to compel Jane to divulge confidential details.
Similarly, Hester is confronted by Jane regarding eavesdropping and is later dismissed for disloyalty.
Pressure to confess, authority figures, and revelatory moments are central themes as these characters either seek to maintain control or are confronted with a moral dilemma of whether to share sensitive information.