Question

In Act III of The Crucible, what can the audience infer from Judge Hathorne's questioning of Martha Corey?

a) Martha Corey is a witch.
b) Judge Hathorne is a fair judge.
c) Martha Corey is a victim of hysteria.
d) The court is biased against the accused

Answer 1

The audience can infer from Judge Hathorne's questioning of Martha Corey that the court in 'The Crucible' is biased against the accused, reflecting the historical context of the Salem Witch Trials and the resulting mass hysteria.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Act III of The Crucible, the audience can infer from Judge Hathorne's questioning of Martha Corey that the court is biased against the accused. This inference is supported by the overall environment of hysteria within Salem, where non-conformity is harshly judged and the court heavily relies on the accusations of the afflicted girls without substantial evidence. The Salem Witch Trials were marked by mass hysteria, where even the appearance of non-conformity could result in being accused of witchcraft. In the historical context, the fact that rational individuals who challenged the girls' claims also faced accusations supports the view that the court was not interested in fairness or justice but rather in supporting the claims of the accusers.