The Crucible
False Authority
What is False Authority?
• Person A is (claimed to be) an authority on subject S.
• Person A makes claim C about subject S.
• Therefore, C is true.
• Barney thinks that he is in authority of
what is right and wrong just because he
has his bible personalized with his name
on the front.
Political Commercial
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ5cG
YBV2TQ
• Politicians do things that make them look
like they have more authority in order to be
elected to office. They do such things as
enlist in the military for minimum amount
of time to add to their resume and make
their leadership skills look more advanced.
Pop Culture Examples
Sophie and Sasha are having a conversation:
• Sasha: "I played the lottery today and I know I am going to win something."
Sophie: "What did you do, rig the outcome?"
Sasha: "No, silly. I called my Super Psychic Buddy at the 1-800-MindPower
number. After consulting his magic Californian Tarot deck, he told me my lucky
numbers."
Sophie: "And you believed him?"
Sasha: "Certainly, he is a certified Californian Master-Mind Psychic. That is why I
believe what he has to say. I mean, like, who else would know what my lucky
numbers are?"
Pop Culture Examples
• A professional baseball player says that he does not use
steroids so therefore baseball players do not use steroids.
Crucible Examples
•
•
•
•
False Authority
Character: Mary Warren
Act 2—pg. 132
Elizabeth: It is a mouse no more. I forbid her go, and she raises up her
chin like the daughter of a prince and says to me, “I must go to Salem,
Goody Proctor; I am an official of the court.”
• Problem: Goody Proctor is the woman of the Proctor household yet
Mary Warren feels that she has the authority to go against Goody
Proctors wishes.
Crucible Examples
•
•
•
•
False Authority
Character: Abigail
Act 3—pg. 219
Abigail: Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. I think you be so mighty that the power of
Hell may not turn your wits? Beware of it!
• Problem: Mary Warren has just told the court that she lied about the accusations
that she made, she also tells them that Abigail is lying. Abigail is asked to search
her heart and tell the truth. She is devastated that she has been through so much
and feels this makes her an authority on the matter and that it is ridiculous for the
court to be asking this question to her.
Crucible Examples
•
•
•
•
False Authority
Character: Abigail
Act 3—pg. 221
Abigail: If I must answer that, I will leave and I will not
come back again!
• Problem: Abigail has just been asked to confirm whether her and Proctor had
relations, she is appalled by the thought that the court would even ask her this. She
takes authority over Danforth because she feels that all the things that has
happened to her has made her better than something this low and immoral.
Work Cited
"Fallacy: Appeal to Authority." The Nizkor
Project. The Nizkor Project, 2011. Web. 15
Feb 2012.
Hartzell, Richard. Cracking the English
Language and Composition Exam. 2010.
New York: Random House Inc, 2010. 130.
Print.