John Hathorne

John Hathorne (August 5, 1641 – May 10, 1717) was one of the associate magistrates in the Salem witch trials, and the only one who never repented of his actions. He was also a merchant in Salem, Massachusetts.

Hathorne was also the great-great-grandfather of Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of, among other things, "The Scarlet Letter", who changed his surname slightly, leading some to believe that he was trying to dissociate himself from his ancestor. He published several works in 1830, however, under the Hathorne name.

Fictional Character in "The Crucible"

In Arthur Miller's play, Hathorne is portrayed as, quite possiby, the most ignorant, antagonistic character, besides Abigail Williams and her group, in the play. Hathorne is the leading judge who continually denies witnesses any chance to redeem their names in court, as if he has predicted the outcome already. He is almost completely cynical and rarely shows emotion , with the exception of the finale, where he is almost joyful that John Proctor is going to confess his crimes, which made his job a lot easier.

References

* [http://www.hawthorneinsalem.org/Life&Times/Family/Paternal/Introduction.html#JohnHathorne Brief biography of John Hathorne]
* [http://www.hawthorneinsalem.org/images/fullpageimage.php?name=MMD714 Photograph of John Hathorne's tombstone]