Tonight, when I open my door to leave my house – a dagger clattered to the ground. Silence. You cannot hang this sort. There is danger for me. I dare not step outside at night!
– Arthur Miller
The Crucible, Act 4. When Danforth insists that there will be no postponement of the hangings, Parris reveals how the Salem witch hysteria has left him fearing for his life. The man who played a key role in encouraging the hysteria tells of a dagger warning left outside his door, showing the discontent over the witch trials. Respectable citizens Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor are due to hang that day. Parris tells Danforth that he must not execute them, as he is afraid of the consequences that will follow for him.