Monday, November 25, 2019

The statement that maps are never value-free images Essay Example

The statement that maps are never value The statement that maps are never value-free images Essay The statement that maps are never value-free images Essay Essay Topic: Claim Of Value History Maps are never value-free images except in the narrowest sense that they are not n themselves either true or false. They are selective in their content and in their styles and signs of representation. Maps are a way of articulating the human world which is affected by particular sets of social relations. Political, social and religious powers have used maps to depict the extent and strength of their power. Mapmaking was one of the specialised intellectual weapons by which power could be gained, given legitimacy, administered and codified. Maps have been weapons of imperialism as much as guns, maps were used in colonial promotion and lands were claimed on paper even before they were occupied. Therefore maps anticipated empire, they were used to legitimise the reality of conquest and empire and helped essentially to create myths. Maps were also used throughout history by the state or individual landlords to show their ownership of property and control a peasant or tenant population and for the regulation of land and extraction of taxes. The maps invisibly affected the daily lives of people just as the clock brought in time discipline, maps brought and new dimension to space discipline. Maps are embedded in the history they help construct. While the western way of viewing maps has become the norm, with Europe in the located in the centre, there have been many other approaches in viewing the world. For example Australian cartographers have a different perspective, they had Australia centred and at the top of the map. Even Arab cartographers of the twelfth century viewed the world differently, and their maps today would appear upside down to us. The main problem in drawing maps is transforming a 3-dimensional world into a 2-dimensional representation as the result is distortion. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries saw the Mercator projection. The main use to which Mercators maps were put was in navigation, so coastlines are the most accurately rendered features, his projection but did however distort the area. Particular parts of the world such as the north looked territorially bigger and therefore more powerful; North America looks much bigger than Africa for example. Europe is also centre on this projection, it is the navel of the world, and has an appearance of being rather large and superior. An alternative view of the world is presented in the Peters projection. The aim of the Peters projection is to represent area with maximum accuracy, it preserves area but at the expensive of the shapes of the landmasses becoming elongated and severely distorted. Deliberate distortions of map content have been used throughout history for political purposes. Behind the mapmaker is a set of power relations and by manipulating scale, over-enlarging or moving topography or by using strong, suggestive colours, makers of propaganda maps have been a cause of the one sided view of geopolitical politics. Many wars have been fought as much in the contents of propaganda maps as through any other medium. Maps show as much as they hide, the cartographer is essentially the author and they have the power to represent what they believe to be important or essential on the map. Also their name is usually hidden so that the map assumes as air of accuracy and objectivity. Monmonier states that not only is it easy to lie with maps, it is essential, maps have to omit certain details as it is not possible to include everything on a map and it to be still legible. Maps therefore simplify and the cartographer chooses the selected features that are to be presented on it so as to point us to a way of reading it. Silences on maps exert a social influence through their omissions as much as through the features they depict and emphasise. There is an important political undercurrent in these silences. For example nuclear waste dumps are not shown on USGS topographical maps, so as not to cause the government embarrassment. In early modern maps castle signs representing military of feudal rank appeared larger than villages despite the fact they occupy less ground. Their purpose was to heighten their perception of power. Maps are never value-free images they construct rather than represent the world; they are a unique system of signs and are undermined by certain ideologies. The cartographer may also be biased in his choice of what is represented on the map and he is usually influenced by certain power relations. Maps cannot simply be taken for face value and one must be aware of what they do not say as much as what they do, in order to fully appreciate their power to manipulate.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

You have been invited by the government of Trinidad and Tobago (West Essay

You have been invited by the government of Trinidad and Tobago (West -Indies) to advise the political leader on economic development initiatives that can help - Essay Example Windfalls from surging prices of energy, exploitation activities of new gas fields and moves towards industrial capacity expansion have contributed in no small measure to vibrant economic activity, strengthening of foreign reserves and excess liquidity witnessed in the financial system. Certain indicators like capacity strains in the construction and other sectors, tightening of the labor market and an accelerated inflation point towards the operation at full or near potential of the economy. To ensure that Trinidad and Tobago’s economy is improved upon and achieves a high performing economy status, the need for certain economic development initiatives cannot be overemphasized. According to a 1999 estimate, the GDP of the country stood at about $9.41 billion dollars at growth rate of about 5%.the purchasing power parity or GDP per capita also stood at about $8500 in 1999.A further breakdown of composition by sector of the GDP reveals that services has the highest input of 54% followed by industries with 44% and by agriculture with 2%-according to a 1998 estimate. Exports from the country in 1998 had a value of $2.4bn (f.o.b).In order to raise the standard of living for current and future generations, there is an important need to strike a delicate balance of efficient investment of energy windfalls in promoting social objectives and economic diversification while avoiding an overheating of the economy and inflationary trends by the strategic pacing of energy reven ues. It is important to note that, the gulf between the non-energy sector and its energy counterpart has widened with the non-energy sector witnessing a fiscal deficit alongside an accelerated public spending increase. Urgent steps need to be taken so as to reverse overdependence on revenues from the oil sector. Human development and infrastructure should be allocated high-quality spending. Given the upward trend in inflation and the real

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Elderly Receive Free Bus Rides Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elderly Receive Free Bus Rides - Essay Example Elderly Receive Free Bus Rides These programs are either in operation or are going to become operational soon, the question here to be asked is why seniors throughout the world should have access to such discounts. Several policy makers have time and again given importance to the question and due to various reasons such policies related to free travelling for seniors have been created. Body Studies conducted in different areas and locations show that seniors live longer and healthy if their activity level is high, and in order to increase the quality of life of seniors it should be the first priority of policy makers to give seniors access to free transportation so they can easily move from one place to another and increase their activity level (Nussbaum 122). During the period of 2006, seniors living in the region of England were offered free of cost travelling as soon as the rush hours of weekdays used to end and throughout the weekends (BBC News 20120. This policy is under scrutiny and policy makers are thinkin g of ending the policy. According to a study conducted by Sophie Coronini-Cronberg on the senior citizens of the England, showed that people who had access to free bus passes participated highly in traveling from one end to another through means of walking, public transportation and cycling (U.K. Government Online 2012). The research further suggested that the free ride passes did not only benefit the poor in the community, it even benefited the rich within the community. The research results even showed that those individuals who were car owners participated less in active traveling activities. Active travelling has been associated with better health and exercise, people mostly around the world hate exercising or they do not get enough time to exercise. But if the use of public transport, especially busses increase they will start walking from their homes to buss stands and such travelling activities will assist them in complying with the exercises they have been recommended by phy sicians. According to a research conducted in Britain, when adults participate in active travelling such as travelling from their homes and offices to bus stands, they are able to fulfill certain portion of their recommended exercises (AlphaGalileo 2012). According to Santos those senior citizen that take part in active travelling and physical activities end up with better quality of life, have better mental fitness and are able to participate in economic activities which helps the government in keeping their expenses low as seniors work and do not require government aid (Fleischer 2002). Seniors that are mentally fit easily find jobs due to their experience, this helps them in becoming dependant on their families and their families do not have to think of them as burden. Death rate of senior citizens have even been linked with physical activity, studies show that those senior individuals who participate in physical activities are at a 12% lesser risk of loosing their lives as soon as they cross the age of 60 (Harbert 23). Before policy makers decide to cancel free bus trips and travelling for senior citizens, they should look at the costs associated with doing so. Medical expenses are on a rise, seniors need great amount of medical attention as at their age they experience various health diseases and if free bus rides

Monday, November 18, 2019

Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research - Assignment Example bad credit history, the rate charged may be higher. It is however, mostly based upon how a company view and rate its customer and subsequently decide what rate to be offered to a customer. Even the interest rates charged on different cards issued by same company differ from each other depending upon the way a customer is rated by the company. Companies attract customers in different manner and according to their target market. Once the target market is identified, there are different means through which companies can attract their target market. One important method for attracting the customers is the rate of interest charged on the credit cards- i.e. if company’s target market is to secure prime customers, they will offer cards at lower rates to attract their desired customers. Further, balance transfer facilities at lower rates are also an important way through which companies attract their customers. When a person applies for any type of loan facility including credit cards and personal loans, financial institutions obtain a copy of credit report of the customer. A credit report is basically just a report which mentions all the obligations of a customer that he or she has to pay off to the financial and other institutions from where borrowing has been made. It not only provides the credit history of the borrower but also give a true picture of the total monthly debt obligations, total debts to be paid by the borrower and any defaults made in the past. (AIE, 2010) In a sense, credit report is the most essential document which determines whether a person can obtain the credit or not. This is so because companies, based on the credit report, not only determine how much loan to be given but also get a clear insight into the probability that whether the customer will pay off the debt or not. Most financial institutions do not extend loans to customers with poor

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Developing a Brain Computer Interface

Developing a Brain Computer Interface A Seminar Report On â€Å"Brain Computer Interface† Submitted by: Name: Sachin Kumar Roll No: 1214310301 ABSTRACT Brain Computer Interface allows users to communicate with each others by using only brain activities without using any peripheral nerves and muscles of human body. On BCI research the Electroencephalogram (EEG) is used for recording the electrical activity along the scalp. EEG is used to measure the voltage fluctuations resulting from ionic current flows within the neurons of the brain. Hans Berger a German neuroscientist, in 1924 discovered the electrical activity of human brain by using EEG. Hans Berger was the first one who recorded an Alpha Wave from a human brain. In 1970, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency of USA initiated the program to explore brain communication using EEG. The papers published after this research also mark the first appearance of the expression brain–computer interface in scientific literature. The field of BCI research and development has since focused primarily on neuroprosthetics applications that aim at restoring damaged hearing, sight and movement. Nowadays BCI research is going on in a full swing using non-invasive neural imaginary technique mostly the EEG. The future research on BCI will be dependent mostly in nanotechnology. Research on BCI is radically increased over the last decade. From the last decade the maximum information transfer rates of BCI was 5-25 bits/min but at present BCI’s maximum data transfer rate is 84.7bits/min. 2.INTRODUCTION Brain-computer interface (BCI) is alliance between a brain and a device that enables signals from the brain to direct some external activities, such as control of a cursoror a prosthetic limb. The Brain computing interface enables a direct communications pathway between the brain and the object to be controlled. For example, the signal is transmitted directly from the brain to the mechanism directing the cursor moves, rather than taking the normal ways through the bodys neuromuscular system from the brain to the finger on a mouse then directing the curser. BCIs Research began in the 1970s at the University of California Los Angeles(UCLA) under an allowance from the   National Science Foundation, followed by a contract fromDARPA. Thanks to the remarkable cortical plasticity of the brain, signals from implanted prostheses can, after adaptation, be handled by the brain like natural sensor or effector channels. Animal experimentation for years, the first neuroprosthetic devices implanted in humans appeared in the mid-1990s. Current brain computing interface devices require calculated conscious thought; some future applications, such as prosthetic control, are likely to work without difficulty. Development of electrode devices and/or surgical methods that are minimally invasive is one of the biggest challenges in developing BCI technology . Though Brain Computer Interface (BCI) facilitates direct communication between brain and computer or another device so nowadays it is widely used to enhance the possibility of communication for people with severe neuromuscular disorders, spinal cord injury. Except the medical applications BCI is also used for multimedia applications, which becomes possible by decoding information directly from the user’s brain, as reflected in electroencephalographic (EEG)signals which are recorded non-invasively from user’s scalp. 3.LITERATURE REVIEW Current Trends in Graz Brain–Computer Interface (BCI) Research Pfurtscheller, C. Neuper, C. Guger, W. Harkam, H. Ramoser, Schlà ¶gl, B. Obermaier, and M. Pregenzer The â€Å"Graz Brain–Computer Interface† (BCI) project is aimed at developing a technical system that can support communication possibilities for patients with severe neuromuscular disabilities, who are in particular need of gaining reliable control via non-muscular devices. This BCI system uses oscillatory electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, recorded during specific mental activity, as input and provides a control option by its output. The obtained output signals are presently evaluated for different purposes, such as cursor control, selection of letters or words, or control of prosthesis. Between 1991 and 2000, the Graz BCI project moved through various stages of prototypes. In the first years, mainly EEG patterns during willful limb movement were used for classification of single EEG trials. In these experiments, a cursor was moved e.g. to the left, right or downwards, depending on planning of left hand, right hand or foot movement. Extensive off-line analyses have shown that classification accuracy improved, when the input features, such as electrode positions and frequency bands, were optimized in each subject. Apart from studies in healthy volunteers, BCI experiments were also performed in patients, e.g., with an amputated upper limb. The main parts of any BCI system are: Signal acquisition system: involves the electrodes, which pick up the electrical activity of the brain and the amplifier and analog filters. The feature extractor: converts the brain signals into relevant feature components. At first, the EEG raw signals are filtered by a digital band pass filter. Then, the amplitude samples are squared to obtain the power samples. The power samples are averaged for all trials. Finally, the signal is smoothed by averaging over time samples. The feature translator: classifies the feature components into logical controls. The control interface: converts the logical controls into semantic controls. The device controller: changes the semantic controls to physical device commands, which differ from one device to another depending on the application. Finally, the device commands are executed by the device. The early work of BCI was done by  invasive  methods with electrodes inserted into the brain tissue to read the signals of a single neuron. Although the spatio-temporal resolution was high and the results were highly accurate, there were complications in the long term. These were mostly attributable to the scar tissue formation, which leads to a gradual weakening of the signal and even complete signal loss within months because of the brain tissue reaction towards the foreign objects. A proof of concept experiment was done by Nicolelis and Chapin on monkeys to control a robotic arm in real time using the invasive method. Recently, less invasive methods have been used by applying an array of electrodes in the subdural space over the cortex to record the Electrocorticogram (ECoG) signals. It has been found that ordinary Electroencephalogram pickup signals are averaged over several EEG signal bands (Hz) square inches, whereas ECoG electrodes can measure the electrical activity of brain cells over a much smaller area, thereby providing much higher spatial resolution and a higher signal to noise ratio because of the thinner barrier tissue between the electrodes and the brain cells. The superior ability to record the gamma band signals of the brain tissue is another important advantage of this type of BCI system. Gamma rhythms (30-200 Hz) are produced by cells with higher oscillations, which are not easy to record by ordinary EEGs. The human skull is a thick filter, which blurs the EEG signals, especially the higher frequency bands (i.e. gamma band). Noninvasive  techniques were demonstrated mostly by electroencephalographs (EEG). Others used functional Hz, Magneto-Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Positron Electron Tomography (PET), Magneto encephalography (MEG) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography There (SPECT). EEGs have the advantage of higher temporal resolution, reaching a few milliseconds and are relatively low cost. Recent EEG systems have better spatiotemporal resolution of up to 256 electrodes over the total area of the scalp. Nevertheless, it cannot record from the deep parts of the brain. This is the main reason why the multimillion dollar fMRI systems are still the preferred method for the functional study of the brain. However, EEG systems are still the best candidate for BCI systems spatial as they are easy to use, portable and cheap. The main problems that reduce the reliability and accuracy of BCI and which prevent this technology from being clinically useful, are the sensory interfacing problems and the translation algorithm problems. In order to make a clinically useful BCI the accuracy of the detection of intention needs to be very high and certainly much higher than the currently achieved accuracy with different types of BCI. The intermediate compromise between accuracy and safety is the ECoG based BCI, which has shown considerable promise. The sensory arrays of electrodes are less invasive and provide comparable accuracy and high spatial resolution compared to the implanted type. The ECoG based BCI needs much less training than the EEG based BCI and researchers have shown that highly accurate and fast response. 4.TECHNICAL DETAILS REASON BEHIND WORKING: The reason a BCI works at all is because of the way our brains function. Our brains are filled with  neurons, individual nerve cells connected to one another by dendrites and axons. Every time we think, move, feel or remember something, our neurons are at work. That work is carried out by small electric signals that zip from neuron to neuron as fast as 250 mph. The signals are generated by differences in electric potential carried by ions on the membrane of each neuron. Although the paths the signals take are insulated by something called myelin, some of the electric signal escapes. Scientists can detect those signals, interpret what they mean and use them to direct a device of some kind. It can also work the other way around. For example, researchers could figure out what signals are sent to the brain by the optic nerve when someone sees the color red. They could rig a camera that would send those exact signals into someones brain whenever the camera saw red, allowing a blind person to see without eyes. BCI INPUT AND OUTPUT: One of the biggest challenges facing brain-computer interface researchers today is the basic mechanics of the interface itself. The easiest and least invasive method is a set of electrodes a device known as an  electroencephalograph(EEG) attached to the scalp. The electrodes can read brain signals. However, the skull blocks a lot of the electrical signal, and it distorts what does get through. To get a higher-resolution signal, scientists can implant electrodes directly into the gray matter of the brain itself, or on the surface of the brain, beneath the skull. This allows for much more direct reception of electric signals and allows electrode placement in the specific area of the brain where the appropriate signals are generated. This approach has many problems, however. It requires invasive surgery to implant the electrodes, and devices left in the brain long-term tend to cause the formation of scar tissue in the gray matter. This scar tissue ultimately blocks signals. Regardless of the location of the electrodes, the basic mechanism is the same: The electrodes measure minute differences in the voltage between neurons. The signal is then amplified and filtered. In current BCI systems, it is then interpreted by a computer program, although you might be familiar with older analogue encephalographs, which displayed the signals via pens that automatically wrote out the patterns on a continuous sheet of paper. In the case of a sensory input BCI, the function happens in reverse. A computer converts a signal, such as one from a video camera, into the voltages necessary to trigger neurons. The signals are sent to an implant in the proper area of the brain, and if everything works correctly, the neurons fire and the subject receive a visual image corresponding to what the camera sees. SENSORY INPUT: The most common and oldest way to use a BCI is a cochlear implant. For the average person, sound waves enter the ear and pass through several tiny organs that eventually pass the vibrations on to the auditory nerves in the form of electric signals. If the mechanism of the ear is severely damaged, that person will be unable to hear anything. However, the auditory nerves may be functioning perfectly well. They just arent receiving any signals. A cochlear implant bypasses the non functioning part of the ear, processes the sound waves into electric signals and passes them via electrodes right to the auditory nerves. The result: A previously deaf person can now hear. He might not hear perfectly, but it allows him to understand conversations. The processing of visual information by the brain is much more complex than that of audio information, so artificial eye development isnt as advanced. Still, the principle is the same. Electrodes are implanted in or near the visual cortex, the area of the brain that processes visual information from the retinas. A pair of glasses holding small cameras is connected to a computer and, in turn, to the implants. After a training period similar to the one used for remote thought-controlled movement, the subject can see. Again, the vision isnt perfect, but refinements in technology have improved it tremendously since it was first attempted in the 1970s. Jens Naumann was the recipient of a second-generation implant. He was completely blind, but now he can navigate New York Citys subways by himself and even drive a car around a parking lot. In terms of science fiction becoming reality, this process gets very close. The terminals that connect the camera glasses to the electrodes in Naumanns b rain are similar to those used to connect the VISOR (Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ) worn by blind engineering officer Geordi La Forge in the Star Trek: The Next Generation TVshow and films, and theyre both essentially the same technology. However, Naumann isnt able to see invisible portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Applications: Applications of BCI are described as follows: Neurogaming: Currently, there is a new field of gaming called Neurogaming, which uses non-invasive BCI in order to improve gameplay so that users can interact with a console without the use of a traditional controller. Some Neurogaming software use a players brain waves, heart rate, expressions, pupil dilation, and even emotions to complete tasks or effect the mood of the game. For example, game developers at Emotiv have created non-invasive BCI that will determine the mood of a player and adjust music or scenery accordingly. This gaming experience will introduce a real-time experience in gaming and will introduce the ability to control a video game by thought. Prosthesis control: Non-invasive BCIs have also been applied to enable brain-control of prosthetic upper and lower extremity devices in people with paralysis. For example, Gert Pfurtscheller of Graz University of Technology and colleagues demonstrated a BCI-controlled functional electrical stimulation system to restore upper extremity movements in a person with tetraplegia due to spinal cord injury. Between 2012 and 2013, researchers at the University of California, Irvine demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to use BCI technology to restore brain-controlled walking after spinal cord injury. Synthetic telepathy/silent communication: In a $6.3 million Army initiative to invent devices for telepathic communication, Gerwin Schalk, underwritten in a $2.2 million grant, found that it is possible to use ECoG signals to discriminate the vowels and consonants embedded in spoken and in imagined words. The results shed light on the distinct mechanisms associated with production of vowels and consonants, and could provide the basis for brain-based communication using imagined speech. On February 27, 2013Duke University researchers successfully connected the brains of two rats with electronic interfaces that allowed them to directly share information, in the first-ever direct brain-to-brain interface. MEG and MRI: Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have both been used successfully as non-invasive BCIs. In a widely reported experiment, fMRI allowed two users being scanned to play Pongin real-time by altering their haemodynamic response or brain blood flow through biofeedback techniques. fMRI measurements of haemodynamic responses in real time have also been used to control robot arms with a seven second delay between thought and movement. Neural Internet: Access to the internet opens a myriad of opportunities for those with severe disabilities, including shopping, entertainment, education, and possibly even employment. Neural control users cannot control a cursor with a great degree of precision, so, therefore, the challenge of adapting a web browser for neural control is in making links—which are spatially organized—accessible. The University of Tuebingen developed a web browser controller to be used with their thought translation device, but it requires the user to select from an alphabetized list of links, causing problems if the link names are identical. They have developed a neurally controlled web browser that serializes the spatial internet interface and allows logical control of a web application. BrainTrainer—Subject Training: The BrainTrainer project researches the most effective ways of teaching a person the brain-signal control needed to interact with a device. The BrainTrainer toolset allows researchers to compose trials by providing simple tasks, such as targeting, navigation, selection, and timing, that can be combined to produce an appropriate-level task for a particular subject.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Interruptions and Delayed Explanations in Act III of The Crucible Essay

The Crucible Essay In act three opportunities constantly arise for the whole problem of the play to be cleared up satisfactorily, but these are always frustrated. Show how this act is one of interruptions and explanations which are tragically delayed. The crucible is a play written by Arthur miller and concerns the mass hysteria, which led to the 1692 Salem witchcraft trials in the U.S.A. At that time the people who lived in Salem believed in witches and the devil. They believed that the bible told them that witches should be hanged and they were required to live by strict puritan laws. The main characters of the play are Elizabeth Proctor and her husband John. John had an affair with their maid, Abigail, and it was her intention to destroy Elizabeth and marry John Proctor herself. After Elizabeth and other members of the community have been arrested on charges of witchcraft, the trial begins and there are many opportunities to show that the people arrested were innocent but the many interruptions make this impossible. At the start of act 1 Martha Corey is being questioned by judge Danforth and Hathorne to see if she had been involved in witchcraft. Her husband, Giles Corey interrupts to say that Putnam wants everyone’s land. â€Å"Thomas Putnam is reaching out for land.† Corey says that he has evidence to prove this. Then he is interrupted by Reverend Parris who undermines Corey’s evidence by saying he was a very argumentative person. Corey is interrupted again by Francis Nurse who says that the girls are all frauds â€Å"We have proof of it sir they are all deceiving you.† John Proctor arrives in the court with Mary Warren and the evidence as well but they are interrupted by Parris who tries to blacken Proctors name by say... ...s a whore and she has a motive to kill his wife. Proctor’s wife is called in and Proctor has already told the court that she never lies, could never lie. Elizabeth Proctor is asked about Proctors relationship with Abigail and she said he had done nothing wrong. To save her husband, because committing adultery is a hanging offence, she tells that lie and condemns him. Proctor asks Mary to continue with her evidence but she turns against him and accuses him of being in league with the devil, â€Å"you’re the Devil’s man she points at him she says she will not hang with him and tells the court that he told her, â€Å"I’ll murder you, if my wife hangs.† Proctor tells Danforth â€Å"you are pulling heaven down, and raising up a whore!† If any of the people had been allowed to give their evidence without interruptions, the outcome of the court case might have been different. Interruptions and Delayed Explanations in Act III of The Crucible Essay The Crucible Essay In act three opportunities constantly arise for the whole problem of the play to be cleared up satisfactorily, but these are always frustrated. Show how this act is one of interruptions and explanations which are tragically delayed. The crucible is a play written by Arthur miller and concerns the mass hysteria, which led to the 1692 Salem witchcraft trials in the U.S.A. At that time the people who lived in Salem believed in witches and the devil. They believed that the bible told them that witches should be hanged and they were required to live by strict puritan laws. The main characters of the play are Elizabeth Proctor and her husband John. John had an affair with their maid, Abigail, and it was her intention to destroy Elizabeth and marry John Proctor herself. After Elizabeth and other members of the community have been arrested on charges of witchcraft, the trial begins and there are many opportunities to show that the people arrested were innocent but the many interruptions make this impossible. At the start of act 1 Martha Corey is being questioned by judge Danforth and Hathorne to see if she had been involved in witchcraft. Her husband, Giles Corey interrupts to say that Putnam wants everyone’s land. â€Å"Thomas Putnam is reaching out for land.† Corey says that he has evidence to prove this. Then he is interrupted by Reverend Parris who undermines Corey’s evidence by saying he was a very argumentative person. Corey is interrupted again by Francis Nurse who says that the girls are all frauds â€Å"We have proof of it sir they are all deceiving you.† John Proctor arrives in the court with Mary Warren and the evidence as well but they are interrupted by Parris who tries to blacken Proctors name by say... ...s a whore and she has a motive to kill his wife. Proctor’s wife is called in and Proctor has already told the court that she never lies, could never lie. Elizabeth Proctor is asked about Proctors relationship with Abigail and she said he had done nothing wrong. To save her husband, because committing adultery is a hanging offence, she tells that lie and condemns him. Proctor asks Mary to continue with her evidence but she turns against him and accuses him of being in league with the devil, â€Å"you’re the Devil’s man she points at him she says she will not hang with him and tells the court that he told her, â€Å"I’ll murder you, if my wife hangs.† Proctor tells Danforth â€Å"you are pulling heaven down, and raising up a whore!† If any of the people had been allowed to give their evidence without interruptions, the outcome of the court case might have been different.