Trifiles - Throughout the play, Mrs. Peters reminds Mrs. Hale that “the law is the law” and “the law has got to punish crime.” Why does Mrs. Peters likely believe this, and what does this repetition contribute to the overall meaning of the play?

Mrs. Peters is married to the sheriff and prefers to follow the law, often apologizing for the behavior of the men because they are only doing her duty. Mrs. Peters understands loneliness and the world of the female domestic. Her statement rings with sense of sad irony because she knows that the law does not protect women. The law is very much a male construct.