The Amazing Resilience of Giles Corey During the Salem Witch Trials

Why could Giles Corey not be condemned as a witch?

1) He named other witches.

2) He refuses to answer the charge of being a witch.

3) He confesses to being a witch in court.

4) He accused his wife of being a witch because she reads.

Final answer:

Giles Corey could not be condemned as a witch because he refused to answer the charges, preventing a legal conviction and protection of his estate from confiscation by the court (option 2).

The reason Giles Corey could not be condemned as a witch is because he refused to answer the charge of being a witch. Rather than plead guilty or innocent to the charges during the Salem Witch Trials, he chose to remain silent. This act of defiance meant that no legal verdict could be rendered against him. To coerce a plea, Corey was subjected to pressing, an old English legal procedure where heavy stones were placed upon a person. Despite this, he did not enter a plea and was consequently killed by the process. Corey's silence prevented the court from confiscating his estate, which would have been the case if he had been convicted as a witch.

Hence, the answer is option 2.