‘The Crucible’ quotes



‘The Crucible’ quotes

Characters:

Abigail Williams

·         Stage directions: an endless capacity for dissembling

·         Stage directions: Winningly she comes a little closer, with a confidential, wicked air.

• “I’d almost forgot how strong you are, John Proctor!”

• “you loved me then and you do now!”

• "sweated like a stallion" (imagery)

• “I never knew what pretence Salem was” (hatred for Salem)

• (describing Elizabeth) “a cold, snivelling woman”

• “I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine.”

“…and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.”

·         “I want to open myself! I want the light of God… I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!”

·         Stage directions: in an open threat. “Let you beware, Mr Danforth.”

·         Stage directions: They all watch, as Abigail, out of her infinite charity, reaches out and draws the sobbing Mary to her, and then looks up to Danforth.

John Proctor

• (narrator) “Proctor, respected and even feared in Salem”

• (narrator)“it is a man in his prime we see, with a quiet confidence and an unexpressed, hidden force”

·         “Ah, you’re wicked yet, aren’t y’!”

• “I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again.”

·         “It’s well seasoned.”

• ‘[wide eyed] Oh, it is a black mischief’

• ‘[with a violent undertone] You doubt me yet?’

• “There are them that will swear to anything before they’ll hang.”

• “little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance write the law!” (imagery)

• “That woman will never lie, Mr Danforth.” (referring to Elizabeth)

·         “It is a providence, and no great change; we are only what we always were, but naked now. Aye, naked! And the wind, God’s icy wind, will blow!”

·         “But it is a whore’s vengeance…”

• A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you—see her what she is. . . . She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! (imagery)

·         “I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint.”

·         “Is there no good penitence but it be public?”

·         “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”

Elizabeth Proctor

·         Stage directions: She receives it. (kiss from John)

• “(it is hard to say) I know it, John.”

• “where she walks the crowd will part lie the sea for Israel.” (imagery)

• “you must tell them it is a fraud”

• “She has an arrow in you yet, John Proctor, and you now it well!” (imagery)

• “I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you.”

·         “She thinks to take my place, John.”

·         “Adultery, John.”

• “I am a covenanted Christian woman.”

• “When the children wake, speak nothing of witchcraft – it will frighten them.”

·         “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!”

Rebecca Nurse

·         “I have seen them all through their silly seasons…”

·         “Let us rather blame ourselves…”

Reverend Parris

• “In history he cut a villainous path, and there is very little good to be said for him.”

• “Like the rest of Salem, never conceived that the children were anything but thankful for being permitted to walk straight, eyes slightly lowered, arms at the sides and mouths shut until bidden to speak.” 

• “speak nothing of unnatural causes”

• “hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation”

• ‘I do not think I saw you at Sabbath meeting since snow flew.’

• ‘this man is mischief’

• “Thirty-one pound is gone. I am penniless.” “He covers his face and sobs.”

• “Tonight, when I open my door to leave my house - a dagger clattered to the ground... You cannot hang his sort. There is a dagger for me. I dare not step out at night!”

• “If you desire a cup of cider, MrProctor, I am sure I-“

“Proctor turns an icy stare at him and breaks off. Parris raises his palms towards Proctor.”

Reverend Hale

·         “We cannot look to superstition in this.  The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are as definite as stone…”

• “Have no fear now – we shall find him out if he has come among us, and I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face!”

• “(It is his own suspicion but he resists it)” (Hales’ change of mind)

·         “But it does not follow that everyone accused is part of it.”

• ‘From the beginning this man has struck me true.’

·         “I may shut my conscience to it no more – private vengeance is working through this testimony!”

·         “I denounce these proceedings!”

• “Excellency, it is a natural lie to tell; I beg you, stop now before another is condemned! Private vengeance is working through this testimony! By my oath to Heaven, I believe him now.”

·         “I come to do the Devil’s work. I come to counsel Christians they should belie themselves. There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!!”

Mrs Putnam

“it’s death drivin’ into them, forked and hoofed’

“Tituba knows how to speak to the dead, Mr Parris.”

Thomas Putnam

• “That is a notorious sign of witchcraft afoot”

·         “There is a murdering witch among us, bound to keep herself in the dark.”

·         “Sarah Good? Did you ever see Sarah Good with him? Or Osburn?”

Giles Corey

·         “This man is killing his neighbours for their land!”

Deputy Governor Danforth

• “This is the highest court of the supreme government of this province”

• “..you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between.”

·         “But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore we must rely upon her victims…”

• “Do you know, Mr Proctor, that the entire contention of the state in these trials is that the voice of Heaven is speaking through the children?”

·         “Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. While I speak God’s law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering.”

·         “Look you, sir. I think you mistake your duty here. It matters nothing what she thought…”

·         “Is that document a lie? If it is a lie I will not accept it! What say you? I will not deal in lies, Mister!”

·         “Who weeps for them, weeps for corruption!”

• “There will be no postponement.” (p.102)

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