I believe him! (Pointing at Abigail): This girl has always struck me false! (Abigail, with a weird, wild, chilling cry, screams up to the ceiling.)
– Arthur Miller
The Crucible, Act 3. Reverend Hale says this to the court, as Abigail launches into another of her fraudulent courtroom dramatics in which she claims to see demonic spirits. He expresses confidence in Proctor’s testimony, but brands Abby as false. Like Proctor, Hale is a tragic hero. Prideful and naive, he blindly puts his faith in the accusations of Abby and the girls at first. Then he realizes that the justice system in Salem is corrupt and Abby is a manipulating liar.