I’d not call it sick; the Devil’s touch is heavier than sick. It’s death, y’know, it’s death drivin’ into them, forked and hoofed.
– Arthur Miller
The Crucible, Act 1. Ann Putnam, asked by Parris if her daughter Ruth is sick, suggests a supernatural reason for her illness. The fear of the Devil is graphically illustrated here with Mrs. Putnam believing that he has possessed both her daughter and Betty. Death is personsified in Mrs. Putnam’s hysterical outburst.