The Crucible Quotes

DANFORTH: Sit you down, children. Your friend, Mary Warren, has given us a deposition. In which she swears that she never saw familiar spirits, apparitions, nor any manifest of the Devil. She claims as well that none of you have seen these things either. Now, children, this is a court of law. The law, based upon the Bible, and the Bible, writ by Almighty God, forbid the practice of witchcraft, and describe death as the penalty thereof. But likewise, children, the law and Bible damn all bearers of false witness. Now then. It does not escape me that this may be devised to blind us; it may well be that Mary Warren has been conquered by Satan, who sends her here to distract our sacred purpose. If so, her neck will break for it. But if she speak true, I bid you now drop your guile and confess your pretense, for a quick confession will go easier with you. Abigail Williams, rise. Is there any truth in this?
ABIGAIL: No, sir.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Danforth emphasizies his authority over the "children," explaining that Mary Warren has submitted a deposition claiming their evidence of seeing spirits and the Devil to be a lie. Danforth and his court have invested a great deal in the girls’ stories being true. While he may now be having his doubts, he is not going to easily dismiss their testimony on the word of one who has recanted. He may wish to be seen to be "fair," but his speech shows bias as he suggests that Mary may be lying on the instructions of Satan and threatens her with hanging. It is ironic that Mary’s honesty is characterized in this way. When Danforth asks Abigail if what Mary says in her deposition is true, Abby has little problem lying and answering "no."

Your Excellency, this is a trick to blind the court!

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. We have another example of injustice when Reverend Parris tries to turn Mary Warren’s evidence of not seeing spirits against her. Mary has now confessed that she was only pretending earlier about seeing spirits choke her in court and fainting. Asked to pretend she is being attacked now and faint, she is unable to, prompting Parris to make this comment. Every attempt to present evidence helpful to the defense of the witchcraft accused is thwarted by those in positions of authority.

I – I cannot tell how, but I did. I – I heard the other girls screaming, and you, Your Honor, you seemed to believe them, and I – It were only sport in the beginning, sir, but then the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I – I promise you, Mr. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Mary Warren admits to the court that she and the other girls were lying when they said they saw spirits. It began as sport, she says, and then when the whole world cried spirits, she thought she saw them but didn’t. Mary provides an insight into how fear, peer pressure and mass hysteria combine to ignite a chain reaction in court of girls screaming that they could see spirits.

DANFORTH: Is it possible, child, that the spirits you have seen are illusion only, some deception that may cross your mind when – ?
ABIGAIL: Why, this – this – is a base question, sir.
DANFORTH: Child, I would have you consider it – .
ABIGAIL : I have been hurt, Mr. Danforth; I have seen my blood runnin’ out! I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil’s people – and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a – .
DANFORTH: Child, I do not mistrust you – .
ABIGAIL: Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? Beware of it!

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Abigail puts on an impressive display of her power in the witch trials court, when she manipulates and openly threatens Judge Danforth. The powerful head of the court is landed with a headache when Mary Warren provides evidence that the girls were all lying when they spoke of seeing spirits and the Devil. But when Danforth questions Abigail on her truthfulness, warning that "to God every soul is precious and His vengeance is terrible on them that take life without cause," she shows who is the real power in the courtroom. Launching into a rant about being attacked by demonic spirits, the master manipulator threatens Danforth with accusations of being in league with the Devil. Abby knows that if anyone poses a threat to her, all she has to do is accuse them of witchcraft. She is also aware that Danforth and the court rely on her testimony to prove that those accused of witchcraft are guilty.

ABIGAIL: Oh, Heavenly Father, take away this shadow!
Without warning or hesitation, Proctor leaps at Abigail and, grabbing her by the hair, pulls her to her feet. She screams in pain. Danforth, astonished, cries, "What are you about?" and Hathorne and Parris call, "Take your hands off her!" and out of it all comes Proctor’s roaring voice.
PROCTOR: How do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore!

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Abigail cries to Heaven, as she and the other girls pretend to shiver in the court because Mary Warren is causing a cold wind. Tired of Abby’s manipulation and lies, John Proctor decides to expose her and shouts back that she is a whore with no right to call Heaven.

It is a whore!…I have known her, sir. I have known her.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Proctor calls Abigail a whore in front of the entire Salem court. He confesses to Judge Danforth to having "known her" – having sexual relations with Abby. He admits to deceiving his wife Elizabeth by being unfaithful to her, a crime as well as a sin in Salem. In publicly owning up to this to save his wife and neighbors from Abby’s witchcraft accusations, Proctor shows great strength of character and integrity. The stage directions describe the tragic hero as "trembling, his life collapsing about him," as he makes this confession to the court.

A man will not cast away his good name.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Proctor knows that the only way he can expose Abigail’s lies about Elizabeth and the other accused witches is to confess his illicit affair with Abby. So he decides to sacrifice his good name and publicly admit his crime of lechery to the court. He hopes that this will shake the court’s faith in Abby’s testimony. His decision to do this ironically shows that he is essentially an honorable man, one who is flawed and succumbed to the sin of lust.

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! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. John Proctor exposes the chief witness in the witch trials court as a spurned young woman seeking vengeance on his wife. His angry outburst comes when he becomes frustrated with the lies Abigail Williams is telling the judges. A person of high standing in the community, Proctor sacrifices his respectability to confess to a lustful liason with former servant Abby. Hoping to save his wife Elizabeth from Abby’s witch accusations, he comes clean and outs Abby as a vengeful and jealous fraud wishing to be the next Mrs. Proctor. John has at last honored Elizabeth’s wish to reclaim his integrity by letting Abigail know that their affair is over for good. But he is a little late, Elizabeth has been arrested for witchcraft and her fate lies in the hands of the court.

I have made a bell of my honor! I have rung the doom of my good name…My wife is innocent, except she knew a whore when she saw one!

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. In saying this to the court, Proctor confesses his illicit sexual affair with Abigail. He uses the ominous metaphor of a bell ringing his doom to describe how he is sacrificing pride and reputation to expose witchcraft accuser Abby as a whore. He is fighting to save the life of his innocent wife Elizabeth. When Proctor speaks of doom, he is foreshadowing his own eventual tragic fate.

Your Honor, I – in that time I were sick. And I – My husband is a good and righteous man. He is never drunk as some are, nor wastin’ his time at the shovelboard, but always at his work. But in my sickness – you see, sir, I were a long time sick after my last baby, and I thought I saw my husband somewhat turning from me. And this girl – .

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Elizabeth is asked by Danforth what caused her to dismiss Abigail from her service. She tries to evade Danforth’s question. Rather than admit to her husband’s infidelity with Abigail she covers up for John. In her desire to protect him, she takes the blame herself by speaking of how she was sick after having a baby and thought her husband was losing interest in her. But far from saving John, her lie ironically ends up hurting both herself and him more.

I came to think he fancied her. And so one night I lost my wits, I think, and put her out on the highroad.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Elizabeth is questioned in court after John confesses to his affair with Abigail Williams. She is asked about Abigail Williams by Judge Danforth. Rather than disclose her husband’s infidelity, she tries to protect him by lying and portraying herself as the irrational wife who gave Abby her walking papers because of jealousy. There is tragic irony in Elizabeth’s action, as it ends up making the situation worse for herself and John.

DANFORTH: Look at me! To your own knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery? Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher!
ELIZABETH: No, sir.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. When Danforth asks Elizabeth Proctor about her husband’s adultery, she lies to the court in order to protect John and his reputation. She denies that he is a lecher, not knowing that he has already confessed to being one. The audience is aware of John’s confession, making this an example of dramatic irony.

Excellency, it is a natural lie to tell; I beg you, stop now before another is condemned! I may shut my conscience to it no more – private vengeance is working through this testimony! From the beginning this man has struck me true. By my oath to Heaven, I believe him now, and I pray you call back his wife before we – .

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Hale realizes now what John Proctor had known all along, that Abigail’s witchcraft accusations are nothing but lies driven by a desire for vengeance. The witch-hunter, misguided and naive at first, is riddled with guilt and seeks redemption for wrongly condemning people to die. He shows his moral integrity in this plea to Danforth by trying to put a stop to the witchcraft court proceedings. The "natural lie" referred to is Elizabeth’s lie that John is not a lecher.

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.

ABIGAIL: You will not! Begone! Begone, I say!
…MERCY LEWIS: It’s on the beam! Behind the rafter!
DANFORTH: Where!
ABIGAIL: Why – ? Why do you come, yellow bird?

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Abigail screams up to the ceiling of the courtroom, pretending to see a demonic bird on the rafters. The other girls follow her head. Abby blames the bird on Mary Warren. This is a ruse to whip up hysteria and undermine Mary’s deposition stating that she and the girls lied when they claimed they saw the Devil. Abby is demonstrating her power over the girls by using the satanic bird to psychologically control them.

DANFORTH: What is it, child? (But Abigail, pointing with fear, is now raising up her frightened eyes, her awed face, toward the ceiling – the girls are doing the same – and now Hathorne, Hale, Putnam, Cheever, Herrick, and Danforth do the same.) What’s there? (He lowers his eyes from the ceiling, and now he is frightened; there is real tension in his voice.) Child! (She is transfixed – with all the girls, she is whimpering open-mouthed, agape at the ceiling.) Girls! Why do you – ?

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. The "yellow bird" scene in the courtroom shows how easily mass hysteria can grip an entire community and wipe out rational thought and common sense. It also shows how Abigail Williams exercises power over the girls and court officials. At the centre of the illusion is master manipulator Abby. As she imagines and invents a demonic bird on the courtroom rafters, even the learned and experienced Judge Danforth is taken in and petrified.

DANFORTH: A little while ago you were afflicted. Now it seems you afflict others; where did you find this power?
MARY WARREN: I – have no power.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. During her interrogation Mary Warren claims to have no power after Abby and her girls accuse her of attacking them with her spirit. This is an example of irony, Mary being a member of the original group of accusing girls who enjoyed considerable power in the witch trials court. But now Mary feels powerless, as stated in the stage directions: "Mary Warren, utterly confounded, and becoming overwhelmed by Abigail’s – and the girls’ – utter conviction, starts to whimper, hands half raised, powerless, and all the girls begin whimpering exactly as she does."

PARRIS: Cast the Devil out! Look him in the face! Trample him! We’ll save you, Mary, only stand fast against him – .
ABIGAIL: Look out! She’s coming down!

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. When the girls led by Abby pretend that Mary Warren’s spirit is attacking them in the form of a bird, Parris joins in. He acts as if he were with the forces of good fighting against evil. Like Abby, he too is manipulating the court to undermine Mary’s evidence that she and the girls lied about seeing witches and the Devil.
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