It is my third wife, sir; I never had no wife that be so taken with books, and I thought to find the cause of it, d’y’see, but it were no witch I blamed her for. I have broke charity with the woman, I have broke charity with her.
– Arthur Miller
The Crucible, Act 3. Giles Corey feels terrible guilt for getting caught up in Salem’s witchcraft fear and hysteria and helping have his wife Martha accused of being a witch. He drew attention to her by saying that she had taken to secretly reading strange books at night. Here he make a plea for his wife at Judge Danforth in the witch trials court. He is described in the stage directions as openly weeping and then covering his face ashamed.