Arthur Miller Quotes

The Crucible, Act 3. Proctor’s pleading with Mary Warren to tell the truth because "God damns all liars" falls on deaf ears and she finally breaks. Under pressure from Abby’s gang of girls and Danforth’s questioning, she cracks and screams this at Proctor. As she returns to the fold of the accusers and their pretense of seeing spirits, she scapegoats John as a devil worshipper to save herself. Mary is weak-willed, morally ambiguous and easily manipulated, especially by Abigail. Mary’s switch back to the side of the girls follows the remarkable "yellow bird" scene in which Abby convinces the courtroom that Mary is attacking her in the shape of a demonic bird. After Abby’s scheming, Mary falsely outing Proctor as the Devil’s disciple proves to be the final nail in his coffin. As with many other instances in the play, the division between who is good and who is evil it not clear-cut, with the sides often getting mixed up.