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The Crucible by Arthur Miller Quotations and Analysis

“I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet!”

Spoken by Abigail in Act I, these lines show us the intense feeling she still holds for John Proctor. She is so intent on her feelings for John, and so intent on not recognizing that he sees her as a mistake, that she will not listen to any reason regarding their relationship. For him it is over and he wishes only to re-build his life with his wife. For her, it is a madness and a delusion that she and John will be together. These lines also demonstrate her intense disregard for the entire town of Salem.

“I want to open myself! . . . I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!”

This is an outburst from Abigail in Act I. She reacts to Tituba’s admission to conjuring spirits and sees this as her way out. By making this histrionic declaration she disavowals her own responsibility and defers the blame for evil deeds onto the other girls. From this we can see just how manipulative and duplicitous Abigail can be.

“You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between. This is a sharp time, now, a precise time—we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world. Now, by God’s grace, the shining sun is up, and them that fear not light will surely praise it.”

These are the words of Danforth in Act III. We see here Danforth’s believe that there is only the rule of the court. What is right is determined by religious law and any other consideration is on the side of evil. We also recognize in these lines the strict belief in being with the authorities or against them. Danforth says the time is past when “evil mixed itself with good.” There are no grey areas.

“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.”

From Act III when Proctor finally breaks down and speaks on behalf of truth and justice. Here he confesses his sins and his affair with Abigail, and by doing, he exposes her lies regarding the accusations of witchcraft. He draws attention to the hysteria which surrounds the trial and states that the proceedings are a “whore’s justice.” The court and trials are a “whore” to special interests and Abigail seeks favor even though she is a whore.

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