John Proctor Quotes

‘The road past my house is a pilgrimage to Salem all morning. The town's mumbling witchcraft.’

Rumours have started in Salem, and this shows the hysteria has already started building. Townspeople are not only speaking but gathering to watch this unfold. Gives the feeling that everything that happens in Salem is watched closely and carefully by the residents, hinting at the events later in the play where neighbours and friends accuse each other. Theme: Hysteria.

‘Ah, you're wicked yet, aren't y'! You'll be clapped in the stocks before you're twenty.’

John is flirting with Abby, showing their past affair and feelings towards each other to the audience. Shows that John is naive to Abby's true personality as he is willing to flirt with her despite not intending to carry on their affair, believing this will not have consequences for him and his family. Theme: Reputation / Relationships.

‘Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I'll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby.’

John admits that although he does think of her, he is focusing on remaining loyal to his wife Elizabeth. He asks her to forget about him and pretend their affair never happened. This betrayal leads Abby to start the witch hunt and to target Elizabeth Proctor. Theme: Integrity / Reputation.

‘I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr. Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God any more.’

Proctor doesn't agree with Parris' way of running the church and his negative approach to religion. Parris would rather encourage the townspeople to fear God, rather than celebrate and love their religion. This also shows the divide in the people of Salem between those who agree with Parris and those who don't. Theme: Individual against authority.

‘Mr Parris you are the first minister ever did demand the deeds to this house-’

Proctor is calling out Parris for his greed after a discussion of his wage being high. Proctor is showing that he does not care for the minister being more interested in the money involved in his job, rather than the job itself. Theme: Abuse of power / Reputation.

‘Why then I must find it and join it . . . I mean it solemnly, Rebecca, I like not the smell of this authority’

John stands up for his views in front of other townspeople. He knows that Parris is abusing his power as the minister in a Godfearing community and is not afraid to call him out for this. John shows his strength of character here by not being fearful of the minister and questioning authority he feels is wrong. Theme: Individual against authority.

‘I never said no such thing, but I've paid you for it, so I hope I can call you deaf without charge.’

Showing the audience that the townspeople of Salem are used to filing charges against each other for petty reasons. John paid the charge despite him claiming it wasn't true and jokes around with Giles, showing they have a past with each other despite falling out previously. Theme: Hysteria / Reputation.

(Stage directions) ‘He continues on to the fireplace, leans the gun against the wall as he swings a pot out of the fire and smells it. Then he lifts out the ladle and tastes. He is not quite pleased. He reaches to a cupboard, takes a pinch of salt, and drops it into the pot.’

Symbolises the tension in the relationship. Elizabeth's cooking does not satisfy John and he amends her efforts without letting her know by seasoning the food. Parallels the fact Elizabeth did not satisfy John in the relationship. The fact John does not tell her how to fix the cooking shows that they have a lack of honesty and communication in their relationship. Theme: Relationships / Integrity.

‘Are you well today?’

Showing his concern towards Elizabeth and his desire to make amends for his past affair by being interested in her day. Hints at Elizabeth's past sickness and John's desire for her remain healthy. Theme: Relationships.

‘I mean to please you, Elizabeth.’

John is actively trying to be a good husband after his affair, showing he does want to make amends. Elizabeth however is distant despite his efforts, showing she still has resentment towards his previous actions/she doesn't fully trust him. Theme: Relationships / Reputation.

‘You ought to bring some flowers in the house.’

Shows John's softer side as he wants to have stereotypically womanly décor of the time present. Also shows that John wants Elizabeth to get back to doing her household duties as a mother and a homemaker by keeping the house. Theme: Relationships.

‘It is a fault, it is a fault, Elizabeth - you're the mistress here, not Mary Warren.’

John becomes frustrated with Elizabeth, showing a change in attitude from the start of the scene. He is exasperated at her lack of authority and her weakness towards a girl of lesser status in the village. Theme: Power dynamics / Relationships.

‘Woman, I'll not have your suspicion anymore’

John is commanding and showing her assertive side. He calles her 'woman' and talks down to her, wanting to have power in the situation. He shuts down Elizabeth's doubts of him, which have stemmed from his dishonesty in the past relating to his affair with Abigail. Theme: Reputation / Power.

‘Spare me! You forget nothin' and forgive nothin'. Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven month since she is gone. I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies, as though I come into a court when I come into this house!’

John is angry that Elizabeth has condemned him for his affair but he feels that she is somewhat to blame. He feels that he has made an effort to save the relationship but she has not matched his attempts. John feels that Elizabeth becoming sick and withdrawn after her children lead him to seek gratification in an affair with Abigail, a much younger, healthy partner. He feels she is still suspicious of him and will not forgive him no matter what he does. Theme: Guilt / Relationships.

‘No more! I should have roared you down when first you told me your suspicion. But I wilted, and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed! Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that day. But you're not, you're not, and let you remember it! Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not.’

John has finally snapped at Elizabeth after the build up of tension and anger in their conversation. He resorts to being insulting to Elizabeth by saying he compared her to God, but she is nowhere near that. He is also saying to her that he wished he hadn't confessed his affair so that she wouldn't hold it over him for the rest of his life, despite his efforts to make it up to her. Theme: Integrity / Guilt.

‘I like it not that Mr. Parris should lay his hand upon my baby. I see no light of God in that man. I'll not conceal it.’

John did not want Reverend Parris to baptise his youngest son and states plainly that he does not think Parris is a worthy minister. This shows the importance for John that his minister does not have a high status automatically, rather it is earned through his actions and words. Theme: Individual against authority / Integrity.

‘I nailed the roof upon the church, I hung the door -’

John is defending his good Christian name to Reverend Hale and showing his commitment before Parris was minister. This deed shows that Proctor cares about the community, and not only himself. Proctor is respected by the townspeople because of his charitable actions in Salem. Theme: Reputation.

‘You see, sir, between the two of us we do know them all. I think it be a small fault.’

Reverend Hale has asked John to recite the ten commandments and ironically John has forgotten the only one he has broken. Elizabeth reminds him that it is adultery. Johns flaws have once again come back to punish him as Hale still has suspicions over John's loyalty to God after this exchange. Theme: Guilt / Integrity.

‘And why not, if they must hang for denyin' it? There are them that will swear to anything before they'll hang; have you never thought of that?’

John is explaining that the confessions of innocent people are what keeps others believing in the existence of the devil in Salem. John is pointing out that normal people will have nervous and unusual responses to being accused whereas Hale and the townspeople are only seeing that as evidence of witchcraft without evidence. John is more concerned with the truth of situations in comparison to others in Salem. Theme: Hysteria / Truth vs Lies.

‘Is the accuser always holy now? Vengeance is walking Salem…now the little children are jangling the keys of the kingdom and common vengeance writes the law!’

Vengeance and community breakdown. Religious references and also very strong imagery to help us visualise the situation the town is in. Hysteria starting with John here. Individual against authority. Theme: Hysteria / Abuse of power.

‘My wife will not die for me…that goodness will not die for me!’

Characterisation, determined not to lose Elizabeth and especially because of something he has done i.e. the affair with Abigail. Theme: Guilt / Integrity.

‘That woman will never lie In her life, sir, she have never lied’

Key moment for his future as later in the play she does lie to save him - ironic. Theme: Integrity / Irony.

‘Whore! Whore!’

Key moment as he reveals he "has known" Abigail which leads to Abigail take a risk and intimidate Danforth to try to avoid having to answer to the accusation and not long after she starts the hysteria again among the girls which includes Mary is accused and who then accuses John and so he is imprisoned. Theme: Reputation / Hysteria.

‘I have known her, sir. I have known her.’

Key Moment - John is being honest and admitting to being with Abi, this will affect his reputation. Theme: Integrity / Reputation.

‘A man will not cast away his good name. You surely know that’

A man's name - highlights how important this is to him and the risk he takes telling them all about the affair. Characterisation - standing up for what he believes must be told. Theme: Reputation.

‘she only thought to save my name’

Even Elizabeth knows how important it was too keep his name clear of any blemish - and she lies to do so. Theme: Reputation.

‘I say- God is dead!’

John has given up - he knows that fate is against him and he is guilty of adultery that started the witchcraft. Theme: Despair / Hysteria.

‘A fire, a fire is burning!…and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud - God damns our kind especially…’

Direct reference to a crucible. Highlights that those who wait until it is too late or are too afraid to speak the truth will be damned more than others for their cowardice. Also hysteria at the end of the act. individual against authority. Theme: Hysteria / Integrity.

‘I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is fraud. I am not that man’

Inner Conflict - Due to the affair, john feels guilty. Theme: Guilt / Integrity.

‘What say you?’

Thinks a lot of Elizabeth's opinion - loves her a lot. Theme: Relationships.

‘God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God knows how black my sins are!’

"A Man's Name" "Power of Religion". Makes a mockery of the trials as he points out that making his name public will not make God forgive him - he knows that by doing this Danforth will have more weight to use to make others confess but John does not want to be used in this way and does not want his family to be shamed by having it revealed so publicly. He suggests he has a private relationship with God but the community is very much built upon a public relationship with God. Theme: Reputation / Integrity.

‘Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies!’

A man's name - gives his reasons why he cannot have his name written down and highlights the importance of a name and it's link to a person's sense of identity. Theme: Reputation / Integrity.

(Stage directions) ‘Proctor tears the paper and crumples it, and he is weeping in fury, but erect’

Important turning point - John has realised that he cannot live a lie as he is an honest man. This gives him the strength to face the gibbet. Theme: Integrity / Redemption.

‘For I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor’

A man's name and characterisation. He sees some redemption and hope in knows he is doing what reflects his true self and his values. Theme: Redemption / Integrity.