The crucible quotes

I never had no wife that be so taken with books, and 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

Giles

Do you know who I am, Mr. Nurse?… And do you know what near to four hundred are in the jails from Marblehead to Lynn, and under my signature?… And seventy two condemned to hang by that signature?

Danforth

They’ve come to overthrow the court, sir!

Parris

Do you know, Mr. Proctor, that the entire contention of the state in these trials is that the voice of Heaven is speaking through the children?

Danforth

When we come to take his wife, he damned the court and ripped your warrent.

Cheever

I think it be evidence, John. I am an official of the court, I cannot keep it.

Cheever

I tell you straight, Mister—-I have seen marvels in this court. I have seen people choked before my eyes by spirits; I have seen them stuck by pins and slashed by daggers. I have until this very moment not the slightest reason to suspect that the children may be deceiving me.

Danforth

But if she say she is pregnant, then she must be! That woman will never lie…

Proctor

Is every defense an attack on the court?

Hale

All innocent and Christian people are happy for the courts in Salem! These people are gloomy for it.

Parris

Do that which is good, and no harm shall come to thee.

Proctor

If Jacobs hangs for a with he forfeit up his property—that’s law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!

Giles

We cannot blink it more. There is a prodigious fear of this court in the country—

Hale

I have signed seventy two death warrants; I am a minster of the Lord, and I dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it.

Hale

… In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? One calls up witnesses to prove his innocence. But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims—and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As for the witches none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. Therefore, what is left for a lawyer to bring about?

Danforth

I have naught to change sir. She lies

Abigail

We are here, Your Honor, precisely to discover what no one has seen.

Parris

I can only say, sir, that I never found any of them naked…

Parris

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.

Mary Warren

Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits?

Abigail

How do you call Heaven? Whore! Whore!

Proctor

She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! Ans 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, and you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands. I know you must see it now.

Proctor

I have made a bell of my honor! I have rung the doom of my good name—

Proctor

In her life, sir, she have never lied. There are them that cannot sing, and them that cannot weep—my wife cannot lie. I have paid much to learn it, sir.

Proctor

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!

Hale

I’ll not hang with you! I love God, I love God.

Mary Warren

I say—I say—God is dead!

Proctor

A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that his be fraud—God damns our kind especially and we will burn together!

Proctor

I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court.

Hale