Key quotes in The Crucible

"But God made my face; you cannot want to tear my face. Envy is a deadly sin, Mary" (Abigail, Act 3, p. 106)

Abigail's words here are ironic because in The Crucible, it is Abigail who is envious of the position Elizabeth Proctor has as John Proctor's wife.

"DANFORTH, conciliatory: You misunderstand, sir; I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just." (Act 4, p. 119).

The irony in Danforth's statement is that it wasn't "just" to hang any of the accused witches in the first place, and so continuing to hang people just because it's already been done before is a terrible idea.

I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew

what pretence Salem was

Abigail Williams utters these words in an Act I conversation with John Proctor, clueing the audience into her

past affair with him. For Proctor, their relationship belongs to the past—while he may still

be attracted to her, he is desperately trying to put the incident behind him. Abigail has no

such sense of closure. As she begs him to come back to her, her anger overflows, and

we see the roots of what becomes her targeted, destructive romp through Salem. Her jealousy of

Elizabeth Proctor and her fantasy that if she could only dispose of Elizabeth, John would be hers.

You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it

Anyone who opposes the court's

activities cannot be an honest opponent. In a theocracy, one cannot have honest disagreements because God is

infallible. Since the court is conducting the witch trials, anyone who questions the trials, such as Proctor or

Giles Corey, is the court's enemy. From there, the logic is simple: the court does God's work, and so an enemy

of the court must, necessarily, be a servant of the Devil.

"ABIGAIL, in a temper: My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!" (Act 1, p. 12)

Abigail is concerned about her reputation and her "name;" this is no doubt what motivates her, at least initially, to put the blame for the dancing in the woods on Tituba. If her name is "soiled," Abigail could face harsh consequences in the Salem theocracy where women are already low on the totem pole - if it's discovered that she, an unmarried orphan woman, slept with a married man, she would face huge consequences (although what these consequences would be aren't specified in the play).

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

Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang!

In part, this unwillingness reflects his desire not to dishonor his fellow prisoners: he would not

be able to live with himself knowing that other innocents died while he quaked at death's door and fled. More

important, it illustrates his obsession with his good name. Reputation is tremendously important in Salem,

where public and private morality are one and the same. Early in the play, Proctor's desire to preserve his

good name keeps him from testifying against Abigail.

"We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment." (Danforth, Act 3, p. 83)

This line is a reference to the name of the play, The Crucible. A crucible is used to melt down metals and separate out the base metals - or in the case of those questioned about witchcraft, it separates out lies and hypocrisy. There's more true to this statement than Danforth knows, however; not only do the trials melt down the fronts people have put up, but they also expose people's core selves.

"You are God's instrument put in our hands to discover the Devil's agents among us. You are selected, Tituba, you are chosen to help us cleanse our village." (Hale, Act 1, p. 44)

Tituba, the lowest of the low (slave and a woman) has her status temporarily elevated because of the witch trials. Normally, she is the one told what to do and told to obey; now, however, she has the power of life and death over others

God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a *****'s

vengeance. . . .

This scene, in the Salem courtroom, marks the climax of the play, in which Proctor's concern for justice

outstrips his concern for his reputation. This re-prioritization of values enables him to do what is necessary.

But he finds, to his horror, that his actions come too late: instead of Abigail and the witch trials being exposed

as a sham, Proctor is called a liar and then accused of witchcraft by the court. His attempt at honesty backfires

and destroys him

Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.

We get a glimpse of Abigail Williams' ruthless nature. She fully understands the ramifications of being found guilty of witchcraft, which makes her faulty accusations all the more disturbing.

I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it.

Proctor confesses to witchcraft yet refuses to incriminate others. Although the confession, in the context of the play, refers to witchcraft, it can be inferred that he is referring to his affair with Abigail, is accepting his fault in the matter, and wishes not to point the finger at another.