1. "John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not." (Elizabeth) Speaker: Elizabeth to John Proctor

Context: At John Proctor’s house, Elizabeth and John are conversing as tensions are rising about John being alone with Abigail. At the same time Elizabeth knows Proctor has committed adultery.

Meaning: Elizabeth is saying that if it was anyone else being accused of witchcraft, John couldn’t care less therefore wouldn’t have gone to Salem.

Significance: Elizabeth is aware that John has been cheating, and understands that his only reason for wanting to go to Salem is to prevent his affair from publicizing.

2. "We must all love each other now, Goody Proctor." Speaker: Mary Warren to Elizabeth

Context: At Proctor’s house, Proctor is angry at Mary Warren while she explains why she left to Salem and its current situation over there.

Meaning: Mary says they should all have equal respect towards each other for the benefit of everyone. Despite everyone’s social status, race, or any differences, they are all actively participating in the same trial, so they must learn to love and understand each other.

Significance: The Proctors must treat Mary with utmost respect and equal treatment since she is an important figure in court now as well as her social standing being higher, therefore she has certain power to easily curve the judgements in court.

3. "He preach nothin' but golden candlesticks until he had them. I labor the earth from dawn of day to blink of night, and I tell you true, when I look to heaven and see my money glaring at his elbows - it hurt my prayer, sir, it hurt my prayer. I think, sometimes, the man dreams cathedrals, not clapboard meetin' houses."

Speaker: John Proctor to Hale

Context: Reverend Hale is questioning Proctor’s religious faith since he’s only been to church 26 times in 17 months, rarely showing up at church. In addition, Proctor evades the blame of his faith being questioned by stating a factual truth about how Parris only cares about his golden candlesticks, therefore his status which opposes the main idea of being a man of God.

Meaning: Parris only cares about his reputation and social standing which contradicts his position as a man of god.

Significance: To back up his reasoning on why he hasn’t been showing up to church by stating the truth about Parris’s ideas on bringing up his social status even more despite being a man of god.

4. "Theology, sir, is a fortress; no crack in a fortress may be accounted small." Speaker: Reverend Hale to John Proctor

Context: They are talking about the importance of unwavering faith and religious principles in Salem. The people are starting to grow more suspicions about witchcraft and Hale emphasizes the importance of guarding religious doctrine closely.

Meaning: He is asserting that theology should be preserved without any weakness or inconsistency. Any small “crack” from accepted beliefs could lead to spiritual danger or the collapse of faith.

Significance: By comparing theology to a fortress, Hale emphasizes that even the smallest doubt can lead to big trouble. This also foreshadows the rigid, harmful way the witch trials treat any questioning, punishing people who won’t conform.

5. "God keep you both; let the third child be quickly baptized, and go you without fail each Sunday in to Sabbath prayer; and keep a solemn, quiet way among you."

Speaker: Reverend Hale to John and Elizabeth Proctor

Context: Hale is expressing his concern about the Proctors’ irregular church attendance and the fact that their third child has not been baptized. He is starting to question the depth of their religious commitment, which could be seen as a sign of distrust or even association with witchcraft.

Meaning: Hale is advising the Proctors to follow strictly to the expected religious practices of the community; to attend church regularly, have their children baptized, and live a pious (religious) life.

Significance: This highlights the pressure to conform to rigid religious standards in Salem. It acts as a warning implying that failing to adhere to these “norms” could put anyone in danger, since deviations from religious customs are viewed with suspicion.

6. "If Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing's left to stop the whole green world from burning. Let you rest upon the justice of the court; the court will send her home, I know it."

Speaker: Reverend Hale to John and Elizabeth Proctor

Context: Rebecca Nurse, has been accused of witchcraft. He is expressing disbelief to the Proctors that someone as pious and kind as Rebecca could be involved in witchcraft.

Meaning: Hale is saying that if someone as good and innocent as Rebecca Nurse can be accused of witchcraft, then there is no safety or security left for anyone else. However, he reassures the Proctors to trust the court, believing it will see her innocence and release her.

Significance: Hale trusts in the court and believes in its ability to distinguish truth from falsehood. However, it also foreshadows the court’s failure, as even the innocent are condemned.

7. "Man, remember, until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven." Speaker: Reverend Hale to John Proctor

Context: Proctor challenges the legitimacy of the court and questions how good people such as Rebecca Nurse could be accused as well.

Meaning: Hale is reminding Proctor that appearances can be deceiving. Just how the Devil was once seen as beautiful by God in Heaven before he betrayed and fell, people who seem righteous could still be hiding dark secrets.

Significance: It reflects the increasing paranoia in Salem, where trust in others’ goodness is eroding under the fear of hidden sin. Hale begins to doubt his own ability to distinguish good from evil.

8. "And he [Parris] goes to save her [Abigail], and, stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out. And demandin' of her how she come to be so stabbed, she - testify it were your wife's familiar spirit pushed it in."

Speaker: Ezekiel Cheever to John Proctor

Context: Ezekiel explains that Abigail accused Elizabeth of using witchcraft to harm her by pushing a needle into a poppet, which supposedly resulted in Abigail being mysteriously “stabbed” by a needle. He describes how Parris discovered the needle in Abigail’s belly, leading Abigail to claim Elizabeth’s spirit was responsible.

Meaning: Cheever is retelling Abigail’s accusation that Elizabeth used witchcraft to harm her from a distance. According to her, Elizabeth’s spirit guided the needle into her stomach through the poppet and this accusation is part of Abigail’s scheme to frame Elizabeth and remove her as a rival for John Proctor’s affection.

Significance: This illustrates the hysteria and irrationality fueling the Salem witch trials. It foreshadows the lengths Abigail will go in order to eliminate Elizabeth.

9. "Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God's fingers? I'll tell you what's walking Salem - vengeance is walking Salem.

Speaker: John Proctor to Reverend Hale

Context: Elizabeth has been arrested on accusations of witchcraft. Proctor voices his anger over how easily people’s claims are accepted as truth without question.

Meaning: Proctor is questioning the court’s logic, pointing out the absurdity of assuming every accuser is automatically pure and honest. He argues that those making accusations may have intentionally hidden motives, and what is truly at work in Salem is not divine justice but personal revenge.

Significance: This reveals Proctor’s recognition of the true nature of the witch trials, that they are fueled by personal grievances and a desire for vengeance rather than a quest for truth. HIs words challenge the blind faith the court places in the accusers and foreshadow the damage that unchecked accusations will cause. It underscores the theme of hypocrisy and highlights the dangers of a system that equates accusations with holiness.

10. "You are a coward! Though you be ordained in God's own tears, you are a coward now!" Speaker: John Proctor to Hale

Context: After Elizabeth is arrested based on Abigail’s accusations, Proctor is furious with Hale for not standing up to the court and for failing to prevent the arrest despite knowing Elizabeth’s good character.

Meaning: Proctor is calling Hale a coward for not intervening to stop the unjust accusations and arrests of “innocent” people. Although Hale is a minister, Proctor accuses his of lacking the courage to act against the wrongful persecution happening in Salem.

Significance: This highlights Proctor’s increasing frustration with the moral weakness of the authority figures in Salem, especially Hale. It shows that Proctor believes that true courage means standing up for justice, even if it means defying the court and the majority. 

1. "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?"

Speaker: Danforth to John Proctor

Context: In the courtroom, Proctor is trying to prove that the girls are lying. Danforth wants to tell Proctor that the girls have been speaking with God and that it is the entire dispute.

Meaning: Danforth is trying to make Mr. Proctor realize that the children are speaking the truth, that their words are proof of God’s will, and that the entire arguments made in the situation are that they are speaking the truth.

Significance: Danforth trusts the girls and doesn’t want to admit the court could be wrong. This shows how blind faith and fear lead to unfair decisions. He is obsessed with his reputation and eager to keep order of the court even though the claims don’t make sense.

2. "I think not, or you should surely know that Cain were an upright man, and yet he did kill Abel." Speaker: Parris to Proctor
Context: Proctor is questioning how the court judges who is guilty or innocent during the court proceedings.

Meaning: Parris is saying that he doubts that Proctor read the Gospel, and that his statements aren’t making sense with the way he’s saying that many of the women who are getting accused have lived with such an upright reputation and still were suspected of witchcraft. He thinks that even good people can do evil things.

Significance: Parris uses this to suggest that appearances can be deceiving, trying to discredit Proctor’s claims. This shows how the trials twist logic to justify false accusations and how Parris supports the court to protect only his reputation. Almost everything in Salem is based on their belief in God.

3. "We cannot blink it more. There is a prodigious fear of this court in the country." Speaker: Hale to Danforth

Context: Hale is becoming doubtful of the court’s fairness and the legitimacy of the witch trials as he sees the panic spreading in Salem.

Meaning: Hale is saying that the court is not trusted, and people are scared of its power and the injustices happening.

Significance: Hale is warning that the court’s misuse of its power is creating widespread fear and division, not justice as it's supposed to. This moment shows his growing concern about the trials.

4. "Then there is a prodigious guilt in the country...there is fear in the country because there is a moving plot to topple Christ in the country!"

Speaker: Danforth to Hale

Context: Hale has expressed concern about growing fear of the court, and Danforth is defending the trials, insisting the fear is due to a conspiracy against God.

Meaning: Danforth is arguing that the fear in Salem comes from a plot to undermine religion, not from the court’s actions.

Significance: Danforth refuses to admit the court’s faults and instead blames fear on a supposed attack on Christianity. This shows his inflexible thinking and stubbornness, and how the trials are being justified as a defense of faith, even as they harm innocent people. It reflects the paranoia and religious zeal driving the hysteria.

5. "We are here, Your Honor, precisely to discover what no one has ever seen." Speaker: Parris to Danforth

Context: The court is debating whether they should accept the accusations of witchcraft without physical evidence.

Meaning: Parris is justifying the court’s reliance on intangible evidence, like testimonies of spirits or visions, since witchcraft is invisible by nature.

Significance: This shows how the trials twist logic to allow baseless accusations to hold weight. It highlights the fear and paranoia that replace reason, with Parris supporting these methods to maintain his authority and deflect suspicion from himself. Court relies on verifiable evidence for the accused.

6. "I - I know not. A wind, a cold wind, has come." Speaker: Abigail to Danforth and the court

Context: Abigail is in court and suddenly starts acting as if she is feeling cold or a “wing” has come over her, possibly to distract the court or to accuse others.

Meaning: Abigail is pretending to feel a chill, trying to shift the focus away from her and create the illusion of danger, likely to gain the court’s sympathy or power.

Significance: This moment demonstrates Abigail’s manipulative nature, as she uses fear and the supernatural to control the court’s judgment. It shows how hysteria is manipulated to accuse others and protect her own position.

7. "I have made a bell of my honor! I have rung the doom of my good name." Speaker: John Proctor to himself and possibly the court

Context: He is reflecting on the decisions he’s made, especially his confession to witchcraft. He feels that by confessing, he has destroyed his own reputation.

Meaning: Proctor is saying that by confessing to a crime he didn’t commit, he has tainted his honor. The “bel” represents the irreversible loss of his good name, and “doom” reflects the tragic consequences of his actions.

Significance: This shows Proctor’s inner conflict and his realization that he has sacrificed his integrity to save his life. It highlights the importance of personal honor and the cost of compromising one's values. This moment is pivotal because Proctor is facing the loss of his dignity, foreshadowing his decision to choose death over further dishonor. It shows the moral growth of Proctor.

8. "Private vengeance is working through this testimony!" Speaker: Giles Corey to Danforth

Context: Giles Corey is accusing Thomas Putnam of using the witch trials to accuse people and take their land for personal gain. He says that the accusations are driven by personal grudges, not truth.

Meaning: Giles is arguing that some of the accusations in the court are not about real witchcraft, but rather about people seeking revenge or personal gain.

Significance: This moment exposes the corruption and injustice in the trials, where personal vendettas are taking precedence over truth. It also highlights the theme of how fear and paranoia can be manipulated for selfish reasons. Giles is trying to alert the court to the falsehoods driving the accusations.

9. "Praise God!" (Parris and the girls after the crying out and Mary's calling Proctor "the Devil's man) "I say - I say - God is dead!"

Speaker: Proctor to the court, girls, and anyone present

Context: After Mary Warren turns on Proctor and accuses him of being "the Devil's man," the girls cry out, and Proctor, in frustration and disbelief at the corruption of the court, declares that "God is dead."

Meaning: Proctor is expressing his disillusionment with the court and the religious authorities. He feels that the trials have become so unjust and corrupt that it is as if God Himself is absent or powerless in the situation.

Significance: This moment marks Proctor’s emotional and spiritual breaking point. It shows his loss of faith in both the court and the system that claims to be acting on behalf of God. It also reflects his internal conflict and the theme of integrity, as Proctor chooses to speak out against the corruption, even if it means sacrificing his own life. It signifies the depth of the hysteria and the collapse of moral authority in Salem.

10. "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 this be fraud - God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!"

Speaker: John Proctor to Danforth

Context: Proctor, in a fit of anger and frustration, declares that the trials are a fraud. He accuses Danforth and the court of perpetuating the lies and condemning innocent people. He is reflecting on his own role in the trials, admitting his complicity in the false accusations.

Meaning: Proctor is saying that the trials are led by evil, and he sees the “devil’s face” in both himself and Danforth because they allowed these lies to continue. He feels that the corruption in the trials is a sin, and both he and the others involved in the injustice will pay for it.

Significance: This moment reveals Proctor’s final moral reckoning. He is acknowledging his own role in the trials and confronting the reality that the entire system is corrupt. It reflects his belief that those who allow injustice will face divine punishment. This speech also highlights Proctor’s desperate attempt to make the court see the truth, but he knows they won’t. His anger shows his realization that the trials are beyond saving and will lead to his own destruction as well.