The Crucible
Poisoning the Well
By: Jewelia Lindsey
&
Ann Kauffman
Universal Idea
"The recent attacks by Republican leaders and their
ideological fellow-travelers on the effort to reform the
health-care system have been so misleading, so
disingenuous, that they could only spring from a cynical
effort to gain partisan political advantage. By poisoning
the political well, they've given up any pretense of
being the loyal opposition. They've become political
terrorists, willing to say or do anything to prevent the
country from reaching a consensus on one of its most
serious domestic problems."
(Steven Pearlstein, "Republicans Propagating Falsehoods in
Attacks on Health-Care Reform)
Poisoning the Well
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Def:
1.unfavorable info (be it true
or false) about person A is
presented. Therefore any
claims person A makes will be
false
http://www.iep.utm.edu/fallacy/
Act 3
Pg226
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Mary Warren. (pointing at Proctor.) You’re the Devils man! (He is
stopped in his tracks.)
Parris. Praise God!
Girls. Praise God!
Proctor (numbed). Mary how-?
Mary Warren. Ill not hang with you! I love God, I love God.
Danforth (to Mary). He bid you do the Devil’s work?
Mary Warren (hysterically, indicating Proctor). He come at me by
night and every day to sign, to sign, toDanforth. Sign What?
Parris. The Devil’s book? He com e with a book?
Mary Warren (hysterically, pointing at Proctor fearful of him). My
name, he want my name. “I’ll murder you,” he says, “if my wife
hangs. We must go and overthrow the court,” he says!
Act 3 Continued
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Mary Warren is
accusing Proctor of
being the Devil’s man
which he is not.
Mary’s statement is
looked at as the truth,
therefore anything
John Proctor says is
looked at as if he is
lying.
Act 3
pg:212-213
Hale (to Parris, trying to contain himself.) His
every defense an attack upon the court? Can no
one-?
 Parris. All innocent and Christian people are
happy for the courts in Salem! These people are
gloomy for it. ( To Danforth directly) And I think
you will want to know, from each and everyone
of them, what discontents them with you!
 Hathorne. I think they ought to be examined,
sir.
 Danforth. It is not necessarily an attack, I
think. Yet
Act 3
pg 213
Continued
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Parris is saying that
all Christians are
happy with the
courts. So when a
person questions the
court they must not
be a Christian.
Hale
Parris