The Crucible
Significant Quotations Acts 2-3
Quotation
Who said it to
whom
Act What it tells the audience/ reader
“It is a mouse no more. I forbid her to go, and she
raises up her chin like the daughter of a prince
and says to me, ‘I must go to Salem, Goody
Proctor; I am an official of the court!’” (55).
Elizabeth  Proctor
2
-
Discusses Mary Warren
Mary is disobedient and this involves
the Proctors into the court (poppet,
etc)
“If the girl’s a saint now, I think it is not easy to
prove she’s fraud, and the town gone so silly. She
told it to me in a room alone—I have no proof of it”
(57).
“I never knew it before. I never knew anything
before…and all at once I remembered everything
she done to me!” (60).
“I think, sometimes, the man dreams cathedrals,
not clapboard meetin’ houses” (69).
Proctor  Elizabeth
2
-
Mary Warren 
Proctors
2
-
Proctor  Hale
2
-
Proctor is not confident in the court
esp. b/c they value Abigail so much
He was with her alone--- again!
PROOF
MW believes she was bewitched by
Sarah Good
Easily influenced
Explains why Proctor doesn’t like
Parris
Parris is greedy
Shows that Proctor is afraid of
discussing his knowledge (given by
Abigail) b/c he doesn’t know if he can
be trusted in a court that is so flawed!
“I falter nothing, but I may wonder if my story will
be credited, in such a court” (73).
Proctor  Hale
2
-
“If Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing’s left to
stop the whole green world from burning” (75).
Hale  Francis /
Proctor / Elizabeth
2
-
Anyone can be accused if Rebecca is;
green= pure
“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” (81).
“What I have heard in her favor, I will not fear to
testify in court” (83).
Proctor  Hale
2
-
Proctor is reasonable/ practical
He knows that people are accusing
others for vengeance – LAND
Hale  Proctor
2
-
Hale will defend Elizabeth
He is neutral; honest
As an outsider, he seems less biased.
“It is a providence, and no great change; we are
only what we always were, but naked now” (85).
Proctor  Mary
Warren / audience
2
“I have broke charity with the woman, I have broke
charity with her” (90).
Giles  court
3
Trying to convince Mary to go to court
Doesn’t care that he will be accused of
LECHERY
- We are all exposed
He feels guilty that his wife (Martha) accused.
“I think those must both be arrested in contempt,
sir” (90).
Hathorne 
Danforth
3
Giles Corey and Francis Nurse
“Excellency, we have proof for your eyes; God
forbid you shut them to it. The girls, sir, the girls
are frauds” (91).
Francis  Danforth
3
“Excellency, you surely cannot think to let so vile a
lie be spread in open court!” (93).
Parris  Danforth
3
“We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all
concealment” (93).
Danforth  Proctor
3
“When we come to take his wife, he damned the
court and ripped your warrant” (94).
Cheever  Danforth
3
Cheever feels an obligation to the court--even though he is friends with Proctor.
“I think it be evidence, John. I am an official of the
court, I cannot keep it” (95).
Cheever  Proctor
3
Same as above
Shows the power of the court and the hysteria
Quotation
Who said it to
whom
Hale  Danforth
Act What it tells the audience/ reader
Proctor  Danforth
3
“Your Honor, I cannot think you may judge the
man on such evidence” (95) .
“Excellency, does it not strike upon you that so
many of these women have lived so long with
such upright reputation, and---“ (95).
3
-
-
Logical/ believes his PROOF is
important
After Mary confesses that it “were pretense”
- Parris is afraid of anyone going
against the court/ blackening his name
TITLE!!! Is revealed here; that is what a
Crucible does
Hale stands up for Proctor; he’s looking for
valid evidence (proof!)
-
Brings the importance of reputation
Defending the women
“That woman will never lie, Mr. Danforth” (96).
Proctor  Danforth
3
Elizabeth- establishes her as HONEST
- Eliz will be believed when she says
John is NOT a LECHER
“He’s come to overthrow this court, Your Honor!”
(97).
Parris  Danforth
3
Parris is ALWAYS attacking Proctor
- Parris hopes to discredit Proctor
“All innocent and Christian people are happy for
the courts in Salem! These people are gloomy for
it” (98).
Parris  all in court
(Danforth, Hathorne,
Proctor, Hale)
3
Parris believes that the court is just; but we
also know that his vengeance
“But you must understand, sir, that a person is
either with this court or he must be counted
against it, there be no road between” (99).
Danforth  Francis/
Proctor
3
“Do that which is good, and no harm shall come to
thee “(99).
Proctor  Mary
3
-
“If Jacobs hangs for a witch 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!” (101).
Giles  Danforth
3
-
Quotation
Who said it to
whom
Giles  Danforth
Act What it tells the audience/ reader
Hale  Danforth
3
“I cannot give you no name, sir, I cannot” (102).
“There is a prodigious fear of this court in the
country” (102).
-
3
If you’re against the court, you will not
be let go.
This is a ridiculous stance as the court
should seek justice and an alliance is
irrelevant to the truth.
Shows Proctor’s FAITH
Trying to convince/ console Mary
Not true b/c of the lack of justice in the
court
LAND LUST
Explain the reasoning for Putnam’s
actions
Giles, unlike the young girls, is honorable and
will not sacrifice someone else to save
himself. He also realizes how dangerous the
court is.
We begin to see Hale change here; although
he was originally here to seek out the
witchcraft, he now realizes the problems with
the court.
“In God’s name, sir, stop here; send him home
and let him come again with a lawyer—“ (104).
Hale  Danforth
3
Hale continues to stand up against the court;
the injustice against Proctor will be the last
the he can tolerate.
“You are either lying now, or you were lying in the
court, and in either case you have committed
perjury and you will go to jail for it” (107).
Danforth 
Mary Warren
3
Danforth continues to use fear to intimidate;
there is no way for Mary to save herself
except to continue to lie.
“I do, sir. I believe she means to murder” (109).
Proctor 
Danforth
3
Proctor begins to reveal Abigail for who she
is; this is the first outright attack on her.
“I don’t my duty pointing out the Devil’s people—
and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied,
questioned like a –“ (113)
Abigail 
Danforth
3
Abigail makes herself out to be a victim,
again.
“I have know her, sir. I have known her” (115).
Proctor  Danforth
3
Proctor’s confession to committing lechery will
partially discredit him while he hopes to
discredit Abigail.
“She thought only to save my name!” (119).
Proctor  Danforth
3
“God damns our kind especially, and we will burn,
we will burn together!” (125).
Proctor  Danforth
3
The “she” here is Elizabeth; she denies
Proctor’s affair which means she has lied in
court and has failed to validate his
confession.
Since Proctor and Danforth have both sinnedDanforth because he allows this “fraud” to
continue, they will all be damned to hell.
“I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!”
(126).
Hale  Danforth
3
As Proctor’s arrest is clearly not a product of
justice, and Hale has not been able to bring
any reason to the court, he must leave.