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the crucible quotes about power

    the crucible quotes about power

    Why does Mary Warren warn John about testifying against Abigail? 61). Reverend Parris' concerns about his reputation are immediately evident in Act 1. Danforth explains that witchcraft is an invisible crime and that only the victims are reliable. Some of the most important Crucible quotes relate to these ideas. The only power they have left is in refusing to confess and preserving their integrity. Don't leave your college application to chance. "I only hope you'll not be so sarcastical no more. These lines are said by Abigail Williams in court, and they are directed towards Danforth. Let him give his lie. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! No one thinks a teenage orphan girl is capable of such extensive deception (or delusion), so she is consistently trusted. Though Rebecca Nurse's involvement has already been corroborated by other confessors, Danforth demands to hear it from John to confirm that John is fully committed to renouncing his supposed ties to Satan. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, we have Rebecca Nurse. Theme Religion Quote "The parochial snobbery of these people was partly responsible for their failure to convert the . Ironically, he is the first to demand a confession from Tituba based on Abigail's dramatic but false testimony. "There are wheels within wheels in the village, and fires within fires!" 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. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? How is the arrest of Rebecca Nurse a sign that the hysteria in Salem has gotten out of control? 73), meaning the girls are testing out the extent of the chaos they can create with their newfound power. He believes there is a group of people in town determined to remove him from this position, and. But these themes aren't always easy to explain or dissect in the context of the play, and they can be even harder to develop into essays. He questions Abigail aggressively because hes worried his enemies will learn the full story of what happened in the woods first and use it to discredit him. Need some context to make these quotations make sense? (Proctor, Act 4, p. 133). The main pillars of traditional power are represented by the law and the church. Abigails low status and perceived innocence under normal circumstances allow her to claim even greater power in her current situation. "I have this morning signed away the soul of Rebecca Nurse, Your Honor. Since 1692 a great but superficial change has wiped out God's beard and the Devil's horns, but the world is still gripped between two diametrically opposed absolutes. Is it an evil force, as du Maurier seems to suggest at times? In Act 3, Abigails power in the courthouse is on display. Both flaws led him to delay telling the truth about Abigail's fraudulent claims and their previous relationship, thus dooming himself and many others to death or imprisonment. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Once there have been enough convictions, the reputations of the judges also become factors. Proctor slept with Abigail, which led to her being fired by his wife, which led to her accusing his wife of witchcraft, which led to Proctor being accused of witchcraft and ultimately hanged for it. This is ironic becausesearching for "the Devil's marks" as the potential cause of an ailment is inherently superstitious. 42). Like a struck beast, he says, and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. He believes there is a group of people in town determined to remove him from this position, and he will say and do whatever it takes to retain control. To Hale: She comes to me while I sleep; she's always making me dream corruptions!" And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! (Danforth, Act 3, p. 93). Abigail hates Salem, and in the course of The Crucible, she The Salem witch trials empowered several characters in the play who were previously marginalized in Salem society. He chooses to die instead of providing a false confession because he doesnt think life will be worth living after he is so disgraced. It's strange work for a Christian girl to hang old women!, [W]e conceive the Devil as a necessary part of a respectable view of cosmology. The court refuses to challenge anyone who claims to have been afflicted. In Act 2, the value of reputation in Salem starts to butt heads with the power of hysteria and fear to sway peoples opinions (and vengeance to dictate their actions). Some will be very direct. In this act, we learn more details about the accused that paint a clearer picture of the influence of reputation and social standing on the patterns of accusations. There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit. The Crucible is a 1953 historical fiction play by Arthur Miller, based on the real-life events of the Salem witch trials. But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Abigail also shows concern for her reputation. His guilt leads to great tension in interactions with Elizabeth because he projects his feelings onto her, accusing her of being judgmental and dwelling on his mistakes. The depths of the hysteria that has gripped Salem are revealed in Act 3 when John finally confronts the court. Learn about the story by reviewing quotes from Reverend Parris, one of the book's main characters. In this act, she yells Dont lie! at Tituba immediately before she tells some of the most damning lies of the play accusing Tituba of witchcraft (She comes to me while I sleep; shes always making me dream corruptions! pg. Reverend Parris is in a position of power as the town's spiritual leader, but he is insecure about his authority. He is appalled by Elizabeths lack of emotion when he asks her to help the court get a confession out of her husband (pg. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!" For example, Abigail went from being powerless to using the witch trials to become empowered. Download it for free now: hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '688715d6-bf92-47d7-8526-4c53d1f5fe7d', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '03a85984-6dfd-4a19-93c8-5f46091f5e2b', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. 118). Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The importance placed on reputation helps perpetuate hysteria because it leads to inaction, inflexibility, and, in many cases, active sabotage of the reputations of others for selfish purposes. The people in charge are so eager to hold onto their power that if anyone disagrees with them in the way the trials are conducted, it is taken as a personal affront and challenge to their authority. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Beware, Goody Proctorcleave to no faith when faith brings blood. Want to find out more about the characters who say these things? His only goal is to get on the good side of the community as a whole, even in the midst of this bout of collective hysteria. 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. He is completely oblivious to the fact that the victims might be lying. But Ill cut off my hand before I ever reach for you again., You are pulling down heaven and raising up a whore, A child's spirit is like a child, you can never catch it by running after it; you must stand still, and, for love, it will soon itself come back., We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law!, an everlasting funeral marches round your heart., Peace. The way to have power is to capture it. (Act 1, p. 12). Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. The irony is that, in the face of Johns rejection, Abigail turns around and creates her own lies soon after that give her increased control over the society she resents. See if you can answer these questions for yourself about this quote: What are the implications of this quote? 705 Words3 Pages. How is Millers underlying message revealed in one of these themes and through the character?". 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 fraudGod damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together! You'll also receive an email with the link. She is enraged when Parris questions her suspicious dismissal from the Proctor household. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Elizabeth is a victim of cruel irony in this Act when she is summoned to testify on the reasons why she dismissed Abigail from her household. There's also foreshadowing in this quote because by the end of this act, Hale is full of qualms, and by the end of the play, Hale feels he has "blood on [his] head" (p. 121). What ACT target score should you be aiming for? In Act 3, Abigails power in the courthouse is on display. Danforth, who has the most authority, is also the most sold on her act, and it only takes a few screams to persuade him that hes in the presence of witchcraft. to her, he is desperately trying to put the incident behind him. Danforth takes offence to Mr. Nurse's claims. The town, already primed with rumors of black magic, is quickly willing to accept that the first few women who are accused are involved in black magic because theyre beggars and slaves. There's also a bit of foreshadowing with "as though I come into a court", since in Act 3 Proctor will do that very thing. First, there is her jealousy of Elizabeth Proctor Why is the play called The Crucible? In this play there is many ways power changed many people's life. this quotation a fierce loathing of the entire townI never knew Abigail, with a flash of anger: How do you call me child! Abigail, on the other hand, faces an uphill battle towards more power over her situation. The whole purpose of a trial is to hear both sides of the story before a verdict is reached. He believes that Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. In Act 1 he jumped on board with the hysteria to preserve his power, but he ended up losing what little authority he had in the first place (and, according to Miller's afterward, was voted out of office soon after the end of the play). This is a decision with dire consequences in a town where reputation is so important, a fact that contributes to the misunderstanding that follows. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? This is irony of the same type that I discussed in the overview of this theme. Write a feature article summing up the main events of the historical disaster and offering some possible reasons for the birds' sudden frenzy. (Proctor, Act 3, p. 111). By this point in the play, Abigail has gotten powerful enough that she can threaten the Deputy Governor of the entire province without negative consequences. Abigail, in particular, has quickly risen from a nobody to one of the most influential people in Salem. "DANFORTH, conciliatory: You misunderstand, sir; I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. Danforth has extensive pride in his intelligence and perceptiveness. Why does he decide to do so anyways? This confess or die mindset is one of the central ironies of the play. She turns and starts for the door." And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!" The final major theme is that of the power of society and authority in Puritan Salem. "No man may longer doubt the powers of the dark are gathered in monstrous attack up on this village. Proctor cannot bear to have his reputation be smeared with this confession of witchcraft, because if his reputation is damaged then he no longer can think well of himself. (Danforth, Act 4, p. 119-120), "He have his goodness now. I'll go over the most important quotes from The Crucible, explaining both their literal meaning and why they're important. He appears to have no governing system of morality. "We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment." The girls are essentially given permission by authority figures to continue their act because they are made to feel special and important for their participation. I I would have you speak civilly to me, from this out." The play illustrates the sudden empowerment of women, the fall of community, and the loss of power of high-ranking people, like Reverend Parris and John Proctor. No one considers that the accusers are lying, partially because theyre seen as innocent children and partially because many witches confess to avoid the death penalty. What is Reverend Parriss biggest concern? Throughout The Crucible, Mary Warren shows that she is a weak and submissive person who cannot overcome fear in order to stand up for what she knows is right. Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!" Other essay questions may not ask you directly about the themes listed in this article, but that doesn't mean that the themes are irrelevant to your writing. This is ironic because, Once the accusations begin, Parris initiates an ironic thought process that persists throughout. On Balance/Used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Here are a few questions about hysteria to consider now that you've read a summary of how this theme was expressed throughout the plot of the play: Even though there is significant reason to believe Abigail is lying about Elizabeth's familiar spirit stabbing her, the frenzied investigators ignore testimony that challenges their chosen witchy narrative. Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! Tituba is pressured to confess and name the names of other witches to avoid execution, which leads to Abigail and Bettys accusations, now validated by a coerced confession. The definition of power-hungry is basically the gist of Reverend Parris's character. You are selected, Tituba, you are chosen to help us cleanse our village." Goody Good, an old beggar woman, is one of the first to be named a witch. 133). As Reverend Hale says to Danforth, Excellency, there are orphans wandering from house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops hangs everywhere, and no man knows when the harlots cry will end his life - and you wonder yet if rebellions spoke? (Act 4, pg. Aye, naked! officials (like Danforth) unable or unwilling to listen to reason? "PROCTOR, with a cry of his whole soul: Because it is my name! Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Were they born this morning as clean as God's fingers? His only goal is to get on the good side of the community as a whole, even in the midst of this bout of collective hysteria. They say he give them but two words. It is as impossible for most men to conceive of a morality without sin as of an earth without 'sky'. We've got 50 quotes and 4 themes that will help you spark some great ideas. In The Crucible, the reputation of the church, the government, and the individual is called into question. At the end this act, John Proctor delivers a short monologue anticipating the imminent loss of the disguises of propriety worn by himself and other members of the Salem community. The Crucible remains a staple of high school English because it is rich in themes that are consistently relevant to human beings regardless of time period. This leads to Marys hysterical accusation of Proctor after she finds herself targeted by the other girls and about to be consumed by the hysteria herself if she doesnt contribute to it. Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. All rights reserved. Why does Mary Warren behave differently when she becomes involved in the trials? It is the best the Devil wants, and who is better than the minister." The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this site. Try our summaries of all four acts of The Crucible, as well as our comprehensive plot summary. I have given you my soul; leave me my name! (pg. Why do certain characters seem to be blind to the irony of their actions (Abigail, Danforth)? The power of collective hysteria ultimately becomes insurmountable because it grows larger than the influence of the few rational voices in the community. The petition he presents to Danforth is used as a weapon against the signers rather than a proof of the innocence of Elizabeth, Martha, and Rebecca. She would never be able to say what she says in this quote to, for instance, her uncle Parris, and get away with it. The theme of guilt is one that is deeply relevant to John Proctor's character development throughout the play. The real "powers of dark" affecting Salem are suspicion and fear, not anything demonic. This vicious cycle continues to claim the lives of more and more people as the play progresses. The thematic significance of hysteria builds quickly as accusations of witchcraft proliferate throughout Salem. What are their strengths and personal flaws? (Danforth, Act 3, p. 83). It is mistaken law that leads you to sacrifice. Hale to Danforth. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? I'll not conceal it, my hand shakes yet as with a wound! Here are few more quotes that show the concern of Salem residents with reputation and the pride they have in their names. I have given you my soul; leave me my name! (pg. Themes tell us what the purpose of the work is. If Tituba was permitted to explain what really happened, the ensuing tragedy might have been prevented. The Crucible | Quotes Share 1. Anns extreme conclusions are gradually accepted because rational people are too afraid to challenge the consensus and risk bringing accusations upon themselves. He refers to Johns refusal to confess as a calamity, looking past his own involvement in the larger calamity of the conviction that led John to this point. "In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? The people in charge are so eager to hold onto their power that if anyone disagrees with them in the way the trials are conducted, it is taken as a personal affront and challenge to their authority. Many people are under the impression that irony is just when something happens that you don't expect (or that you really hoped wouldn't happen). However, this runs up against Danforths desire to preserve his reputation as a strong judge. Abigail, in particular, has quickly risen from a nobody to one of the most influential people in Salem. No one even considers Mary's statement about sticking the needle in herself. I have broke charity with the woman, I have broke charity with her. Danforth continues to demonstrate the effects of hysteria in act 4 even after things have died down a bit in Salem and there have been rumblings of discontent about the courts actions. The irony, of course, is that the "marks" of the Devil are nowhere near "definite as stone" the only evidence to support accusations of witchcraft are the subjective experiences of the "afflicted." I will not have it said my name is soiled! It can be hard to pick out particular moments or quotes as being key since everything moves along so quickly. She has the power to utterly destroy peoples lives with a single accusation because she is seen as a victim and a savior. Abigails presence is always rife with irony in. Many of the Crucible quotes fall into the category of "dramatic irony", which is the irony that's created when there's a mismatch between what a character thinks or says and what the audience knows to be true. John tells the judge to summon Elizabeth to back him up because he knows she always tells the truth. Why is everyone so quick to believe Abigails story? But it is a whore's vengeance None other. And well she might, for I thought of her softly. Death sentences are not to be taken lightly, they must be careful. If that was the case, though, this quote shows how even those not taken in by the hysterical claims or fear can still be affected by it. Free trial is available to new customers only. There are numerous connections between the flaws of individual characters and the overarching themes of the play that could be brought into this discussion. Power in Salem flourished in 1962 at the beginning of the Salem Witch Trials. (Proctor, Act 2, p. 76). If you can show that you understand the themes of a work of literature, you've clearly mastered the material on a deeper level. ." 22). If you hope to write an awesome essay onThe Crucible, you should have extensive knowledge of its themes. The overall message is that when a person's actions are driven by desires to preserve favorable public opinion rather than do the morally right thing, there can be extremely dire consequences. The importance placed on reputation helps perpetuate hysteria because it leads to inaction, inflexibility, and, in many cases, active sabotage of the reputations of others for selfish purposes. Try your hand at explaining how each of them does so. In this environment, whoever yells the loudest seems to get the most credibility. How does the central tragic character change throughout the play, and how does this relate to the play's title? How does John Proctor know that the witchcraft isnt real? Danforth insists that John must know more about the Devil's dealings than he has revealed. Continue to start your free trial. As mentioned in the overview, religion holds significant power over the people of Salem. She has the power to utterly destroy peoples lives with a single accusation because she is seen as a victim and a savior. for a customized plan. Never fear! Thomas Putnam tells him to Wait for no one to charge you - declare it yourself.. Explain the irony of Hales position at the end of the play as compared to his actions at the beginning. He has sentenced people to death based on lies about their dealings in black magic, and he has accepted other false confessions from those who would rather lie than be executed. 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. One example of this is when Mary Warren accuses John Proctor of being the Devil's man: when push comes to shove, she is not strong enough to tell the truth (Act 3, p. 110). You surely know that" (Proctor, Act 3, p. 102), "Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now. By Act 4, many of the power structures that were firmly in place earlier in the play have disintegrated. John Hale. How are characters behaviors affected by concern for their reputations? But you're not, you're not, and let you remember it! Consider the. Even in cases when the girls display symptoms (going cold and clammy or having needles stuck in them), there's never any physical evidence directly linking the accused witches to their supposed crimes. makes Salem pay. Danforth also acts out of concern for his reputations here. The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller about the Salem witch trials of 1692. There are several ironies in Act 1 that center around Abigail Williams. The town slips further and further into chaos and paranoia until it reaches a point of total devastation.

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