the crucible what quote did proctor use to help mary warren remain brave

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The Crucible Respect and Reputation

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Respect and Reputation

Act I

Abigail Williams

ABIGAIL, with a bitter anger: Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be—
PROCTOR, angered—at himself too: You'll speak nothin' of Elizabeth!
ABIGAIL: She is blackening my proper noun in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her! Allow her turn you lot like a—
PROCTOR, shaking her: Do you look for whippin'? (I.202-205)

Abigail accuses Elizabeth Proctor of damaging her reputation, and she also maligns the homo she loves. Elizabeth volition later on acknowledge that there is some truth to the charge that she is "cold." But "sniveling"? Now that's just a low blow.

Reverend Parris

PARRIS, studies here, then nods, half convinced: Abigail, I take fought here iii long years to curve these strong-necked people to me, and now, simply now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character. I have given you lot a home, kid. I have put apparel upon your back—now requite me an upright answer. Your name in the town—it is entirely white, is it not?
ABIGAIL, with an border of resentment: Why, I am sure it is, sir. At that place be no blush about my proper name.
PARRIS, to the point: Abigail, is there whatever other cause than y'all have told me, for your being discharged from Goody Proctor'southward service? I accept heard it said, and I tell you as I heard information technology, that she come so rarely to the church this year for she will not sit then shut to something soiled. What signified that remark?
ABIGAIL: She hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not exist her slave. It'south a bigger woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman! (I.63-66)

After seeing the girls dancing in the wood, Parris recognizes the possibility that the witchcraft being practiced has originated in his ain household, and he worries nigh the possible danger to his reputation if the townsfolk learn that his daughter and niece could be consorting with the devil. More to the point: the townspeople may already accept heard rumors that Abigail is not a proper girl, if Elizabeth Proctor has been talking about her around boondocks.

Mrs. Ann Putnam

MRS. PUTNAM: Reverend Parris, I have laid seven babies unbaptized in the earth. Believe me, sir, y'all never saw more than hearty babies born. And yet, each would wither in my arms the very dark of their birth. I accept spoke nothin', merely my heart has clamored intimations. And at present, this year, my Ruth, my simply—I see her turning strange. A underground kid she has become this year, and shrivels like a sucking mouth were pullin' on her life as well. And then I thought to send her to your Tituba—
PARRIS: To Tituba! What may Tituba—?
MRS. PUTNAM: Tituba knows how to speak to the dead, Mr. Parris.
PARRIS: Goody Ann, it is a formidable sin to conjure up the dead!
MRS. PUTNAM: I take it on my soul, only who else may surely tell us what person murdered my babies?
PARRIS, horrified: Adult female!
MRS. PUTNAM: They were murdered, Mr. Parris! And mark this proof! Final night my Ruth were ever so shut to their little spirits; I know it, sir. For how else is she struck impaired now except some power of darkness would finish her oral cavity? It is a marvelous sign, Mr. Parris! (I.103-109)

Parris is only concerned with his reputation; Mrs. Putnam is only concerned almost getting justice for her expressionless babies. When things go incorrect, the people of Salem need someone to blame for information technology. Things don't just happen for no reason. This may seem strange to the states, but life was considerably more than difficult for the early on Puritans, and so we accept to consider that Mrs. Putnam'due south reaction is not wholly irrational.

Act II

Reverend John Hale

Unhurt: I am a stranger hither, as you know. And in my ignorance I observe it hard to depict a articulate opinion of them that come accused before the court. And and then this afternoon, and now this evening, I go from house to business firm—I come at present from Rebecca Nurse's house and—
ELIZABETH, shocked: Rebecca'southward charged!
Unhurt: God forbid such a one be charged. She is, however—mentioned somewhat.
ELIZABETH, with an attempt at a express joy: You will never believe, I hope, that Rebecca trafficked with the Devil.
Hale: Woman, it is possible.
PROCTOR, taken aback: Surely you cannot remember so.
Hale: This is a strange time, Mister. No man may longer dubiety the powers of the dark are gathered in monstrous attack upon this village. There is too much show now to deny information technology. You will agree, sir?
PROCTOR, evading: I—have no knowledge in that line. But it's difficult to recall so pious a adult female be secretly a Devil's b**** after seventy year of such good prayer.
HALE: Yep. Merely the Devil is a wily one, you cannot deny it. (Ii.203-211)

Elizabeth and Proctor want to believe that Rebecca's good reputation volition salve her, but in this fourth dimension of craziness, nothing is certain. The idea that Rebecca Nurse could be a witch is shocking to Elizabeth and Proctor considering their whole religion is based on the idea that a lifetime a prayer and good service should protect one from the Devil. All that Rev. Hale tin can offer in consolation is the lame caption that "this is a strange time." In fact, it's not foreign at all: the community has merely abandoned its principles.

Human action III

Deputy Governor Danforth

DANFORTH: Then y'all tell me that yous sat in my courtroom, callously lying, when y'all knew that people would hang by your bear witness? (She does not reply.) Answer me!
MARY WARREN, almost inaudibly: I did, sir.
DANFORTH: How were yous instructed in your life? Do you non know that God damns all liars? (She cannot speak.) Or is it now that you lot lie?
MARY WARREN: No, sir—I am with God now.
DANFORTH: You are with God now.
MARY WARREN: Yes, sir.
DANFORTH, containing himself: I volition tell you this—you are either lying now, or you were lying in the court, and in either case you have committed perjury and you lot volition become to jail for it. You cannot lightly say yous lied, Mary. Practice you lot know that?
MARY WARREN: I cannot lie no more. I am with God, I am with God.
[…]
DANFORTH: These will be sufficient. Sit down yous downward, children. (Silently they sit.) Your friend, Mary Warren, has given united states a deposition. In which she swears that she never saw familiar spirits, apparitions, nor whatsoever manifest of the Devil. She claims as well that none of yous have not seen these things either. (Slight interruption.) Now, children, this is a court of law. The law, based upon the Bible, and the Bible, writ by Almighty God, forbid the practice of witchcraft, and describe death as the penalty thereof. But likewise, children, the law and Bible damn all bearers of faux witness. (Slight pause.) At present then. Information technology does not escape me that this degradation may be devised to blind u.s.a.; it may well be that Mary Warren has been conquered by Satan, who sends her hither to distract our sacred purpose. If then, her cervix volition suspension for it. Merely if she speak true, I bid you lot now driblet your guile and confess your pretense, for a quick confession volition become easier with you. (Suspension.) Abigail Williams, ascension. (Abigail slowly rises.) Is there any truth in this?
ABIGAIL: No, sir.
DANFORTH, thinks, glances at Mary, then back to Abigail: Children, a very diviner chip will now be turned into your souls until your honesty is proved. Will either of y'all alter your positions now, or exercise you force me to difficult questioning?
ABIGAIL: I have nil to change, sir. She lies. (III.256-263; 266-269)

Mary asserts that she is telling the truth, simply without Abigail's confirmation, it is one person'due south word against another'south. The Courtroom has assumed all along that the girls are telling the truth, and it has too much invested now to take only 1 daughter'south word against all the others. Having disregarded reputation as a ways of deciding who is telling the truth, the court has completely lost its direction. Discover how Danforth virtually seems to think he has supernatural powers to make Abigail and the other girls tell the truth, by putting a metaphoric "augur fleck" of drill into their souls. In reality, he has no power whatsoever to make them be honest.

DANFORTH: I judge null. (Interruption. He keeps watching Proctor, who tries to run into his gaze.) I tell y'all straight, Mister—I have seen marvels in this court. I have seen people choked before my eyes past spirits; I accept seen them stuck by pins and slashed by daggers. I have until this moment non the slightest reason to suspect that the children may be deceiving me. Practise you understand my pregnant?
PROCTOR: Excellency, does information technology not strike upon you lot that so many of these women accept lived and then long with such upright reputation, and—
PARRIS: Practise you read the Gospel, Mr. Proctor?
PROCTOR: I read the Gospel.
PARRIS: I think not, or you lot should surely know that Cain were an upright man, and nonetheless he did kill Abel.
PROCTOR: Aye, God tells the states that. (To Danforth) But who tells usa Rebecca Nurse murdered 7 babies by sending out her spirit on them? Information technology is the children just, and this one will swear she lied to you lot. (III.127-132)

Proctor appeals to the women's long-standing excellent reputations to demonstrate that there might exist something fishy about the accusations against them. Though Danforth and Parris try to advise that the Devil is disingenuous and can fool even the most righteous man, Proctor diffuses their arguments past pointing to the ones who made the accusations and to their possibly negative reputations.

DANFORTH: Your husband—did he indeed turn from yous?
ELIZABETH, in agony: My husband—is a goodly homo, sir.
DANFORTH: Then he did non plough from you.
ELIZABETH, starting to glance at Proctor: He—
DANFORTH, reaches out and holds her confront, and so: Expect at me! To your ain knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery? (In a crisis of indecision she cannot speak.) Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher!
ELIZABETH, faintly: No, sir.
DANFORTH: Remove her!
PROCTOR: Elizabeth, tell the truth!
DANFORTH: She has spoken. Remove her!
PROCTOR, crying out: Elizabeth, I have confessed it!
ELIZABETH: Oh, God! (The door closes behind her.)
PROCTOR: She simply thought to save my name! (Iii.410-426)

The one moment in Elizabeth's life when telling the truth would salve her, she lies to save her hubby'southward reputation. Is this an act of love and backbone, or has she gotten her priorities mixed up? Proctor bears some of the blame for her telling a lie. He has failed to appreciate or praise her honesty in the past, then it's easy to sympathize why she would cavern at this moment, dealing with a personal subject in front of so many people.

John Proctor

PROCTOR, breathless and in agony: It [Abigail] is a whore!
DANFORTH, dumfounded: Yous accuse—?
ABIGAIL: Mr. Danforth, he is lying!
PROCTOR: Marker her! Now she'll suck a scream to stab me with just—
DANFORTH: You will prove this! This will not pass!
PROCTOR, trembling, his life collapsing near him: I have known her, sir. I accept known her.
DANFORTH: You—you are a lecher?
FRANCIS, horrified: John, y'all cannot say such a—
PROCTOR: Oh, Francis, I wish yous had some evil in you that you lot might know me. (To Danforth:) A man will not cast away his good proper name. You lot surely know that.
DANFORTH, dumfounded: In—in what time? In what place?
PROCTOR, his voice well-nigh to pause, and his shame slap-up: In the proper place—where my beasts are bedded. On the last night of my joy, some eight months past. She used to serve me in my house, sir. (He has to clench his jaw to keep from weeping.) A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know information technology now. I beg you lot, sir, I beg you—run across her what she is. My wife, my dear adept wife, took this daughter shortly after, sir, and put her out on the highroad. And being what she is, a lump of vanity, sir— (He is being overcome.) Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. (Angrily against himself, he turns away from the Governor for a moment. Then, as though to cry out is his only means of speech left:) She thinks to dance with me on my wife'due south grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God aid me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. Just it is a whore's vengeance, and yous must encounter it now. (III.374-384)

Proctor sacrifices his reputation in social club to save his married woman and end the court proceedings. Then over again, there are really two ways of having a reputation. The first is to follow the rules, which is what Proctor gives up by albeit he committed infidelity. The 2nd is to have integrity. Proctor preserves his integrity past being honest.

Act 4

John Proctor

PROCTOR: I have three children—how may I teach them to walk like men in the earth, and I sold my friends?
DANFORTH: You accept not sold your friends—
PROCTOR: Beguile me not! I blacken all of them when this is nailed to the church the very day they hang for silence!
DANFORTH: Mr. Proctor, I must have good and legal proof that you—
PROCTOR: You lot are the high court, your word is good plenty! Tell them I confessed myself; say Proctor broke his knees and wept like a woman; say what you lot will, but my name cannot—
DANFORTH, with suspicion: Information technology is the same, is it not? If I report it or you sign to it?
PROCTOR, he knows it is insane: No, information technology is not the aforementioned! What others say and what I sign to is non the aforementioned!
DANFORTH: Why? Exercise you hateful to deny this confession when yous are gratis?
PROCTOR: I mean to deny nix!
DANFORTH: And so explain to me, Mr. Proctor, why you lot volition non let—
PROCTOR, with a weep of his whole soul: Considering information technology is my name! Because I cannot have some other 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! How may I live without my name? I accept given you lot my soul; get out me my proper noun!
DANFORTH, pointing at the confession in Proctor's mitt: Is that certificate a prevarication? If information technology is a lie I will not take it! What say you? I volition not deal in lies, Mister! (Proctor is motionless.) You will requite me your honest confession in my paw, or I cannot proceed you from the rope. Proctor does not reply. Which style do you go, Mister?
His breast heaving, his eyes staring, Proctor tears the paper and crumples it. (IV.284-294)

Proctor is unwilling to blacken his friends' reputations—and he clings to his own reputation of loyalty and integrity. And then he throws his confession away.

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