Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"

She is enraptured, and though in a pearly light.

Danforth: She spoke nothing of lechery, and this man had lied!

She is transfixed with all the girls, she is whispering open-mouthed, agape at the ceiling.

Now, holding out his hands towards her, he intones: In nominee Domini Sabaoth sui filiique ite ad infernos.

Gentleness exudes from her.

She is a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her!

Parris, with dwindling conviction now: A precaution only.

Danforth: Now hear me, and beguile yourselves no more.

The law binds me, John, I cannot budge.

I am amazed you do not see the weighty work we do.

Mrs. Putnam: Rebecca, the doctor's baffled!

Danforth: There is a prodigious stench in this place.

If she speak true, I bid you now drop your guile and confess your pretense, for a quick confession will go easier with you.

Now Hell and Heaven grapple on our backs, and all our old pretense is ripped away-- make your peace!

Betty collapses in her ands and lies inert on the bed.

Danforth: I will tell you this-- you are either lying now, or you were lying in the court, and in either case you have committed perjury and will go to jail for it.

Abigail: But we never conjured spirits.

Tituba, Tituba â€Ã‚¦

Parris, blanched: She called the Devil?

Hale: You cannot evade me, Abigail.

This is Mary Warren's deposition.

When will you proceed to keep this house as you are paid nine pound a year to do -- and my wife not wholly well?
as though to compensate, Mary Warren goes to Elizabeth with a small rag doll.

Why, you should rejoice to say it if your soul is truly purged of any love for Hell!

In Proctor's presence a fool felt his foolishness instantly -- and a Proctor is always marked for calumny therefore.

Tituba, joining with him, Hale recites line as well: Oh, God, protect Tituba!

Hale, with a tasty love of intellectual pursuit: Here is the invisible world, caught, defined, and calculated.

Mrs. Putnam, with a growing edge of sarcasm: But I must!

It is another trait we inherited from them, and it has helped to discipline us as well as to breed hypocrisy among us.

I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face!

A certain deference springs into him., although his worry remains.]

He is gaunt, frightened, and sweating in his greatcoat.

In which she swears that she never saw familiar spirits, apparitions, or any manifest of the Devil.

Her concentrated desire destroys his smile.

Why, how does Ruth ail?

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?

He defers to her.

Rebecca: There is prodigious danger in the seeking of loose spirits.

Parris turns to Betty, a frantic terror rising in him.

Hale sits Betty up, but she hangs limp in his hands.

Hale, with a tasty love of intellectual pursuit: Here is the invisible world, caught, defined, and calculated.

It is a clue.

Betty collapses on bed, beigns to sob.

And then he come one stormy night to me and he say, “Look!

Will you confess yourself befouled with Hell, or do you keep that black allegiance yet?

Parris, swayed: I'll lead them in a psalm, but let you say nothing of witchcraft yet.

Her claws, she's stretching her claws!

He need not have been a partisan of any faction in the town, but there is evidence to suggest that he had a sharp and biting way with hypocrites.

It's death, y'know, it's death drivin' into them, forked and hoofed.

Elizabeth, not knowing what to say, sensing a situation, wetting her lips to stall for time: She dissatisfied me.

Danforth: Mr. Hale, as God have not empowered me like Joshua to stop this sun from rising, so I cannot withhold from them the perfection of their punishment.

Abigail rises, staring as though inspired, and cries out.

Elizabeth: John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now?

I have until this moment not the slightest reason to suspect that the children may be deceiving me.

No man may longer doubt the powers of the dark are gathered in monstrous attack upon this village.

He lowers his eyes from the ceiling and now he is frightened; there is real tension in his voice.

I am amazed you do not see the weighty work we do.

Her concentrated desire destroys his smile.

Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.

The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, and I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of Hell upon her.

Why, you should rejoice to say it if your soul is truly purged of any love for Hell!

When did you compact with the Devil?

Stop that wailing!

Rebecca: I cannot fathom that.

They let out a gigantic scream, and Mary, too screams.

Parris: There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit?

Then, to Proctor and Giles Corey: Do you men have afflicted children?

Mrs Putnam [full of breath, shiny eyed]: It is a marvel.

Parris, wondrous and relieved: What do you make of it, Rebecca?

Parris: They've come to overthrow the court, sir!

Abigail: I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near!

Hale, with a tasty love of intellectual pursuit: Here is the invisible world, caught, defined, and calculated.

I think we ought rely on the doctor now, and good prayer.

I have a warrant for your wife.

Proctor, looking at Abigail now, the faintest suggestion of a knowing smile on his face: What's this mischief here?

But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest, I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it.

Parris, wondrous and relieved: What do you make of it, Rebecca?

Now let me instruct you.

Putnam: I'll call the marshal, the marshal!!

Mary Warren: They had Doctor Griggs examine er, and she's full to the brim.

Betty collapses on bed, beigns to sob.

But I said I never seen no sign you ever sent your spirit out to hurt no one, and seeing I do live so closely with you, they dismissed it.

Parris, a little scared: Well, you do come prepared!

Danforth: Remove her, Marshal.

Proctor: I'll plead my honesty no more, Elizabeth.

Enter the Reverend Hale, just arrived from Beverly.

In which she swears that she never saw familiar spirits, apparitions, or any manifest of the Devil.

Wait for no one to charge you -- declare it yourself.

Parris, with dwindling conviction now: A precaution only.

Parris, to Danforth, instantly: Oh, good morning, sir, thank you for coming, I beg your pardon wakin' you so early.

I forbid you to leave the house, did I not?

My insides are all shuddery; I am in the proceedings all day, sir.