Quotes from The Crucible
“I do not fathom it, why am I persecuted here…I have often wondered if the devil be in it somewhere; I cannot understand you people otherwise” (30). Parris
“Oh, yes, sir, I don’t desire to hurt little children” (45). Tituba
“I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now!” (22). Abigail
“Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind” (23). John Proctor
“You drank blood, Abby! You didn’t tell him that!” (19).
“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” (20). Abigail
“They will howl me out of Salem for such corruption in my house” (14). Parris
“I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men!” (24). Abigail
“There is a murdering witch among us, bound to keep herself in the dark” (16). Thomas Putnam
“I love me Betty!” (44). Tituba
“I never done none of it, Abby. I only looked’ (19). Mary Warren
“I’ll fly to mama. Let me fly! (19). Betty Parris
“You think it God’s work you should never lose a child, nor grandchild either, and I bury all but one? There are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires within fires!” (28). Ann Putnam
“There be a certain danger in calling such a name-I am no Goody Good that sleeps in ditches, nor Osburn, drunk and half-witted. She’d dare not call out such a farmer’s wife but there be monstrous profit in it. She thinks to take my place, John” (61). Elizabeth Proctor
“I am a good woman, I know it; and if you believe I may do only good in the world, and yet be secretly bound to Satan, then I must tell you sir, I do not believe it” (70). Elizabeth Proctor
“My wife is the very brick and mortar of the church, Mr. Hale and Martha Corey, there cannot be a woman closer to God than Martha” (71). Francis Nurse
“I have seen too many frightful proofs in court-the Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accsing finger points!” (71). Hale
“I’ll tellyou what’s walking Salem-vengence is walking Salem” (77). John Proctor
“A person is either with the court or must be counted against it, there be no road between” (94). Deputy Governor Danforth
“Oh, Francis, I wish you had some evil in you that you might know me!” (110). John Proctor
“Let you fear nothing! Another judgment waits us all!” (144). Rebecca Nurse
“More weight!” Giles Corey
“I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs” (144) John Proctor
“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” (27). Rebecca Nurse
“I’ve not said a word. No one here can testify I’ve said a word. Is she going to fly again? I hear she flies” (25). Giles Corey
“It is my third wife, sir; I never had no wife that be so taken with books, and I thought to find the cause of it d’y’see, but it were no witch I blamed her for” (86). Giles Corey
“The devil is precise; the marks of his presence are as 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” (38). Hale
“There is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning!” (30). Parris
“Mr. Parris, I think you’d best send Reverend Hale back as soon as he come. This will set us all to arguin’ again in the society, and we thought to have peace this year” (28). Rebecca Nurse
“That is a notorious sign of witchcraft afoot, Goody Nurse, a prodigious sign!” (25). Thomas Putnam
“Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (143). John Proctor