Name: ______Period: ______
The Crucible Quotation Analysis Study Guide
Directions: For each act, key quotations are listed in the order in which they appear. In the second column, identify who said the quote and how and why it is significant (not just a summary of the quote). What does it tell us about the character who said the line? What does it suggest about the character the line is spoken to? How does it illustrate a theme?
Act One
Quotation / Analysis: What does the quote reveal about a character, a theme, or play’s plot? Include who said the quote.“My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar!”
“I know that you – you least of all, Thomas, would ever wish so disastrous a charge laid upon me.”
“Don’t you understand it, sir? There is a murdering witch among us, bound to keep herself in the dark. Let your enemies make of it what they will, you cannot blink it more.”
“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!”
“I think she’ll wake when she tires of it. 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.”
“You cannot command Mr. Parris. We vote by name in this society, not by acreage.”
“There are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires within fires.”
“I mean it solemnly, Rebecca; I like not the smell of this ‘authority’.”
“Sarah Good? Did you ever see Sarah Good with him? Or Osburn?
“I want to open myself!
Act Two
Quotation / Analysis: What does the quote reveal about a character, a theme, or play’s plot? Include who said the quote.“Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that dat. But you’re not, you’re not, and let you remember it! Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not.”
“I am amazed you do not see what weighty work we do.”
“She’d date not call out a farmer’s wife but there be monstrous profit in it. She thinks to take my place, John.”
“I am a stranger here, as you know. And in my ignorance I find it hard to draw a clear opinion of them that come accused before the court. And so this afternoon, and now tonight, I go from house to house.”
“It does sir, it does; it tells me that a minister may pray to God without he have golden candlesticks upon the alter.”
“Adultery, John.”
“Man, remember, until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven”
“What signifies a poppet, Mr. Cheever?”
“I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem – vengeance is walking Salem. 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!”
“We are only what we always were, but naked now.”
Act Three
Quotation / Analysis: What does the quote reveal about a character, a theme, or play’s plot? Include who said the quote.“I have broke charity with the woman, I have broke charity with her.”
“We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment.”
“Do you know that near to four hundred are in the jails from Marlbehead to Lynn, and upon my signature?”
“I have until this moment not the slightest reason to suspect that the children may be deceiving me. Do you understand my meaning?”
“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.”
“Do that which is good, and no harm shall come to thee.”
“In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? One calls up witnesses to prove his innocence. But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other. Now, we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely on the victims – and they do testify – the children certainly do testify.”
“Reproach me not with the fear in the country, there is fear in the country because there is a moving plot to topple Christ in the country!”
“I do not, sir, but I never saw any of them naked.”
“A man will not cast away his good name.”
“Excellency, it is a natural life to tell: I beg you, stop now before another is condemned! I may shut my conscience to it no more – private vengeance is working through this testimony!”
“A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boots of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth!”
“I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!”
Act Four
Quotation / Analysis: What does the quote reveal about a character, a theme, or play’s plot? Include who said the quote.“There be so many cows wanderin’ the highroads, now their masters are all in the jails, and much disagreement who they will belong to now.”
“Thirty-one pound is gone. I am penniless. He covers his face and sobs.”
“Judge Hathorne – it were another sort that hanged till now. Rebecca Nurse is no Bridget that lived three year with Bishop before she married him. John Proctor is not Isaac Ward that drank his family to ruin.”
“Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now.”
“I would save your husband’s life, for if he is taken I count myself his murderer. Do you understand me?”
“… cleave to no faith when faith brings blood.”
“Not Rebecca. She is one foot in heaven now; naught may hurt her more.”
“Let them that never lied die now to keep their souls. It is pretense for me, a vanity that will not bind God nor keep my children out of the wind.”
“With great relief and gratitude: Praise to God, man, praise to God; you shall be blessed in Heaven for this.”
“With a cry of his whole soul: 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 the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”
“I can. And there’s you first marvel, that I can. You have made your magic now, for now 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.”
“He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!”
Act Two Scene Two
Quotation / Analysis: What does the quote reveal about a character, a theme, or play’s plot? Include who said the quote.“Why, you taught me goodness, therefore you are good. It were a fire you walked me through, and all my ignorance was burned away.”
“Oh how hard it is when pretense falls! But it falls, it falls!