Crucible: Act III Notes

86 – Francis: “We are desperate, sir; we have come here three days now and cannot be heard”

86 – Danforth: “I am amazed to find you in such an uproar. I have only good report of your character Mr. Nurse.” But doesn’t see the problem of condemning his wife who also had only good report of her character?

88 – Danforth: “the entire contention of the state in these trials is that the voice of Heaven is speaking through the children?”

91 – “Aye, God tells us that. But who tells us Rebecca Nurse murdered seven babies by sending out her spirit on them? It is the children only, and this one will swear she lied to you.”

94 – “we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world.” Danforth – is the world ever truly black and white?

96 – what counts as proof? Land finagling of Putnam disregarded

100 – Danforth’s view of the proceedings: why need a lawyer? Witchcraft is invisible so the only way to know is from the witch and the victim, no one else necessary. Why does he believe the girls? Good actresses?

105 – Danforth never knew that this whole thing started because Parris found the girls dancing in the forest

106 – why can’t Mary pretend to faint in front of all of them? How does it work?

“I-I cannot tell how, but I did. I—I heard the other girls screaming, and you, Your Honor, you seemed to believe them, and I—It were only sport in the beginnings, sir, but the the whole world cried spirits, spirits, and I—I promise you, Mr. Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not.” Reflect on this

Danforth is starting to believe her

107 – Abby runs the show though “I have been near to murdered every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil’s people—and this is my reward? To be mistrusted, denied, questioned like a—“

Danforth: “Child, I do not mistrust you—“ yikes!! What power she has

Abby, “in open threat: Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty the power of Hell may not turn your wits? Beware of it! There is . . .”

And moves into another faked vision of spirits

All the judges, all but Proctor, Francis, Hale, Giles, believe her, Hathorne even says she feels cold

Proctor finally move to tell the truth and calls her whore and ruin his own reputation

110—“She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it” speaks just as Elizabeth did, but believes it now

Abigail’s response: 111 “stepping up to Danforth: What look do you give me? Danforth cannot speak. I’ll not have such looks! She turns and starts for the door.” Who is in charge?

Set up: Danforth “Your wife, you say is an honest woman.” 111

Elizabeth tries not to lie when they ask her what happened with her husband and Abby, but she walks around it “I thought I saw my husband somewhat turning from me . . . I came to think he fancied her” 113, but faintly says “No, sir” when Danforth asks “Is your husband a lecher” she lies to protect him and therefore dooms them both.. But even Hale sees that this was not fair. 114: Hale “Excellency, it is a natural lie 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!”

Danforth ignores her hinting at the truth “She spoke nothing of lechery, and this man has lied!”

After pausing to hear this interlude, Abby conveniently begin her vision again once she has an audience

They move on Mary, despite her denials, they all believe Abby and the other girls acting—they’re effective actresses, the repetition is effective, makes her protests sound meaningless, but no one stops to think that an actual “witch” would never bewitch the girls in the coutroom and guarantee her death sentence. Danforth is persuaded and goes at Mary with a clear bias: 117 “You have seen the Devil, you have made compact with Lucifer, have you not? . . . You will confess yourself or you will hang!”

Reflect on the next scene, what happens to Mary?

“Mary as though infected, opens her mouth and screams with them. Gradually Abigail . . . until only mAary is left there, staring up at the “bird” screaming madly.” She turns on Proctor and accuses him. What happened?
Proctor is so angry, he reacts on emotion in response to “what say you”: “I say—I say—God is dead!” 119

A fire is burning quotation 119-120