The Crucible HW 6

Pages 83-98

“Does it not strike upon you that so many of these women have lived so long with such upright reputation, and-” (91)

Why now are women accused of being witches when they have lived righteously their whole lives? John Proctor brought this up in an attempt to defend and stand up for his wife. Unfortunately, he was unable to finish his statement, because he was interrupted with a question from Reverend Parris. Parris, making an effort to show Proctor's ignorance asked, “Do you read the Gospel, Mr. Proctor?” (91) Like most men in Salem, Proctor did read the Gospel. Parris feared being connected with the devil, and therefore, felt the need to show his intelligence, “I think not, or you should surely know that Cain were an upright man, and yet he did kill Abel.” (91) This connect to the theme of reputation. Parris pointed out the flaws in others to put himself above them. Parris also indicated that through not knowing the Gospel, Proctor and his wife might have a connection with the devil.

"Indeed not, but strike hard upon me that she will dare come here with such a tale. Now, Mr. Proctor, before I decide whether I shall hear you or not, it is my duty to tell you this. We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment.” (89)

Wanting to save his wife, John Proctor brought Mary Warren to the court scene with him. She openly confessed that she and the other girls were lying, “It were pretense, sir.” (89) The judge was puzzled by her statement and unsure of what to do. One thing was for sure though; “a vile lie would not be spread in open court.”(89) The judges were filled with stress, anxiety, and tension. Most likely, they were afraid of being wrong. They would not take the blame for taking the lives of innocent people. Danforth demonstrated that the government was under a lot of pressure, but they were still striving to reveal any secrets.

Questions:
If the judges do not believe Mary, who will they believe?
Does Hale support the Salem witch trials?