The Crucible is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Profoundly inspirational the crucible quotes will encourage you to think a little deeper than you usually would and broaden your perspective.
If you’re searching for inspirational quotes from books that perfectly capture what you’d like to say or just want to feel inspired yourself, browse through an amazing collection of significant Things Fall Apart quotes, best The Help quotes and greatest The Color Purple quotes.
Famous The Crucible Quotes
I am a minister of the Lord, and I dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it. Reverend John Hale
Until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven. Arthur Miller
Let either of you breathe a word or the edge of a word and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. Abigail Williams
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! Arthur Miller
Abigail Don’t lie! To Hale: She comes to me while I sleep; She’s always making me dream corruptions! Abigail Williams
I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it. Arthur Miller
No man may longer doubt the powers of the dark are gathered in monstrous attack up on this village. There is too much evidence now to deny it. Reverend John Hale
Life, woman, life is God’s most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it. Arthur Miller
There is a misty plot afoot so subtle we should be criminal to cling to old respects and ancient friendships. I have seen too many frightful proofs in court the Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points! Reverend John Hale
It is rare for people to be asked the question which puts them squarely in front of themselves. Arthur Miller
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! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! Abigail Williams
I may think of you softly from time to time. But I’ll cut off my hand before I ever reach for you again. Arthur Miller
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. He is openly weeping. I have broke charity with the woman, I have broke charity with her. Giles Corey
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. Arthur Miller
My name is good in the village! I will not have it said my name is soiled! Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar! Abigail Williams
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! Arthur Miller
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. Reverend Samuel Parris
Peace. It is a providence, and no great change; we are only what we always were, but naked now. Arthur Miller
You have a faulty understanding of young girls. There is a promise made in any bed. Elizabeth Proctor
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. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! Arthur Miller
I only hope you’ll not be so sarcastical no more. Four judges and the King’s deputy sat to dinner with us but an hour ago. I would have you speak civilly to me, from this out. Mary Warren
He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! Arthur Miller
We burn a hot fire here; It melts down all concealment. Judge Danforth
I cannot sleep for dreaming; I cannot dream but I wake and walk about the house as though I’d find you comin’ through the door. Arthur Miller
What victory would the Devil have to win a soul already bad? It is the best the Devil wants, and who is better than the minister. Reverend John Hale
Great stones they lay upon his chest until he plead aye or nay. They say he give them but two words. More weight he says. And died. Arthur Miller
If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property that’s law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. Giles Corey
The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone. Arthur Miller
I think those must be both arrested in contempt, Sir. Judge Hathorne
A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together! Arthur Miller
I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! Abigail Williams
When it is recalled that until the Christian era the underworld was never regardded as a hostile area, that all gods were useful and essentially friendly to man despite occasional lapsesl when we see the steady methodical inculcation into humanity of the idea of man’s worthlesseness until redeemed the necessity of the Devil may become evident as a weapon, a weapon designed and used time and time again in every age to whip men into a surrender to a particular church or church state. Arthur Miller
I never knew it before. I never knew anything before and all at once I remembered everything she done to me! Mary Warren
What work you do! It’s strange work for a Christian girl to hang old women! Arthur Miller
We cannot leap to witchcraft. They will howl me out of Salem for such corruption in my house. Reverend Parris
If she is innocent! Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigail? Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God’s fingers? 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! Arthur Miller
In God’s name, sir, stop here; Send him home and let him come again with a lawyer. Reverend Hale
Political opposition is given an inhumane overlay, which then justifies the abrogation of all normally applied customs of civilized behavior. A political policy is equated with moral right, and opposition to it with diabolical malevolence. Arthur Miller
Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name! John Proctor
I should have roared you down when first you told me your suspicion. But I wilted, and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed! Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that day. John Proctor
It is the essence of power that it accrues to those with the ability to determine the nature of the real. Arthur Miller
A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face for them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud. John Proctor
Pray calm yourselves. I have eleven children, and I am twenty six times a grandma, and I have seen them all through their silly seasons, and when it come on them they will run the Devil bowlegged keeping up with their mischief. 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. Arthur Miller
I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it. John Proctor
I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretence Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes! I will not, I cannot! You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! Arthur Miller
Oh, Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer! John Proctor
Here is all the invisible world, caught, defined, and calculated. In these books the Devil stands stripped of all his brute disguises. Here are all your familiar spirits your incubi and succubi; your witches that go by land, by air, and by sea; your wizards of the night and of the day. Have no fear now we shall find him out and I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face! Arthur Miller
Is the accuser always holy now? Were they born this morning as clean as God’s fingers? I’ll tell you what’s walking Salem vengeance is walking Salem. John Proctor
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? The witch and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. Arthur Miller
