Proctor: "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"(Miller 91).
Why is Proctor the only one with any common sense here? Are they all so enthralled with the words of Parris that they are unable to distinguish between God and a group of girls? Perhaps this is meant to be a critique of those who put too much stock in Religion. Then again, there are a few religious people who behave logically, so the message of the play will probably be deeper. Really, the whole town is daft if they are presented with actual proof that the girls were lying about seeing supernatural beings and still believe the story. Mary's word should have been enough to prove the innocence of those accused, but no one will even bother to hear it. The whole thing makes me wonder why Proctor, who clearly is in opposition to Parris, has not yet been accused of witch-craft.
Giles: "I will not give you no name. I mentioned my wife's name once and I'll burn in hell long enough for that. I stand mute"(97).
A popular phrase among police officers is "anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law". The phrase is made quite literal in this play. Giles learned that the hard way, and will not make the same mistake again. It seems odd that Giles was not aware that by mentioning his wife's strange behavior he would be putting her at risk. After all, he went to court many times in the past. If anyone would know the way the legal system works, it would be him. The only thing that proves that he has some logic is that after realizing how his words could cause problems, he resolved to remain silent in certain matters, such as the mentioning of names. I wonder if his reasons for defending his wife are truly selfless. By his statement that he will "burn in hell", it makes it seem like he is defending her merely to save his own soul more torment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment