In Act
3, John Proctor does, in fact, twice refer to the same scripture in his wish to encourage Mary
Warren and to strengthen her resolve. When he first speaks to her in court before taking out her
deposition, he tells her:
Remember the
angel, what he say to the boy. Hold to it, now; there is your rock.
Proctor is alluding to the book of Tobit, one of the books of the
Apocrypha, which is seen by some as part of the Bible, while others do not acknowledge it. The
story relates the experience of Tobias, the son of a deeply religious man (Tobit) who fell in
love with Sara, a woman plagued by a demon that killed each of her seven previous
husbands.
Tobit managed to defeat the demon on his wedding night with the
help of the archangel Raphael. The angel had advised Tobias to "Do that which is good, and
no harm will come to thee." Proctor later refers to the same verse but is unable to
complete the line because of Abigail's intervention.
In the first instance,
Proctor wants Mary to be strong, and he appeals to not only her reason but also her religious
conviction. He is advising her to be like Tobias, implying that by doing good, she will have
divine protection, and no harm will befall her. Just as in Tobias's situation, she will be able
to overcome the demons plaguing Salem.
Proctor is indirectly referring to
Abigail and the other girls who have managed to deceive the court and many others by lying about
the presence of witches and the practice of witchcraft. Their testimony has led to many being
accused and incarcerated, including Proctor's wife, Elizabeth. Mary is there to prove, once and
for all, that what she, Abigail, and the other girls have been doing was all a hoax. Proctor
hopes that her testimony will finally convince the court of his wife's and others' innocence,
which will lead to their release.
When Mary Warren starts her testimony, her
credibility is questioned when she is asked to faint as easily as she claims they have been able
to do. Mary cannot, for she does not "have a sense of it." At this point, Abigail
suddenly puts on an act stating that she is feeling a "cold wind." Proctor desperately
grabs her and cries out that she is a whore. His actions lead to Elizabeth being called forth to
testify why she dismissed Abigail. Elizabeth fails to mention her real suspicion and Proctor is
left helpless.
Abigail senses an advantage, and she puts on an amazingly
convincing act in which she claims that Mary's spirit is threatening her in the form of a yellow
bird. The other girls soon follow her lead, and Mary Warren is eventually completely distraught
and overwhelmed. Proctor, realizing that everything is falling apart, again calls on Mary
saying:
Mary, remember the angel Raphaeldo
that which is good and
He does not get a
chance to complete the quote, because Abigail interjects and cries out that the supposed bird is
preparing to swoop down and harm her. His appeal is ineffective and Mary, in absolute despair,
turns against him and accuses him of doing the devil's work and trying to force her to join him
and sign the Devil's book. The result is that Proctor is arrested and taken to
jail.
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