The Crucible

Auther Miller

In this scene of the play, John Proctor, whose wife, Elizabeth has been arrested as a witch, has brought to the court Marry Warren, who has evidence that Abigail and the other afflicted girls have been pretending. As the scene opens, Abigail interrupts the interrogation of John Proctor by the prosecutor, Danforth.

Cast of Characters in this Scene:

Abigail Williams: 18-year-old niece of Reverend Paris. In love with John Proctor, she pretends to be possessed in an attempt to have Proctor\'s wife condemned as a witch.

John Proctor: Farmer in his mid-thirties seeking to free his wife from false charges.

Marry Warren: 17-year-old servant of John Proctor.

Mercy Lewis and Susanna Walcott: Mercy is an 18-year-old servant girl; Susanna is a little younger. Along with Abigail, they claim to be possessed by witches.

Reverend Samuel Parris: Zealous minister who begins the witch hunt in Salem.

Deputy Governor Danforth: Deputy Governor of Salem, prosecutor in this case.

Reverend John Hale: A minister who is called to Salem by Reverend Parris to help determine whether witchcraft is afoot.

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Abigail, with a wired, wild, chilling cry, screams up to the ceiling.

Abigail: You will not! Begone! Begone, I say!

Danforth: What is it, child? (But Abigail, pointing with fear, is now raising up her frightened eyes, her awed face, toward the ceiling--the girls are doing the same--and now Hawthrone, Haler, Putnam, Cheever, Herrick, and Danforth do the same.) What\'s there? (He lowers his eyes from the ceiling, and now he is frightened; there is real tension in his voice.) Child! (She is transfixed--with all the girls, she is whimpering open-mouthed, agape at the ceiling.) Girls! Why do you--?

Mercy Lewis (pointing): It\'s on the beam! Behind the rafter!

Danforth (looking up): Where!

Abigail: Why--? (She gulps.) Why do you come, yellow bird?

Proctor: Where\'s a bird? I see no bird!

Abigail (to the ceiling): My face? My face?

Proctor: Mr. Hale--

Danforth: Be quiet!

Proctor (to Hale): Do you see a bird?

Danforth: Be quiet!

Abigail (to the ceiling, in a genuine conversation with the \"bird,\" as though trying to talk it out of attacking her): But God made my face; you cannot want to tear my face. Envy is a deadly sin, Marry.

Marry Warren (on her feet with a spring, and horrified, pleading): Abby!

Abigail (unperturbed, continuing to the \"bird\"): Oh, Mary, this is a black art to change your shape. No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; it\'s God\'s work I do.

Mary Warren: Abby, I\'m here!

Proctor (frantically): They\'re pretending, Mr. Danforth!

Abigail (Now she takes a backward step, as though in fear the bird will swoop down momentarily.): Oh, please, Mary! Don\'t come down.

Susanna Walcott: Her claws, she\'s stretching her claws!

Proctor: Lies, Lies.

Abigail (backing further, eyes still fixed above): Mary, please don\'t hurt me!

Mary Warren (to Danforth): I\'m not hurting her!

Danforth (to Mary Warren): Why does she see this vision?

Mary Warren: She sees nothin\'!

Abigail (now staring full front as though hypnotized, and mimicking the exact tone of Mary Warren\'s cry): She sees nothin\'!

Mary Warren (pleading): Abby, you mustn\'t!

Abigail and all the girls (all transfixed): Abby, you mustn\'t!

Mary Warren (to all the girls): I\'m here, I\'m here!

Girls: I\'m here, I\'m here!

Danforth (horrified): Marry Warren! Draw back your spirit out of them!

Mary Warren: Mr. Danforth!

Girls (cutting her off): Mr. Danforth!

Danforth: Have you compacted the devil? Have you?

Mary Warren: Never, never!

Danforth (growing hysterical): Why can they only repeat you?

Proctor: Give me a whip--I\'ll stop it!

Mary Warren: They\'re sporting, they--!

Girls: They\'re sporting!

Mary Warren (turning on them all hysterically and stamping her feet): Abby, stop it!

Girls (stamping their feet): Abby, stop it!

Wary Warren: Stop it!

Girls: Stop it!

Mary Warren (screaming it out at the top of her lungs, and raising her fists): Stop it!

Girls (raising their fists): Stop it!

Mary Warren, utterly confounded, and becoming overwhelmed by Abigail\'s--and the girls\'--utter conviction, starts to whimper, hands half raised, powerless, and all the girls begin whimpering exactly as she does.

Danforth: A little while ago, it seems you were afflicted. Now it seems you have afflicted others; where did you find this power?

Mary Warren (staring at Abigail): I--have no power.

Girls: I have no power.

Proctor: They\'re gulling you, Mister!

Danforth: Why did you turn about this past two weeks? You have seen the Devil, have you not?

Hale (indicating Abigail the girls): You cannot believe them!

Mary Warren: I--

Proctor (sensing her weakening): Mary, God damns all liars!

Danforth (pounding it into her): You have seen the Devil, you have made compact with Lucifer, have you not?

Mary utters something unintelligible, staring at Abigail, who keeps watching the \"bird\" above.

Proctor: God damns liars, Mary!

Danforth: I cannot hear you. What do you say? (Mary utters again unintelligibly.) You will confess yourself or you will hang! (He turns her roughly to face him.) Do you know who I am? I say you will hang if you do not open with me!

Proctor: Mary, remember the angel Raphael--do that which is good and--

Abigail (pointing upward): The wings! Her wings are spreading! Mary, please, don\'t, don\'t--

Hale: I see nothing, Your Honor!

Danforth: Do you confess this power? (He is an inch away from her face.) Speak!

Abigail: She\'s going to come down! She\'s walking on the beam!

Danforth: Will you speak!

Mary Warren (staring in horror): I cannot!

Girls: I cannot!

Parris: Cast the Devil out! Look him in the face! Trample him! We\'ll save you Mary, only stand fast against him and--

Abigail (looking up): Look out! She\'s coming down!

She and all the girls run to one wall, shielding their eyes. And now, as though cornered, they let out a gigantic scream, and Mary, as though infected, opens her mouth and screams with them. Gradually Abigail and the girls leave off, until only Mary is left there, staring up at the \"bird,\" screaming madly. All watch her; horrified by this evidence fit. Proctor strides to her.

Proctor: Mary, tell the Governor what they-- (He has hardly got a word out, when seeing him coming for her, she rushes out of his reach, screaming in horror.)

Mary Warren: Don’t touch me—don’t touch me! (At which the girls halt at the door.)

Proctor (astonished): Mary!

Mary Warren (pointing at Proctor): You’re the Devil’s man!

He stopped in his tracks.

Parris: Praise God!

Girls: Praise God!

Proctor (numbed): Mary, how—?

Mary Warren: I’ll not hang with you! I love God, I love God!

Danforth (to Mary): He bid you do the Devil’s work?

Mary Warren (hysterically indicating Proctor): He come at me by night and every day to sign, to sign, to—

Danforth: To sign what?

Parris: The Devil’s book? He come with a book?

Mary Warren (hysterically pointing at Proctor, fearful of him): My name, he want my name. “I’ll murder you,” he says, “if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court,” he says!

Danforth’s head jerks toward Proctor, shock and horror in his face.

Proctor (turning, appealing to Hale): Mr. Hale!

Marry Warren (her sobs begin): He wake me every night, his eyes were like coals and his fingers claw my neck, and I sign, I sign…

Hale: Excellency, the child’s gone wild!

Proctor (as Danforth’s wide eyes pour on him): Mary, Mary!

Mary Warrens (screaming at him): No, I love God; I go your way no more, I love God, I bless God. (Sobbing she rushes to Abigail) Abby, Abby, I’ll never hurt you more! (They all watch, as Abigail, out of her infinite charity, reaches out and draws the sobbing Mary to her, and then looks up to Danforth.)

解析：

这是一部关于萨勒姆女巫审判的戏曲节选。在1692-1603期间，美国马塞诸塞州很多女子都被认为是女巫因为她们都得了怪病。人民觉得这是恶魔在作怪所以处死了许多女孩。当然如果她们可以供出其他人或是谁指使她们，有的女孩便可以豁免。于是大家互相指认这虚无的罪名，虽然这并不是真的但那又怎么样呢？为了能活下去她们把越来越多的人拉下水，管她到底是谁，只要咬定她是一个女巫那谁都逃不掉。很多女孩就像剧中的Mary一样，被逼疯后便开始责怪他人，让自己洗白罪名。本是无虚有东西却被越描越真，是非被颠倒又怎能找到清白？