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rug

(82,333 posts)
8. A climactic scene.
Mon Aug 19, 2013, 04:35 PM
Aug 2013
PROCTOR: (Leaning across the table, turning her gently by the arm.) Mary, tell the Governor what they…

MARY: (Backing away.) Don’t touch me… don’t touch me!

PROCTOR: Mary!

MARY: (Pointing at Proctor.) You are the Devil’s man!

PARRIS: Praise God!

PROCTOR: Mary, how…?

MARY: I’ll not hang with you! I love God, I love God—

DANFORTH: (To Mary.) He bid you do the Devil’s work?

MARY: (Hysterically, indicating Proctor.) He come at me by night and every day to sign, to sign, to…

DANFORTH: Sign what?

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

MARY: (Hysterically, pointing at Proctor.) 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…!

PROCTOR: (Eyes follow Mary.) Mister Hale…!

MARY: (Her sobs beginning.) 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: Mary, Mary…!

MARY: (Screaming at him.) No, I love God; I go your way no more, (Looking at Abigail.) I love God, I bless God…. (Sobbing, she rushes to Abigail.) Abby, Abby, I’ll never hurt you more! (All watch, as Abigail reaches out and draws sobbing Mary to her, then looks up to Danforth.)

DANFORTH: What are you! You are combined with anti-Christ, are you not? I have seen your power, Mister, you will not deny it!

HALE: This is not witchcraft! Those girls are frauds! You condemn an honest man!

DANFORTH: I will have nothing from you, Mister Hale! (To Proctor.) Will you confess yourself befouled with hell, or do you keep that black allegiance yet? What say you?

PROCTOR: I say… God is dead!

PARRIS: (Crossing L. toward door.) Hear it, hear it!

PROCTOR: 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 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!

DANFORTH: Marshal, take him and Corey with him to the jail!

HALE: (Crossing D.L.) I denounce these proceedings! I quit this court! (Hale EXITS.)

PROCTOR: You are pulling heaven down and raising up a whore.

DANFORTH: (Shocked.) Mister Hale, Mister Hale!

CURTAIN

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