Transcript The Crucible - HigherEnglishMrDempsey

Language
 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!
 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!
 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!



Speech of characters in ‘the Crucible is
inflected with biblical imagery/ references.
“The Keys of the Kingdom” were given to
Peter. They represent all authority in Heaven.
Finger’s of God- in the Old Testament, the
Ten Commandments (laws handed down to
Moses) were inscribed by the fingers of God.
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Who- John
At what point- When Elizabeth has been
accused of witchcraft
Purpose- to highlight that it is vengeance and
not really the devil that is the driving force
behind the allegations of witchcraft.
Character- Forthright, brave, does not hold
back
Is he correct- Yes, vengeance is indeed
writing the law,

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Imagery- ‘As clean as God’s fingers’ is used to
mock the girls’ (Abigail and friends) claims to
innocence
‘Are jangling the keys to the kingdom’ creates
image that the girls are now the power /authority
in Salem. The ‘keys’ can be seen to be their
accusations of witchcraft.
‘Vengeance is walking Salem’ – personification of
vengeance is used here to underline its importance
to what is happening.
This is reinforced by the repetition of this
personification in ‘common vengeance writes the
law!’