Act 1 Flashcards
TITUBA: my betty be hearty soon?
Out of here!
TITUBA: my betty not going to die…
Out of my sight! Out of my…
Oh, my god. God help me! Betty. Child. Dear child, will you wake, will you open up your eyes! Betty, little one…
ABIGAIL: uncle? Susana wallcotts here from Dr. Griggs
Oh? The doctor. Let her come, let her come.
ABIGAIL: come in susana
What does the doctor say, child
SUSANNA: Dr. Griggs he bid me come and tell you, Reverend sir, that he cannot discover no medicine for it in his books.
Then he must search on.
SUSANNA : Aye, sir, he have been searchin‘ his books since he left you, sir, but he bid me tell you, that you might look to unnatural things for the cause of it.
No-no. There be no unnatural causes here. Tell him I have sent for Reverend Hale of Beverly, and he will surely confirm that. Let him look to medicine, and put out all thought of unnatural causes here. There be none.
ABIGAIL: Speak nothin’ of it in the village, Susanna.
Go directly home and speak nothing of unnatural causes.
ABIGAIL: Uncle, the rumor of witchcraft is all about; I think you‘d best go down and deny it yourself. The parlor‘s packed with people, sir.–I‘ll sit with her.
And what shall I say to them? That I discovered my daughter and my niece dancing like heathen in the forest?!
ABIGAIL: Uncle, we did dance; let you tell them I confessed it. But they‘re speakin‘ of witchcraft; Betty‘s not witched.
Abigail, I cannot go before the congregation when I know you have not been open with me. What did you do with her in the forest?
ABIGAIL: We did dance, Uncle, and when you leaped out of the bush so suddenly, Betty was frightened and then she fainted. And there‘s the whole of it.
Now look you, child- I have no desire to punish you; that will come in its time. But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest, I must know it, for surely my enemies will, and they‘ll ruin me with it…
ABIGAIL: But we never conjured spirits.
Then why can she not move? This child is desperate! It must come out—my enemies will bring it out. Abigail, do you understand that I have many enemies?
ABIGAIL: I know it, Uncle.
There is a faction that is sworn to drive me from my pulpit. Do you understand that?
ABIGAIL I think so, sir.
Now then - in the midst of such disruption, my own household is discovered to be the very center of some obscene practice. Abominations are done in the forest…
ABIGAIL: It were only sport, Uncle!
I saw Tituba waving her arms over the fire when I came on you; why were she doing that? And I heard a screeching and gibberish comin‘ from her mouth…
ABIGAIL: She always sings her Barbados songs and we dance.
And I thought I saw a dress lying in the grass!
ABIGAIL: A dress?
Aye, a dress. And I thought I saw… someone naked running through the trees!
ABIGAIL: No one was naked! You mistake yourself, Uncle!
I saw it! Now tell me true, Abigail… whatever abomination you have done, for I dare not be taken unaware by those who would see me removed.
ABIGAIL: There is nothin‘ more. I swear it, Uncle.
Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character. I have given you a home, I have put clothes upon your back—now give me upright answer. Is there any other cause than you have told me, for Goody Proctor dischargin’ you? You are seven months out of their house, and in all this time no other family has ever called your service.
Enter Mrs. Ann Puttnam. She is a twisted soul of forty-five, a death-ridden woman, haunted by dreams.
No. No, I cannot have anyone. Why, Goody Putnam, come in.
ANN: It is a marvel. It is surely a stroke of hell upon you…
No, Goody Putnam, it is…
ANN: How high did she fly, how high?
No—no, she never flew…
ANN: Mister Collins saw her goin‘ over Ingersoll‘s barn, and come down light as a bird, he says!
Now, look you, Goody Putnam; she never…
Oh good morning, mister Putnam
ANN: Why, that‘s strange. Ours is open.
Your little Ruth is sick?
ANN: I‘d not call it sick, the Devil‘s touch is heavier than sick, it‘s death, y‘know, it‘s death drivin‘ into them forked and hoofed.
Oh, pray not! Why, how does your child ail?
PUTNAM: They say you‘ve sent for Reverend Hale?
A precaution only. He has much experience in all demonic arts, and I …
ANN He has indeed, and found a witch in Beverly last year, and let you remember that.
Thomas, Thomas I pray you, leap not to witchcraft. They will howl me out of Salem for such a corruption in my house.
PUTNAM: Now, look you, Mr. Parris; I have taken your part in all contention here, and I would continue; but cannot if you hold back in this. There are hurtful, vengeful spirits layin‘ hands on these children.
But, Thomas, you cannot…
ANN: Reverend Parris, I have laid seven babies unbaptized in the earth. Believe me, Sir, you never saw more hearty babies born. And yet, each would wither in my arms the very night of their birth. I have spoke nothin’, but my heart has clamoured intimations. And now, this year, my Ruth, my only—I see her turning strange. A secret child she has become this year, and shrivels like a sucking mouth were pullin’ on her life too. And so I thought to send her to your Tituba—
To Tituba! What may Tituba….?
ANN: Tituba knows how to speak to the dead, Mister Parris.
Goody Ann, it is a formidable sin to conjure up the dead!
ANN: I take it on my soul, but who else may surely tell us what person murdered my babies?
Woman!
PUTNAM: Don‘t you understand it, sir? There is a murdering witch among us bound to keep herself in the dark. Let your enemies make of it what they will, you cannot blink it more.
Then you were conjuring spirits last night.
ABIGAIL: Not I, sir, not I.-Tituba and Ruth.
Now I am undone.
PUTNAM You are not undone. Let you take hold here. Wait for no one to charge you- declare it yourself. You have discovered witchcraft….
In my house!? In my house, Thomas?-they will topple me with this! They will make of it a…
MERCY Her grandma come. She‘s improved a little, I think- she give a powerful sneeze before.
ANN Ah, there‘s a sign of life!
Will you leave me now Thomas, I would pray a while alone…
ABIGAIL Uncle, you‘ve prayed since midnight. Why do you not go down and….?
No-no. I‘ll wait till Mister Hale arrives.
PUTNAM (To Parris) Now look you, sir- let you strike out against the Devil and the village will bless you for it! Come down, speak to them- pray with them- they‘re thirsting for your word, Mister!
I have no stomach for disputation. I will lead them in a psalm. But let you say nothing of witchcraft. The cause is yet unknown.
ANN Mercy, you go home to Ruth, d‘ye hear?
MERCY Aye, Ma’am. (Ann goes out.)
If she starts for the window, cry for me at once.
ABIGAIL Yes, Uncle.
There is a terrible power in her arms today.
Betty shrieks
What Happened? What are you doing to her! Betty! (Rushes to bed, crying
―Betty Betty!)
ANN The psalm! The psalm! – she cannot hear the Lord‘s name!
No, God forbid…
PUTNAM That is a notorious sign of witchcraft afoot, a prodigious sign.
ANN My mother told me that! That they cannot bear to hear the name of…
Rebecca, Rebecca, come to her… we‘re lost, she suddenly cannot bear to hear the Lord‘s name.
There is hard sickness here, Giles Corey, so please to keep the quiet.
PROCTOR Aye, that’s the truth of it, Rebecca.
ANN This is no silly season, Rebecca. My Ruth is bewildered.
A wide opinion‘s running in the parish that the Devil may be among us, and I would satisfy them that they are wrong.
PROCTOR Then let you come out and call them wrong. Are you our minister or Mister Hale? Did you consult the wardens of the church before you called the minister to look for devils?
He is not coming to look for devils!
PROCTOR I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. There are many others who stay away because he hardly ever mentions God any more.
It is not for you to say what is good for you to hear! There is either obedience or the church will burn like hell is burning! I am not blind; there is a faction and a party in this church.
HALE Pray you, someone take these!
Mister Hale! Oh, it‘s good to see you again! (helping him) My, they‘re heavy!
HALE They must be, they are weighted with authority.
Well, you do come prepared!
HALE It‘s strange how I knew you. We have all heard of your great charities in Beverly.
Do you know this gentleman?—Mister Thomas Putnam. And his good wife, Ann.
HALE Cannot eat! Do you men also have afflicted children?
No, no, these are farmers. John Proctor…
PROCTOR I‘ve heard you be a sensible man, Mister Hale- I hope you‘ll leave some of it in Salem.
Please look at my daughter, sir? We discovered her this morning on the highroad, waving her arm as though she‘d fly.
HALE No-no…Now let me instruct you. We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise; we must look only for his proper signs and judge nothing beforehand, and I must tell you all, I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no trace of hell in this.
It is agreed, sir—it is agreed—we will abide by your judgment.
HALE Good then. Now, sir, what were your first warnings of this strangeness?
… I discovered her… and my niece Abigail and ten or twelve other girls, dancing in the forest last night.
HALE You permit dancing?!
No—no, it were secret…
ANN Mr. Parris‘ slave has knowledge of conjurin‘, sir.
We cannot be sure of that, Goody Ann…
ANN (Hysterically.) Let God blame me, not you, not you, Rebecca! I‘ll not have you judging me any more! Mr. Hale, is it a natural work to lose seven children before they live a day?
Sssh!
HALE (Leafing through the book.) Seven dead in childbirth?
ANN Aye.
What book is that?
REBECCA I am too old for this. I go to God for you, sir.
I hope you do not mean we go to Satan here!
HALE Aye, we‘ll discuss it. Now mark me, if the Devil is in her you will witness some frightful wonders in this room, so please, keep your wits about you. Mister Putnam, stand close in case she flies. (Turns to Betty, helps her sit up.) Now, Betty dear, will you sit up? (Sits her up.) H‘mmmm. Can you hear me? I am John Hale, minister of Beverly. I have come to help you, dear.
How can it be the Devil? Why would he choose my house to strike?
HALE Does someone afflict you, child? Is there some figure bids you fly? (Pauses. Passes his hand over her face.) In nomine Domini Sabaoth, sui filiique ite d Infernos. (Betty is laid back on pillow. Looks to Abigail.) Abigail, (Looks back to Betty.) what sort of dancing were you doing with her in the forest?
ABIGAIL Why—common dancing is all.
I think I ought to say that I—I saw a kettle in the grass where they were dancing.
ABIGAIL I never called him! Tituba called him!
She called the Devil!
HALE I should like to speak with Tituba.
Goody Ann, will you bring her up?
ABIGAIL She makes me drink blood!
Blood!
TITUBA There was four. There was four.
Who? Who? Their names, their names!
TITUBA He say Mister Parris must be kill! Mister Parris no godly man, Mister Parris mean man and no gentle man, and he bid me rise out of my bed and cut your throat! I tell him, no! I don‘t want kill that man! But he say, You work for me, Tituba, and I make you free! And I say, You lie, Devil, you lie! And then he come to me one stormy night…And there, there was Goody Good.
Sarah Good!
BETTY (As all turn to her.) I saw George Jacobs with the Devil! I saw Goody Howe with the Devil!
She speaks. She speaks!
TITTUBA Oh, how many times he bid me to kill you, mister parris!
Kill me!?
