The Crucible: Act Two
I. Literary Term
a) Implied Metaphor- does not state explicitly the two terms of the comparison.
"Make your peace with it! Now Hell and Heaven grapple on our backs, and all our pretense is ripped away--make your peace! Peace. It is a providence, and no great change; we are only what we always were, but naked now. Aye, naked! And the wind, God's icy wind, will blow!" (Miller 1287)
a) The quote is implied metaphor because the heaven and hell statement grappling on our backs refers to the right and wrong that your conscious is fight with. The peace is the final decision you make that stops your what's right and wrong conscious from fighting.
II. Quotation Elation
a) "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 in Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now the little crazy children are jangling the keys of kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law! This warrant's vengeance! I'll not give my wife to vengeance" (Miller 1283)
b) This quote is telling that there is no witchcraft, but everyone has vengeance against one another. The people are getting rid of other people because of the vengeances they have with each other. The quote also talks about how the accusers aren't being questioned because it is believed that they are innocent, but in reality they aren't. The quote also shows a them of the accuser isn't always innocent or something close to that. The fact that no of the other characters takes what he said to mind is confusing.
III. Characters
Mary Warren
Description: Weak, insecure, young
Purpose: She is the "innocent" one. She knows what is the right thing to do but because she is weak she can't speak for herself.
Outcome: She has to go testify in court against Abigail with John Proctor
