The Crucible Jealousy Quotes

She hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, sniveling woman, and I will not work for such a woman!

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. Abigail’s lies and deceit about Elizabeth Proctor begin, as she invents a story about why she lost her job with the Proctors. She claims that Elizabeth hated her because she refused to be her slave. But the truth is that Abigail was dismissed by Elizabeth because she had an affair with her husband John. It is Abigail’s intense jealousy of Elizabeth that drives the witch trials hysteria, leading to many innocent people being hanged. Her jealousy speaks loudly in this passage, where she mischaracterizes Elizabeth as "a bitter woman, a lying, cold sniveling woman." When we meet her in the play, Elizabeth turns out to be a kind, caring and honest woman.

ABIGAIL: Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be – .
PROCTOR: You’ll speak nothin’ of Elizabeth!
ABIGAIL: She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, sniveling woman, and you bend to her!

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. Abigail is deeply jealous of John Proctor’s wife Elizabeth. This is borne out by her name-calling of Elizabeth in this conversation with John. Resentful that Elizabeth is his wife instead of her, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of spreading lies about her and sullying her name in the village. John defends his wife

You think it God’s work you should never lose a child, nor grandchild either, and I bury all but one?

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 1. Mrs. Putnam is talking to Rebecca about her seven babies who died on the day they were born. She is jealous of Rebeccca because she has eleven children all living while she has buried all but one. Mrs. Putnam disputes Rebecca’s suggestion that Betty and Ruth’s apparent illness is the work of God and not the Devil. She believes that evil forces are behind their sickness and the death of her seven babies. Later in the play Rebecca will be charged with the murder of the Putnam babies by supernatural means.

You have a faulty understanding of young girls. There is a promise made in any bed…Spoke or silent, a promise is surely made. And she may dote on it now – I am sure she does – and thinks to kill me, then to take my place.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 2. Elizabeth tells John that she believes their former servant Abigail has likely read more into her sexual affair with her husband that he did. John may see the affair as meaningless, but Elizabeth is acutely aware of Abigail’s jealousy and desire for vengeance because she fired Abigail over the affair. Abby plans to kill her and replace her, Elizabeth tells John. Abby’s plot and Elizabeth’s arrest for the hanging offense of witchcraft are foreshadowed here.

It is her dearest hope, John, I know it. There be a thousand names; why does she call mine? There be a certain danger in calling such a name – I am no Goody Good that sleeps in ditches, nor Osburn, drunk and half-witted. She’d dare not call out such a farmer’s wife but there be monstrous profit in it. She thinks to take my place, John.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 2. Elizabeth realizes that Abigail’s motives for accusing her of being a witch stem from jealousy, because Abby wants to replace her as John’s wife. Elizabeth knows that she is no vagrant like Sarah Good or drunkard like Sarah Osburn, so Abby must have a strong reason to target a farmer’s wife. Which is to be the next Mrs. Proctor when Elizabeth is executed. There is foreshadowing here, with Elizabeth’s suspicions later proving to be right when she is arrested for witchcraft and planted evidence of a doll used against her.

For murder, she’s charged! (Mockingly quoting the warrant:) "For the marvelous and supernatural murder of Goody Putnam’s babies." What am I to do, Mr. Hale?

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 2. A deeply upset Francis Nurse announces that his wife Rebecca has been charged with the unbelievable crime of the "supernatural murder" of Ann Putnam’s babies. The seven babies died on the day they were born and Mrs. Putnam became obsessed with finding who "murdered" them. She also resented the fact that all of Rebecca’s eleven children lived and only one of here did. Add to that the historic land disputes between the Nurse and Putnam families, and it becomes clear that motives of jealousy and vengeance are behind the Putnams instigating these charges. The accusations against Rebecca Nurse parallel the way Senator Joe McCarthy accused people of being communists without any substantial proof. In the McCarthy era false accusations based on the flimsiest of evidence was leveled against innocent Americans.

A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you – see her what she is…She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. John Proctor exposes the chief witness in the witch trials court as a spurned young woman seeking vengeance on his wife. His angry outburst comes when he becomes frustrated with the lies Abigail Williams is telling the judges. A person of high standing in the community, Proctor sacrifices his respectability to confess to a lustful liason with former servant Abby. Hoping to save his wife Elizabeth from Abby’s witch accusations, he comes clean and outs Abby as a vengeful and jealous fraud wishing to be the next Mrs. Proctor. John has at last honored Elizabeth’s wish to reclaim his integrity by letting Abigail know that their affair is over for good. But he is a little late, Elizabeth has been arrested for witchcraft and her fate lies in the hands of the court.

I came to think he fancied her. And so one night I lost my wits, I think, and put her out on the highroad.

– Arthur Miller

The Crucible, Act 3. Elizabeth is questioned in court after John confesses to his affair with Abigail Williams. She is asked about Abigail Williams by Judge Danforth. Rather than disclose her husband’s infidelity, she tries to protect him by lying and portraying herself as the irrational wife who gave Abby her walking papers because of jealousy. There is tragic irony in Elizabeth’s action, as it ends up making the situation worse for herself and John.
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