Excellency, does it not strike upon you that so many of these women have lived so long with such upright reputation.
– Arthur Miller
The Crucible, Act 3. John Proctor appeals to Massachusetts Deputy Governor and presiding Judge Danforth to consider the long-standing good reputations of the people being accused. He is suggesting that the accusations of witchcraft made by young children and teenagers lack credibility. Among those charged is Proctor’s upstanding wife Elizabeth.