He’s come to overthrow this court, Your Honor!
– Arthur Miller
The Crucible, Act 3. With the climate of intolerance in Salem, it is next to impossible to mount any defense to accusations of witchcraft. John Proctor tries to present a petition signed by 91 prominent citizens testifying that the accused women are not witches. But Reverend Parris moves to block this by accusing Proctor of trying to overthrow the court. Parris is motivated by the considerable personal animosity between him and Proctor.