The Crucible

The Crucible, Act 3 Question

Lines 1461–1468: Review the dialogue and stage directions that describe Mary Warren’s screaming. When the stage directions describe Abigail as reaching out to Mary “out of her infinite charity,” how is this an example of irony on the playwright’s part? Think about what you know about Abigail’s character up to this point.

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Last updated by jill d #170087
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This is ironic because Abigail intends to look as if she is trying to save Mary, when she is, in fact, in the process of condemning her. We know that Abigail is a liar and manipulator, in this scene, she further proves what we already know.

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The Crucible