Mary Warren monologue from The Crucible

Mary Warren’s monologue

I never knew it before. I never knew anything before. When she come into the court I say to myself, I must not accuse this woman, for she sleep in ditches, and so very old and poor....But then....then she sit there, denying and denying, and I feel a misty coldness climbin’ up my back, and the skin on my skull begin to creep, and I feel a clamp around my neck and I cannot breath air, and then.........I hear a voice, a screamin’ voice, and it were my voice.....and all at once I remembered everything she done to me!!! So many time, Mister Proctor, she come to this very door beggin’ bread and cider...and mark this...whenever I turned her away empty.....she mumbled!!! You must remember Goody Proctor—last month—a Monday I think...she walked away and I though my guts would burst for two days after. Do you remember it?

Excerpt for study and audition practice. Read the full play for context.