Chapter 14 of 29 · 3'45"
Hale is not investigating witchcraft here; he is weighing the Proctors' faith. Elizabeth says openly what she thinks of Parris — "I see no light of God in that man" — and Hale answers by naming the one commandment John cannot recite: adultery. The scene is a quiet interrogation under the guise of a visit.
❝ Monologue · 11 lines John Forgets the Commandment
Hale's Polite Warning to the Proctors
Reverend Hale visits the Proctor house to test their Christian faith. Elizabeth speaks her mind about Parris, claiming she sees 'no light of God' in him. Hale then asks John to recite the Ten Commandments. John runs through them but forgets adultery, and Elizabeth quietly finishes the list for him. Hale notes a 'softness' in John's record and leaves.
The visit looks like a religious examination and works like a trap. Hale asks the Proctors to recite the Ten Commandments, and when John recites them, one is missing: adultery. Elizabeth supplies it — "Adultery, John" — which tells Hale exactly where the fault lies. Hale has already pointed at it with a gentler phrase: "There is a softness in your record, sir." What makes the scene uneasy is that Hale is not hostile. He says he does not judge Goody Proctor and only wants to add to the court's godly wisdom. Yet the commandment John forgets is the one he has broken with Abigail, and everyone in the room can hear it. The trial has not begun, but the Proctors' marriage is already on the record.
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
“I like it not that Mr. Parris should lay his hand upon my baby.”
The old like it not plus should turns a mother's fear into a cold, formal objection.
Formal
“I see no light of God in that man. I'll not conceal it.”
A verdict followed by a refusal to hide it makes the position unmistakable.
Formal
“There is a softness in your record, sir, a softness.”
Repeating a softness at the end turns a vague doubt into a pointed accusation.
Formal
“Theology, sir, is a fortress;”
Calling theology a fortress turns ideas into walls, so every question becomes a siege.
literary
“I pray you both good health and good fortune.”
A warm blessing ends a tense interrogation, and the courtesy makes the parting colder.
Formal
Thou shalt not kill. Aye. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods, nor make unto thee any graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt remember the Sabbath Day and Thou shalt honor thy father and mother. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven You have said that twice, sir.
Up next · 15wash your hands ofThe scene: Cheever Arrests Elizabeth ProctorHe is testing John's Christian faith. A covenanted Christian should know the commandments, so failing to name one is a meaningful slip.
Adultery. John recites the others but skips it, and Elizabeth supplies it for him, revealing the fault in his record.
He means there is a flaw or weak spot in John's moral record. It is a polite way of hinting that Hale suspects something without accusing him outright.
He is not sure. He says he does not judge Elizabeth and only wants to add to the court's wisdom, but he clearly keeps his suspicions about John.
She distrusts him. She says she sees 'no light of God' in him and resents him laying a hand on her baby.
