“There be a hundred or more, they say.”
Why it's great
The vague number shows the panic spreading faster than anyone can count.
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Formal
Use it yourself
There be a hundred or more on the list, they say.
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00:00 / 04:10
Elizabeth Visits John in Prison, Explained
The Crucible · 2014
Chapter 28 of 29 · 4'10"
Elizabeth brings John the news of Giles Corey, who refused to plead and was pressed to death with stones, saying only "More weight." John, broken by it, considers confessing to save his life. Elizabeth will not tell him what to do, but she says plainly: "I want you living, John."
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:51–3:20
❝ Monologue · 7 lines Giles Corey Is Pressed to Death
89s - 3:34–4:09
Elizabeth Wants John to Live
35s
Elizabeth Visits John in Prison, explained
What happens
In a Salem jail cell, Elizabeth comes to see John. She tells him the boys are well and Rebecca refuses to confess, then reports that Giles Corey is dead: pressed under stones because he would not enter a plea, saying only "More weight." John says he would confess to save himself, and Elizabeth answers that she wants him alive.
What's really going on
The scene turns a visit into an inventory of what the trials have cost. Rebecca is nearly gone — "She is one foot in Heaven now" — and Giles is dead, pressed under stones rather than answer aye or nay, since a plea would forfeit his farm. John hears all this and finally says the thing he has been circling: "I would confess to them, Elizabeth." What matters is not whether he means it but that Elizabeth refuses to push him either way. She will not judge him, she says, and she would have it as he wills; the one thing she is sure of is "I want you living, John." For a man whose pride is his name, survival now costs the name, and the scene leaves that choice to him.
Key lines & what they mean
- “There be a hundred or more, they say.”
- Elizabeth's report on how many have confessed: the scale of the panic, with more than a hundred people saving themselves by admitting witchcraft.
- “She is one foot in Heaven now;”
- Her description of Rebecca Nurse: Rebecca is so near death that nothing more can hurt her.
- “So he stand mute, and died Christian under the law.”
- Giles refused to plead, so by law he could not be condemned as a wizard and his sons kept the farm; he died without entering an answer.
- “It were a fearsome man, Giles Corey.”
- Elizabeth's tribute: Giles was a tough, fearless man, and his refusal to answer is remembered as courage.
- “I would confess to them, Elizabeth.”
- John's admission that he is ready to confess to save his life, abandoning his earlier refusal.
- “I want you living, John. That's sure.”
- Elizabeth's plain answer: above honor or pride, she wants her husband alive, and she will not decide for him.
Theme
- Courage — Giles Corey dies rather than forfeit his farm or his conscience, and John weighs whether he can bear the same cost.
- Marriage — Elizabeth refuses to judge John, leaving him free to choose, while admitting she wants him alive above all.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
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Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“She is one foot in Heaven now;”
Why it's great
By placing her half in Heaven it softens death into something near and calm.
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Formal
Use it yourself
Grandma is one foot in Heaven now, so let her rest.
“So he stand mute, and died Christian under the law.”
Why it's great
Silence becomes his final act, so the law is obeyed and beaten at once.
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Formal
Use it yourself
He stood mute, and died a free man under that rule.
“It were a fearsome man, Giles Corey.”
Why it's great
The plain old wording gives the dead man weight without a single speech.
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Neutral
Use it yourself
It were a fearsome man, old Coach Reed.
“I would confess to them, Elizabeth.”
Why it's great
Would frames confession as a thought, not a decision, so his doubt shows through.
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Formal
Use it yourself
I would tell them the truth, but I need one night to think.
“I want you living, John. That's sure.”
Why it's great
She states one wish and seals it, giving no room for debate.
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Neutral
Use it yourself
I want you home, Mom. That's sure.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ The tale of Giles Corey
He would not answer aye or nay to his indictment; for if he denied the charge they'd hang him surely, and auction out his property. So he stand mute, and died Christian under the law. And so his sons will have his farm. It is the law, for he could not be condemned a wizard without he answer the indictment, aye or nay.
She lays out the law clause by clause, and the calm makes the death land harder.
Up next · 29have no tongue for itThe scene: Proctor Refuses to Name OthersTakeaways
What you walk away with- Giles dies on two words the law cannot break.
- Standing mute denies the court its verdict.
- Elizabeth hands the choice back to her husband.
- Aye or nay is the old way to answer a charge.
People also search
Questions, then the linesHow did Giles Corey die?
He was pressed to death under stones. Because he refused to answer aye or nay to his indictment, he could not be tried as a wizard, and his sons kept his farm.
Why does John consider confessing?
He is worn down by the trials and by Elizabeth's account of Giles's death. Confessing would save his life, though it would mean losing his good name.
Why won't Elizabeth tell John what to do?
She says she cannot judge him and will accept whatever he chooses, but she admits she wants him living. She leaves the decision to him rather than push him either way.
What does 'one foot in Heaven' mean?
It means someone is close to death. Elizabeth uses it for Rebecca Nurse, who is old and near dying, so nothing can hurt her anymore.