“Is there any truth in this?”
Why it's great
It does not argue the claim, it simply asks whether any thread of it is true.
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Formal
Use it yourself
Is there any truth in this rumor about the layoffs?
00:00 / 04:18
00:00 / 04:18
Proctor Accuses Abigail in Court, Explained
The Crucible · 2014
Chapter 20 of 29 · 4'18"
The girls' testimony is unraveling, and Proctor turns on Abigail: "What profit this girl to turn herself about?" He charges her with meaning to murder Elizabeth, then drops the bomb that the girls danced naked in the woods. Parris admits only that they danced.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:12–0:33
❝ Monologue · 4 lines Danforth on Law and Bible
He stacks law, Bible and death penalty into one solemn warning.
21s - 1:13–2:20
Danforth Questions Abigail
67s - 2:38–4:06
Proctor Accuses Abigail of Murder
89s
Proctor Accuses Abigail in Court, explained
What happens
In the Salem courtroom, Danforth reads Mary Warren's deposition denying the girls' claims. He asks Abigail, "Is there any truth in this?" and she denies it. Proctor accuses her of wanting to murder his wife, then reveals that Abigail led the girls dancing naked in the woods. Parris admits they danced but denies they were naked.
What's really going on
The courtroom is supposed to be deciding witchcraft, but the real contest is credibility. Mary's deposition contradicts the girls, so Danforth presses them: "Is there any truth in this?" Proctor's strategy is to make Abigail's motive the issue — "What profit this girl to turn herself about?" — meaning she gains nothing by a lie, so the accusation must be revenge. He escalates from witchcraft to attempted murder: "This child would murder your wife?" Proctor is not just defending Elizabeth; he is dismantling Abigail's authority as a witness. Parris, meanwhile, hedges — he admits the dancing but denies the nakedness — showing how carefully the powerful protect themselves. The depositions and poppets matter less than who the court chooses to believe.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Is there any truth in this?”
- Danforth's question to Abigail after reading Mary's deposition: he asks her directly whether the girls' accusations are true.
- “What profit this girl to turn herself about?”
- Proctor's defense of Mary: she gains nothing by reversing her story, so her new testimony must be honest.
- “This child would murder your wife?”
- Danforth's incredulous question, and Proctor's opening to argue Abigail wanted Elizabeth dead.
- “But a poppet will keep fifteen years, will it not?”
- Proctor's sarcastic rebuttal: if a poppet can sit for fifteen years, its age proves nothing about Elizabeth's guilt.
Theme
- Justice — The court weighs testimony about poppets and dancing while the real question — Abigail's motive to murder Elizabeth — almost goes unheard.
- Lies — Mary's deposition contradicts the girls, and the scene turns on who is lying and whose word the court trusts.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level1/8
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
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“What profit this girl to turn herself about?”
Why it's great
Asking what profit she gains turns her testimony into a motive to doubt.
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literary
Use it yourself
What profit this witness to turn herself about now?
“This child would murder your wife?”
Why it's great
The question makes the murder charge sound both absurd and deadly at once.
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Formal
Use it yourself
This child would murder your wife? That is the whole charge?
“But a poppet will keep fifteen years, will it not?”
Why it's great
The tag question quietly mocks the idea that a doll proves anything after fifteen years.
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Neutral
Use it yourself
But an old receipt will keep fifteen years, will it not?
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ Danforth on Law and Bible
She claims as well that none of you have Now, children, this is a court of law. The law, based upon the Bible, and the Bible, writ by Almighty God, forbid the and describe death as the penalty thereof. Likewise, children, the law and Bible damn all
He stacks law, Bible and death penalty into one solemn warning.
Up next · 21search your heartThe scene: Proctor Confesses Adultery in CourtTakeaways
What you walk away with- If something does not escape you, you have noticed it.
- To have no bearing on something is to be irrelevant to it.
- The contemplation of murder is a charge about intent.
- A question tag can carry more sarcasm than an insult.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Danforth read Mary Warren's deposition aloud?
The court uses it to test the girls' testimony. Mary swears she never saw any witchcraft, so the judges ask whether her account is true.
What does Proctor accuse Abigail of?
He accuses her of intending to murder Elizabeth, calling it 'contemplation of murder' rather than witchcraft, and claims she led the girls dancing in the woods.
Why does Parris deny the girls were naked?
He admits they danced but denies he ever saw them naked, protecting both his household and his name from the scandal.
What does 'This child would murder your wife?' mean?
It is Danforth repeating Proctor's shocking charge in disbelief: that Abigail, still spoken of as a child, wanted Elizabeth Proctor dead.