“Thomas Putnam is reaching out for land!”
Por qué es buena
It turns a witchcraft trial into a fight over land in one accusatory image.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
He is reaching out for the whole budget, not just his share.
00:00 / 03:31
00:00 / 03:31
Giles Corey Storms the Court, Explained
The Crucible · 2014
Capítulo 17 de 29 · 3'31"
Giles Corey bursts into the courtroom to save his wife Martha, insisting the real motive is greed: "Thomas Putnam is reaching out for land!" He has evidence, he says, but the judges will not let him present it, and Francis Nurse's charge that "the girls are frauds" lands as contempt. The court answers with procedure and authority.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:15–2:43
❝ Monólogo · 4 frases Giles Corey Defends His Wife
88s - 2:49–3:28
Francis Nurse Calls the Girls Frauds
39s
Giles Corey Storms the Court, explained
What happens
In the Salem courtroom, Giles Corey interrupts Martha Corey's trial to argue she is innocent and that Thomas Putnam is after land. He says he has hard evidence, but the judges refuse to hear it. Francis Nurse joins him, calling the accusing girls frauds. Hathorne and Danforth treat the interruption as contempt and threaten to arrest the men.
What's really going on
The court has a rule, and the rule is the point. Giles Corey has real evidence — he has broken with his own wife to bring it — but evidence is not what the court wants; order is. So when he says "Thomas Putnam is reaching out for land," naming the profit behind the accusations, the judges respond by telling him he cannot enter and by noting that his age alone keeps him from worse. Francis Nurse's plain charge, "The girls, sir, the girls are frauds," is truer and more dangerous than any testimony, because it attacks the witnesses the whole court rests on. Hathorne calls it contempt and wants the men arrested; Danforth asks, "Do you know who I am, Mr. Nurse?", a question that is not about identity but about power. The scene shows a court that has stopped hearing evidence and only hears challenges to itself.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Thomas Putnam is reaching out for land!”
- Giles's accusation that the witchcraft charges are a cover for land grabs: Putnam wants the property of the accused.
- “I have broke charity with the woman,”
- Giles says he has cut off all goodwill toward his own wife, a painful admission he offers to show he is not simply defending her blindly.
- “This is contempt, sir, - contempt! - Peace, Judge Hathorne.”
- Hathorne calls the interruption contempt while Danforth tells him to keep calm, showing how the court hears a challenge to itself.
- “Do you know who I am, Mr. Nurse?”
- Danforth's question is a warning about power, not identity: he reminds Francis who holds the court's authority.
Theme
- Justice — The court refuses to hear evidence that would expose greed behind the accusations, treating the men's plea as an attack on itself.
- Power — Hathorne and Danforth answer the truth with contempt charges, and Danforth's 'Do you know who I am?' asserts authority over evidence.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel0/8
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“I have broke charity with the woman,”
Por qué es buena
Breaking charity with someone frames a private grudge as a public confession.
Registro
literary
Úsala tú
After the lawsuit he broke charity with his own cousins.
“This is contempt, sir, - contempt! - Peace, Judge Hathorne.”
Por qué es buena
Repeating contempt twice makes the charge itself sound like the punishment.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
This is contempt for the process, not honest disagreement.
“Do you know who I am, Mr. Nurse?”
Por qué es buena
It is not a question but a display of authority through identity.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
Do you know who I am? I run this department.
Monólogo
Un personaje sostiene la escena: practícalo entero❝ Corey on His Wife
I never had no wife that be so taken with and I thought to find the cause of it, d’y’see, but it were no witch I blamed her for. I have broke charity with the woman, I have broke charity with her.
He slides from explaining his wife to admitting he cut off all goodwill with her.
Siguiente · 18have no love forLa escena: Proctor Refuses to Drop the ChargeIdeas clave
Lo que te llevas- Reaching out for land turns greed into a legal charge.
- Contempt is a verdict, not just an insult.
- Breaking charity with someone means ending all goodwill.
- Hard evidence is proof strong enough to decide a case.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy does Giles Corey interrupt the trial?
To defend his wife Martha and to expose the real motive: he says Thomas Putnam is reaching out for land and demands the court hear his evidence.
Why does the court call the men contemptuous?
Because they interrupt and accuse the girls of being frauds. Hathorne and Danforth treat any challenge to the witnesses as contempt of the court.
What does 'broke charity with' mean?
It means to cut off all goodwill or affection for someone. Giles says he has broke charity with his wife to show he is not blindly defending her.
Why does Danforth ask Francis if he knows who he is?
It is a warning about authority, not a real question. He wants Francis to remember who controls the court and what happens to those who question it.
What does Francis Nurse say about the girls?
He says plainly, 'The girls, sir, the girls are frauds,' and that 'they are all deceiving you,' which is the claim the court most wants to silence.