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Hale: Here is all the invisible world, caught, defined, and calculated. In these books the Devil stands stripped of all his brute disguises. Here are all your familiar spirits - your incubi and succubi; your witches that go by land, by air, and by sea; your wizards of the night and of the day. Have no fear now - we shall find him out if he has come among us, and I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face! Rebecca: Will it hurt the child, sir? Hale: I cannot tell. If she is truly in the Devil's grip we may have to rip and tear to get her free.

Arthur Miller#79

FearViolenceReligionSuperstition

About this quote

What does it mean?
Relying on superstition to solve problems can lead to harm against innocent people.
In plain terms
Books about the devil and wizards promise answers but may hurt the innocent.
What can you take from it?
Superstition justifies violence against the innocent.

Where it applies

  • investigating the unexplained
  • medical vs religious debate
  • panic

Putting it to work

  • questioning superstitious claims
  • protecting vulnerable people

Questions to consider

  • When did fear override common sense?
  • Who benefits from superstition?

Another view

The excerpt mixes fictional dialogue with specific historical context not fully explained.

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