The Crucible

[bec]

What do you make of this quote?
PROCTOR [laughs insanely, then]: A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boots of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud - God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!

What do you think Proctor means when he says that he has "quailed to bring men out of ignorance"? When did he do that?

[lishan515]

I haven't done Crucible since last year - so this won't be that fresh

I think Proctor attempted to "bring men out of ignorance" when he tried to get his servant to speak out and tell the truth and when he ultimately makes his stand: you can have my name but you can't have my soul (or whatever)
He is guided by truth (connected to Chirstian virtue - in such a religious setting)
He has committed adultery hence broken the 10 commandments => and thus condemned to hell

I am not sure if that is even relevant - but the best my mind can strain to last year!

[Faraz]

When the man died

[transgression]

I haven't done Crucible since last year - so this won't be that fresh

I think Proctor attempted to "bring men out of ignorance" when he tried to get his servant to speak out and tell the truth and when he ultimately makes his stand: you can have my name but you can't have my soul (or whatever)
He is guided by truth (connected to Chirstian virtue - in such a religious setting)
He has committed adultery hence broken the 10 commandments => and thus condemned to hell

I am not sure if that is even relevant - but the best my mind can strain to last year!

that, and...

As a way condemning the fact that Danford and the rest of Salem are so easily swayed by Abigail and the other girls. To show that their ignorance restricts them from stopping to look at the issue with more than one eye opened – and for judging him for the things he might not have done/have done. Hence, the last sentence about everyone burning in hell.

[bec]

But..."quail" means 'shy away from'...so the quote is saying that Proctor shrunk back from bringing men out of ignorance - and the question I was asking was, when did he do that?

I completely agree with what you've both said, but I don't think it explains this quote.

[champorado]

When he tried to hide his lechery? Maybe if he was quicker to respond to the conflict caused by Abigail, it wouldn't have escalated to the point where people had to die.