Durin2g the Salem witch trials, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 people were executed. It's hard to think that Reverend Hale signed their death warrants. Hale is one of the many dynamic characters in the play. Throughout the play, Hale's values changed and he realized the malpractice of the court throughout the play.
Hales sole purpose was to end the witchcraft that was taking place in Salem. His values towards witchcraft ware plain and simple. Find the witches and punish them to the fullest extent of the law. "We shall need hard study if it comes to tracking down the Old Boy" ( Miller - 1037). Hale knows that it's not going to be easy when it comes to tracking down Satan. But that doesn't stop him. He is
Throughout The Crucible, Miller is concerned with conscience and guilt. Through the character Abigail Williams, he shows how people are willing to abandon their firmly-established values in order to conform with the majority and protect themselves. Those who refuse to part with their conscience, such as the character of John Proctor, are chastised for it. For this reason, the Salem witch trials raise a question of the administration of justice. During this time in the late 1600’s, people were peroccupied by a fear of the devil, due to their severe Puritan belief system. Nineteen innocent people are hanged on the signature of Deputy Governor Danforth, who has the authority to try, convict, and execute anyone he deems appropriate. However, we as readers sense little to no real malice in Danworth. Rather, ignorance and fear plague him. The mass
The Salem witch trials of 1692 was an event that shaped the history of this country, as well as the lives of those whose wives and husbands were condemned to death. In order for such an event to occur, there must be a set of people who catalyze the event, and others who speak out against it. In “The Crucible”, certain characters help contribute to the rising hysteria of witchcraft, and others contribute to the disapproval of so many wrongful convictions. Reverend Hale is a character who actually contributes to both sides. Reverend Hale is seen as a catalyst in the beginning of the play because he protects the authority of the court, along with its laws, he later realizes how false the accusations of the accused are; thus, making a dramatic change in his dependency of the law, as well as his belief in witchcraft.
Now I will look later into the story and look into how Hale is slowly changing. Towards the end of the first act we finally get to see (or read) John Hale. Because of this there is some direct and indirect characterization by the author. We also get a look at Mr. Hales motives because of this. “Coming into Salem now, Reverend Hale conceives of himself much as a young doctor o...
When we first meet Hale he has just come from another town he has purged of witchcraft. He says, “No, no. Now let me instruct you. We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stone, and I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of hell upon her.” (Miller 478.) Hale is very believing in his work and believes he truly knows how to rid a town of witches. Later on in the story, after seeing the results of the trials and how many people were dying, Hale’s idea’s started to change. “ I have this morning signed away the soul of Rebecca Nurse, Your Honor. I will not conceal it; my hand shakes yet as with a wound! I pray you, sir, this argument let lawyers present to you.” (Miller 514.) Towards the end, Hale realizes how many people are dying and maybe people are not confessing to witchcraft because there never was any. At the end of the play, Hale realizes that the trials were sending innocent people to their graves and that his mission was not as godly as it
His arrogance is what caused him to consider the evidence given to him at face value. Hale was so set on discovering the witchcraft occurring in the community, and he did not have time to carefully go over the evidence of “witchcraft” that the townspeople gave him. Hale’s arrogance comes into play because he truly believed that he knew everything there was to know about witchcraft. Therefore, he never second guessed himself or tried to dig deeper into the case. This is the reason why innocent people were condemned to death. Hale’s arrogance and “intellectual” attitude caused him to believe that he did not need to look deeper into any of the accusations made. If he had simply put more time into his investigation rather than his reputation, he would have been able to see that the evidence did not line
For Reverend Hale the witch hunt in Salem is the scene of a moral journey as he eventually makes a complete turn around in thoughts and beliefs as he is forced to see certain realities. At the start of Reverend Hale’s metamorphosis he is so sure of himself and of his belief, in witches, that he even inadvertently eases their lying. At this point when he meets Parris and the girls who have been ‘‘ bewitched’’ he encourages them to talk about their being bewitched, and puts some words into their mouths, but he only does this because he really believes in witches, and believes the girls’ stories. This back fires however, and helps the girls with their lies. Soon after the trials begin Hale begins to have doubts in the...
“These are all landholding farmers, members of the church. If you’ll notice, sir—they’ve known the women many years and never saw no sign they had dealings with the Devil.” Proctor conveyed to Danforth while handing him some sort of testament. There were ninety one signatures declaring good opinions of Rebecca, Elizabeth Proctor, and Martha Corey. However, Parris still claims Proctor is trying to overthrow the church even though he has a bunch of people from town signing that the people arrested are good people. The witch trials led to excessive amount of trials, while other issues in the town were completely avoided. Abigail's fascination to be with John Proctor led to appalling accusations. The witch trials in the drama had a negative impact
Reverend John Hale, from the play “The Crucible”, by Arthur Miller, evolves throughout the story as he faces tests of responsibility and righteousness. When he first comes to the town of Salem, Reverend Hale believes himself to be of the strongest importance because of his education and standing within the Puritan community. In an introductory description at the beginning of the play, it is said that “He feels himself allied with the best minds in Europe... His goal is light, goodness and its preservation, and he knows the exaltation of the blessed whose intelligence, sharpened by minute examinations of enormous tracts, is finally called upon to face what may be a bloody fight with the Fiend himself” (36). This is a good representation of his beliefs that he was superior and his purpose was to fight the Devil at all costs. He also shows no doubt in his skills, or his ability to accurately incriminate witches. A little bit later, Reverend Hale tells Tituba, “You are God’s instrument put in our hands to discover the Devil’s agents among us. You are selected, Tituba, you are chosen to help us
This story is a powerful example of people being incriminated or punished because of fear and bias. Most cases are one person’s word against another, lacking evidence, facts, and witnesses. Many people in this time period were hung for a crime that is very uncommon today. There never really was any proof that witchcraft was a fact. Every case of witchcraft that was taken to court was primarily one person's word against another. The people of Salem in the novel The Crucible by Arthur Miller were enveloped in mass hysteria leading to several deaths that were. caused by the rumors of Satan and witchcraft. Many people of Salem were hung because of peer pressure, fear of accusations, and fear of the unknown.
Nationwide, students in history classes study and learn about the infamous incident known as the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Through textbooks and research, students learn about this event from a factual and objective point of view. Students learn such facts like 19 men and women were hanged because they were convicted of witchcraft. Students learn the essential information as deemed important by their teacher; yet, students do not have the opportunity to learn about the trials from a subjective and personal point of view. Arthur Miller uses such a view point in his play The Crucible, which personifies the sentiments, attitudes, and standpoints of the people in Salem who were directly involved in the trials. Through Miller's poignant perspective, he shows the readers another side of the witch trials through the eyes of the actual participants. One such participant in the play who provides the readers with this valuable perspective is Reverend John Hale, a minister from Beverly who is called to Salem to investigate Salem's eccentric problem. Nonetheless, Reverend John Hale's perspective does not stay constant throughout the entire play. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, the beliefs and principles of Reverend John Hale change dramatically, as the events of the Salem Witch Trials cause him to question his moral values and initial intentions.
After all of the witch trials in 1692 concluded a total of 20 people were hanged all because of people craving attention and personal gain. There are three people depicted in Arthur Miller's The Crucible that are most responsible for this and they are, Abigail Williams, Judge Danforth, and Thomas Putnam. Abigail Williams is mostly responsible for the Salem witch trials because she was the first person to start accusing innocent people of witchcraft. Judge Danforth is responsible because he is not concerned about justice, all he cares about is being correct about the witch trials. Lastly Thomas Putnam is guilty of causing the witch trials because he was able to have people accuse other people so he could claim their land for himself. The witch trials were a senseless massacre and all because Abigail Williams, Judge Danforth, and Thomas Putnam were only concerned about them selves, not the innocent ones around them.
The test that Reverend John Hale faces is whether he can change his character early enough to redeem himself for the lives he has caused to be lost. He is the character that shows the most significant transformation overall. When he first comes to Salem, he is eager to find witchcraft and is honored that his scholastic skills are necessary. He feels that as an exorcist, it is his duty to help pe...
Hale is simply a hard working reverend who takes his job very seriously. He is very stern and is set in his ways. He is set in his ways in which he is only in Salem to do his job and not to take it personally. In his line of work he may have to convict people who eventually get hanged for witchcraft. When Hale first arrived in Salem he said "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!" (Miller 185). This quote shows how he is very intent on finding any signs of the devil and will show no mercy.
Hale changes from being in favor of the witch trials to opposing it because of the obviously innocent people that are sentenced to death. The Reverend is able to see his sins and the evils around him, and he reveal his strength and will in standing up for what he knows is right. He shows the reader that it is not one's reputation or fulfilling a job that is justifiable to God, but one's ability to protect His will of righteousness.
Reverend Hale explains, “Excellency, I have signed seventy two death warrants; …I dare not take a life without there be proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it” (Act III, 45). He believes that these people are innocent but the evidence that was displayed to the court was much more powerful than his opinion. Hale signed these death warrants because he was well respected in Salem and other towns as well and worried if he put his