The Gateway of False Truths

547 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Summary of autobiography by john stuart mill

From a youthful age, people are taught to believe in a definitive dichotomy of right and wrong. Every subconscious thought is a consequence of this struggle to reach out for the truth. Among many hindrances of truth is hubris, which provides a gateway to a character’s inevitable downfall. This idea is embedded within the crux of Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, as Reverend Hale practices his craft of identifying witchcraft and unknowingly walks through the gateway of false truths. Through his struggles, Reverend Hale exhibits how real truth is not easily uncovered as he loses and redeems his conscience.
Reverend Hale strays away from his intuition as he is blinded by hubris. Hale is asked by Parris to help expel witchcraft currently in Salem. Hale is particularly appreciative of this invitation since he is known for his proficiency on the topic of witchcraft. However, this expertise turns his pure truths to false truths through his pride. In act I, Hale says with vanity, “...Have no fear now- we shall find him out if he has come among us, and I mean to crush him utterl...

Show More
Related

  • Pride in The Crucible by Arthur Miller

    804 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hale is an intellectual man who takes pride in his ability to detect witchcraft. He was called to Salem to analyze their situation. "This is a beloved errand for him; on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he felt the pride of one specialist whose unique knowledge has at least been publically called for."

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Proctor And Reverend Hale

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    His respect for authority disintegrates as he learns that everything in life that he once placed emphasis on, like the power of the written law and the authority of the court, is corrupt in the town of Salem. Hale comes to the end that the law is not absolute, one does not need to strictly adhere to the law, and that authority does not always preside over everything. He recognizes the evil in the town of Salem, yet in response, he does not choose defiance, but surrender. When he stops believing in witchcraft, he stops believing in everything that he once believed to be true. Not only does he no longer believe in the prevalence of law, he no longer believes in the ascendancy of religion over all aspects of life. As Reverend Hale loses his conviction for authority, he correspondingly loses his identity, yet, in our eyes of the reader, he gains respect and sympathy in its

    Read More

  • Profile of Reverand John Hale in Arthur Miller's The Crucible

    621 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mr. Hale as they refer to him in the play, started out as a student at Harvard College and graduated in 1657. Ten years later he was ordained as a minister of the Parish Church in Beverly, Mass on September 20th 1667. He was the first minister of this church from what I read. A few years past and Hale was called to the Village of Salem to rid its streets of witches and witchcraft. His degree and church background make Mr. Hale the best candidate to earn people’s trust, and use it to make the investigation advantage.

    Read More

  • Crucible Reverend Hale Quotes

    542 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of The Crucible, Reverend Parris of Salem, Massachusetts calls for Reverend John Hale. Reverend Parris believes Hale is an expert to everything related to witchcraft and is the best in the field. Reverend Hale has been summoned to determine if there is any evidence of witchcraft in Salem. When Hale arrives, carrying a number of heavy books, he is confident that he can use the books information to help discover if witchcraft is truly at work in Salem. Upon his arrival, the first thing he does is examine Betty Parris, the daughter of Reverend Parris, who supposedly has been stricken with witchcraft. This may be the only reason Hale visits Salem, but he stays to assist with the sudden accusations of witchcraft that arose up around the small village of Salem.

    Read More

  • How Is Hale Presented In The Crucible

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    Statements from Hale show that he has realized the error of his ways. He decides to “shut [his] conscience no more” (223) and quits the court. Hale can no longer suppress his beliefs about the court and in effect, like Pontius Palter, absolves himself from the court. Next, Hale’s Words are used to show the immense amount of guilt that rests on his shoulder. Hale walks the prisons of Salem and, in knowing that “there is blood on [his] head” (234), “counsels Christians they should belie themselves” (234) even though he is also belying his reputation as reverend by doing this.

    Read More

  • The Crucible: Hysteria And Injustice

    1618 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Crucible: Hysteria and Injustice Thesis Statement: The purpose is to educate and display to the reader the hysteria and injustice that can come from a group of people that thinks it's doing the "right" thing for society in relation to The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I. Introduction: The play is based on the real life witch hunts that occurred in the late 1600's in Salem, Massachusetts. It shows the people's fear of what they felt was the Devil's work and shows how a small group of powerful people wrongly accused and killed many people out of this fear and ignorance.

    Read More

  • How Does The Crucible Show The Nature Of Power And Authority

    2327 Words  | 5 Pages

    Explore Miller’s dramatic presentation and development of the theme of power and authority. Even though The Crucible is not historically correct, nor is it a perfect allegory for anti-Communism, or as a faithful account of the Salem trials, it still stands out as a powerful and timeless depiction of how intolerance, hysteria, power and authority is able to tear a community apart. The most important of these is the nature of power, authority and its costly, and overwhelming results. “But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or against it,” says Danforth conceitedly. With this antithesis, Miller sums up the attitude of the authorities towards the witch trials that if one goes against the judgement of the court

    Read More

  • Reverend Hale Changes In The Crucible

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    Because he is forced to accept that his beliefs have been messed with and realizes that he has sent people to their deaths, he loses faith in the law and questions his faith in God. Arthur Miller put many events into the story and tells about Hale’s mindset. In the middle of Act I, Hale comes and what he is called by the townspeople “The truth seeker”. Hale is called upon to determine what sort of witchcraft is going on. Hale arrives admired by the people who wants him to calm this nonsense of witchcraft down. He understands he being led toward the conclusion of witchcraft by the town’s wrong doings. He also begins to see a weakness in the position of the townspeople of Salem and tries to not let common things be the support for his

    Read More

  • The Crucible Rhetorical Analysis

    549 Words  | 2 Pages

    Reverend Hale has returned…” (Miller 231). This situational irony draws the reader’s attention to the unexpected situation. Parris and Hale, up to this point, were against each other because Parris felt challenged. Parris agreed with the accusers on finding anyone possibly related to witches.

    Read More

  • Hale In the Crucible Conforms Outwardly and Questions Inwardly

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hale does not start out as such however. In fact he is the reason the witch hunts are started. In the beginning of the play Hale is called to Salem to determine whether or not witchcraft is afoot. Witchcraft is expertise, and Hale, eager and naïve, wants to determine whether or not the devil is in Salem. His analysis is that Tituba is controlling the girls’ souls, leading the girls, starting with Abigail of course, to shout out various people they saw convening with the devil while they were under the control of Tituba. Hale, blindly and unquestioningly conforms to the rest of the town and believes the girls. In fact he leads the way, resulting in fourteen arrests. He is completely unphased by this, and wholly believes that they are all witches and that by arresting them he is doing God’s work.

    Read More

  • Justice

    811 Words  | 2 Pages

    In addition, Arthur Miller presents many examples of justice throughout his work, The Crucible. First, the Putnams display their greed for justice of their deceased children. Even then, their “justice” is full of vengeance. They crave im...

    Read More

  • A Test of Character in The Crucible by Arthur Miller

    1488 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • The Change in Character of Reverend Hale in The Crucible by Arthur Miller

    1027 Words  | 3 Pages

    Arthur Miller weaves many events into the story that contribute to the alteration in Hale’s mindset. In the middle of Act 1, Hale arrives and is perceived by the town as “The truth seeker”. Hale is called upon to determine what sort of witchcraft, if any, is occurring (Page 33-35). Hale arrives admired by the people, who all want him to claim it was witchcraft that has occurred. Although unsure, he understands he is being led toward the conclusion of witchcraft by the town’s false pretences and mass hysteria. He begins to see a weakness in the position of the townspeople of Salem and tries to not let common accusations be the support for his diagnosis.

    Read More

  • Free Essays on The Crucible: The Lessons Learned

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    Reverend Hale arrives in Salem thinking that he will become a hero and rid Salem of the devil. Hale is speaking to the townspeople when he says, "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!" Hale thinks that there is an actual devil in the town, and they must defeat it. He is trying to show the people of Salem that he is their savior, and that he knows exactly what to do.

    Read More

  • The Social Issues Happening In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

    1770 Words  | 4 Pages

    The reputation of a person is very important to their standing in the community, and especially in a religious community. In the play the Crucible, Arthur Miller shows the importance of social standing by religious beliefs and contemporary social dynamics. Therefore, the play was based off of a historical context, witchcraft, some characters represent as a scapegoat while others act as an antithesis of being a witch to meet the society’s standards.

    Read More

More about The Gateway of False Truths

Open Document