Compare And Contrast Reverend Hale In The Crucible

Society and religion often define morals, but as they evolve, one might gain a new worldview, which in turn changes their actions. Playwright Arthur Miller includes a character that undergoes such a transition in his work “The Crucible”, an allegory to McCarthyism. Reverend Hale, a Puritan minister living through the Salem Witch Trials, is challenged by the developing events in the town. Throughout the four acts, he must evaluate his actions and motivation, to determine if he is acting morally. Reverend Hale’s change from a man with absolute confidence in the theocracy to a man who believes life is more important than God’s will reveals that he is motivated by his morality.

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is an allegory written about the Salem witch trials in 1692. It includes a number of characters who fully conform to the trials and their consequences, it also contains the opposite, those who do not conform and fight it. Of course, as in any story there are characters in the middle that are not sure which side to take. They go along with it, not willing to stand up, but in their minds they are not completely sure whether or not what they’re doing is right. Reverend Hale is the best example of outward conformity and inward questioning.

In The Crucible, there are many complex characters who shift throughout the play. Reverend Hale was one of the most complex of these characters. Hale’s changes were a direct result of the trials. Because of this Hale’s changes can be traced through his actions and motivations. Throughout the play, Reverend Hale was changed by his faith, his knowledge of the truth, and by his guilt.

When Hale is introduced in the story, he is depicted as a man who is confident in his knowledge of theology and witchcraft. As the story goes on, Hale loses his confidence, and also loses faith in the court due to how unfair the trials are. He is also bearing the guilt of knowing he is at least partially responsible for the trials. In Act 4, Hale returns to Salem to try and get the people in the jails to confess. In the text, Hale says, “There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!!” At this point in the story, Hale is overcome with that guilt and is telling Danforth that if all the incarcerated people that didn’t confess to witchcraft would be hanged, then it would be his fault. He is desperate to get them to lie about being involved in witchcraft so that he won’t have to live with the guilt of their deaths. In this way, Hale is trying to get rid of his guilt by having others admit to a

American playwright, Arthur Miller, in his play The Crucible, implies that witch hunts still exist in American society. Miller supports this claim by drawing parallels between the Salem Witch Trials and the Senator Joseph Mccarthy Trials. His purpose is to warn his readers of the dangers of mass hysteria. He uses emotional appeals and logic to convince the reader that mass “hunts” are still a danger to Americans today. The central way, however, that Miller achieves his topmost goal of displaying the hazards of Individuality vs. Ideology is through the expressive characterization of Reverend John Hale. John hale is an example of outward conformity because he believes in the devil in the beginning, he sees that the girls are

In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, Arthur intrigues audience time and time again with the historical context, social implications, and the Salem, Massachusetts Witchcraft Trials of 1962. Most members in Salem feel the need to prove their authority in ways such as accusing those who have done nothing or hanging them without proving their innocence first. The thing is authority is not made up by an authority figure, but by society. Miller’s The Crucible, demonstrates how people misuse their authority for cruel purposes through a fascinating plot, well-crafted characters, and well-set theme. During the hysteria of witchcraft trials in Salem, there were multiple figures of authority or per say the community who abused their power, Reverend Hale, Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris and Judge Danforth.

John Hale is the minister of Beverly, which has been summoned to Salem to discover and

Hale is to blame at the end of Act 1 for starting the hysteria because he began looking for witches. In this example, reverend Hale is looking for characteristics in Betty of witchcraft, “...If the devil is in her, you will witness some frightful wonders… Stand close in case she flies.” This is an example of why Hale is to blame because he is stirring the fear into the town by looking for these specific traits of witches. In this quote, Hale is beginning to blame Tituba for casting her spirit upon Betty, “ You have sent your spirit upon this child, have you not? Are you gathering souls for the devil?” This example shows how Reverend Hale is to blame for hysteria because he was blaming Tituba in front of multiple towns people, arising fear into

Mister, I have myself examined Tituba, Sarah Good, and numerous others that have confessed to dealing with the devil, they have confessed it”. Though Reverend Hale seems very sure of himself, he seems to doubt that the people who have been accused, such as Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey, are truly guilty, as shown by the stage directions which say he is deeply troubled by the people being accused, though he remains sure that ‘the devil is alive in

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a literature work with a very suspenseful tone that has multiple dynamic characters throughout. Both the play and the movie support this statement. Arthur Miller creates characters that change dramatically throughout the play, John Hale being the most dynamic. Reverend Hale not only changes his opinions but also his attitude towards the people of Salem by the end of the plot.

Guilt and justice are two crucial factors in someone's character. Reverend Hale portrays these two qualities throughout the progress of this book. In the play, “The Crucible”, Reverend Hale`s guilt and change of character helps portray the theme of trusting no one.

After reading Acts 3 and 4 of the Crucible, I have concluded that the character I liked the most in the play was Reverend Hale. Introduced in Act 1, Hale went to Salem to diagnose any witchcraft and restore the town to health. His good intentions and desire to help others makes him very vulnerable and he often gets manipulated. Abigail uses this flaw of Hale to her advantage; using him to convict people of witchcraft without the evidence to prove it. It is in Acts 3 and 4 which we see Hales true character when his attempts to correct his inaccuracy mean standing up for what is right. For example Reverend Hale in the following quote realized his wrongdoings, “Excellency, I have signed seventy-two death warrants; I am a minister of the Lord,

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible emphasizes different human flaws and their dangerous impact on Salem in 1692. By analyzing the effects of arrogance, blind faith, and guilt, Miller creates the dynamic character Reverend Hale. As Hale struggles with overcoming his own flaws, he transforms from a zealous man focused on gaining respect into the voice of reason amidst the chaos and corruption of the court. Throughout his character development, Hale challenges the authority figures of Salem as he becomes more skeptical, fights against his own Puritan ideals and accepts his role as a tragic figure.

The tragic events of the Salem witch trials tested the morality of several individuals, who abided to a government based on religious intolerance and limitation. Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” highlights the detrimental effects of the religious court, and the impact Puritan societal norms had on its citizens. Reverend Hale, a protagonist in the play serves as a balance between morality versus and the religious conformity that took place within society. His transformation throughout the play demonstrates his true intention in doing what is right and abiding by the correct ideals, instead of following the damaging priorities enrooted in the theocratic system. Throughout “The Crucible,” Reverend Hale transfers from adhering to a theocracy to prioritizing the true value of life, revealing his maintenance of a strong moral code.

During the course of history, people have made certain decisions that have had positive effects, but at what cost? In Arthur Miller’s novel, The Crucible, many characters were shown to have experienced such an event. People such as John Proctor, a local and farmer with many hidden secrets, made a commitment to retain his morals for the greater good. Other personas such as Reverend Hale who changed his way of thinking to better the entire community. However, The Crucible isn't the only example of this occurrence. One important figure from history, Rosa Parks, made a commitment during the 2000s that would change the course of racial segregation forever. When ordinary people are faced with challenges, they make certain sacrifices for the greater good in order to better themselves or the community at large.