Wayne Dyer, an American philosopher, author, and motivational speaker once stated “when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Reverend John Hale changes his viewpoints throughout The Crucible multiple times based on the current events around him. Arthur Miller, the author of The Crucible, uses this book to focus on the historical events occurring in Salem during the Salem witch trials, which occurred from February 1692 to May 1693. Miller utilizes ethos, logos, and pathos through his writing of The Crucible to convey the changing viewpoints and emotions of the morally ambiguous character, Reverend John Hale. First, Hale’s emotions have shifted throughout The Crucible. Reverend Hale has exhibited various emotions throughout the book due to his changing views of religion and …show more content…
Towards the beginning of the book Reverend is focused on figuring out who is a witch and convict them of witchery, which is shown through logos. He says that powers of the dark “are gathered in monstrous attack upon this village. There is too much evidence to deny it.” (64). Miller uses this quote to show how Hale is willing to convict any person that appears to be apart of the devil, which adds details about Hale’s character. Hale is enthusiastic and determined as well as exceptionally respected in the town of Salem. As the book progresses, Reverend Hale’s viewpoints shift towards wanting and needing more time to convict witchcraft. Hale believes “you must hear the girl, sir,” (88). Hale manipulates pathos to convince Danforth to give Mary Warren a chance to explain her experience with spirits. In addition, Hale explains he must have more time to convict hangings (129). This is quite a big shift from the beginning of the book, but Miller employs pathos to explain the passion and desire Hale has to figure out who should be convicted of
Reverend hale corrupts his power unknowingly, as he believes that Abigail and the girls are telling the truth, his image as a well educated Godly man makes him the perfect model for the towns people to mold their opinion of the witch trials from.
All of a sudden there was a witch outbreak in Salem Massachusetts. The following day the girls were found in bed inert. The doctor attempted to figure out the sickness the girls could have. However, he could not give the sickness any name. Then Reverend Hale was called in to help the town cure its unnatural problem. Throughout the play Reverend Hale contributed to both sides of the arguments. At the beginning he believed the court was doing God’s job. Towards the end his character changes and is less in favor of the court and more in favor for the people being wrongly accused. Reverend Hale’s is seen to be independent, confident and outspoken. These traits end up changing towards the end of the play. Reverend Hale is a dynamic character
In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, Reverend Hale’s attitude and beliefs are changed completely as the play progresses. After Reverend Parris is a witness to girls dancing in the woods and also when his daughter becomes very ill, he calls Rev. Hale to Salem. Hale’s job is to find any form of witchcraft and to get rid of it. Over the course of the play, Rev. Hale experiences a transformation in his beliefs from the beginning of the play to the end. Reverend Hale has three different emotions throughout the play. When Hale is introduced in the the beginning of the play, he is passionate and very confident about finding witchcraft and getting rid of it. In the middle of the play, Hale is frustrated and he does not know who to trust nor
Change is inevitable. Many humans fight it while others greet it with open arms and smiling faces. Most people change because of things that happen around, or to them. Negative or positive, the actions can dictate whether the individual changes for the worse or for the better. Reverend Hale in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is the perfect example of this. He changes drastically, yet gradually, throughout the entire play. Hale progresses from conceited due to his abilities, to hesitant because of the great negative impact the witch trials are beginning to hold, and finally, he becomes regretful because of his ignorance and the actions it caused.
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.
Reverend Hale has extreme devotion to faith. Found on pages 60-71 he was questioning the Proctors why they weren't attending church. Also, when he helps Tituba away from the “devil” once she confesses to witchcraft. This is found on page 848.
In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible the witch trials in Salem were a devastating time. The entire community was in disorder and chaos because of personal vengeance. This included accusations of innocent town’s people being called witches, so they hanged and were jailed. Throughout the play certain characters help the rise of witchcraft as well as the disapproval of all the innocent people who were being convicted for no reason. Reverend Hale is a dynamic character whom comes to rid of the evil spirits in Salem, yet he later tries to end the trials. Hale realizes the accusations are false, attempts to postpone the hangings, and persuade the victims to lie conveys that he is a dynamic character and changes throughout the play.
Reverend Hale is another character that changes during the course of "The Crucible." Upon his entrance in the midst of Act I, he is depicted as a strong, knowledgeable intellect. His intelligence seems to leave no room for compassion. This is evident by his interrogations which took place during Act III, the Trial, as well as the biographical information provided in Act I of "The Crucible." However, his emotions do come out in Act IV. He appears sympathetic and kindhearted while begging the women in prison to confess to save their lives.
Hale feels tested in his faith in God, and faith in his own abilities. He came to Salem to help the people, and feels he failed everyone; including himself. He blames himself for killing innocent people. He ultimately couldn’t handle this feeling. He starts to crack.
He uses his past condemnations as an excuse for him to act so powerful. However, his personality changes towards the end of the story, and Hale begins to care more for the lives of others, feeling the guilt of sentencing so many people to the rope. “Excellency, it is a natural lie to tell; I beg you, stop now before another is condemned! I may shut my conscience to it no more – private vengeance is working through this testimony! From the beginning this man has struck me true.
Furthermore, Reverend Hale was pushed to change also. Hale came into Salem a stranger, but knew how to fix the problem the town endured. He never questioned that God had a plan and always thought that something was either good or bad, with no gray area in between. This thinking is challenged when Elizabeth, a pure person, is accused and then later when John confesses. He knows that these people are honest and leaves the court for a period of time. In the end, Hale is a desperate man, and even though knowing there is no witchcraft present, he urges John to admit that he is not the one that should be punished. He has to question all the rules he has lived by his whole life and pursue something he knows is incorrect. In essence, Reverend Hale is pushed to his limits and is turned into a man that will be permanently in suspicion of any standards he ever thought were true.
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
One of authority figure in The Crucible, was Reverend Hale. Hale went to Salem in response in need of a “spiritual doctor” to evaluate the town. The reason he was summoned was to diagnose if there was witchcraft was present, then come up with a cure by removing the “infected people”, and the people of Salem will not be satisfied until he does. In result to all the commotion of unnatural events taking in place in Salem such as: Tituba’s ability to conjure spirits from beyond the grave, dancing in the woods, the death of the seven children who belonged to Thomas and Ann Putman, Betty’s illness, the strange book that were in possession of Martha Corey, and so on. Hale starts to become
Upon being first introduced, Reverend Hale is described as a confident, ambitious man driven by motivation to impress others with his thorough knowledge of witchcraft. He considers himself to be an expert; a veritable beacon of intellectual light who will be able to cure Salem of its supernatural affliction. By the end of The Crucible, Hale has undergone a complete character transformation, making him one of the more dynamic characters in the play. His perception of the trials are shrouded in guilt and self-doubt as he struggles with feeling responsible for those who are condemned to hang and wanting to preserve his Puritan values.
In Act 1, Hale’s devotion to carrying out God’s law reveals his sense of obligation in eradicating the diabolic disturbances in Salem, despite the negative impact it may have on its citizens. Prior to entering the town, the Reverend’s motives lie in defeating the Devil, believing that this valiance will bring preservation to the Puritans. Although “his goal is light,” he believes the people of Salem have been “called upon to face what may be a bloody fight with the Fiend himself” (36). Despite wanting to face off with the devil, Hale stands strong in his belief that this will restore peace and prove to be beneficial. Consequences aside, his heavy