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Examples Of Confidence In The Crucible

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The 2016 election had a running theme: overconfidence. During the primaries, most people were sure Jeb Bush would win and become the Republican nominee. Once Donald Trump won the primaries instead, people were confident that he would lose handily to Hillary Clinton. During all of this, Trump was confident he could run the most powerful country in the world. Overconfidence oftentimes leads to unexpected and unwanted outcomes, as Arthur Miller shows in The Crucible. In the book, Reverend Hale starts as an outsider, eager to ply his trade and rid Salem of any witches that might be there. As the town descends into paranoia, he realizes his mistakes and tries to redeem himself, only to find that it is too late. This character arc clearly expresses the theme that the spread of overconfidence is the most dangerous thing that can happen in a community. Miller introduces Hale directly as an …show more content…

(44) Parris is the first of many in Salem to “catch” Hale’s overconfidence. Because of Hale’s influence, Parris begins to become the most fervent witch hunter in Salem. Act 1 serves as a very effective introduction of Hale and the themes related to him, as it shows how quickly confidence can spread and threaten a community. In Act 2, Hale is trying to justify his own confidence after having it shaken by guilt. He enters the scene with “a quality of deference, even of guilt, about his manner,” (62). He feels remorse, as his actions have condemned many people to hang by this point. He is still not, however, entirely convinced he has done wrong. He comes to the Proctors’ house to test their character and reassure himself should they be accused: HALE: I am a stranger here, as you know. And in my ignorance I find it hard to draw a Clear opinion of them that come accused before the court. And so this afternoon, and now tonight, I go from house to house--I come now from Rebecca Nurse’s house

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