Hale's 'Act II Of The Crucible'

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.

Elizabeth sits by the window. Her chair is turned away from the rising sun. She sits still.

One of the worst sayings in the entire English language is “opposites attract”. It is a cheap and “easy-way-out” excuse that uses the science of magnetism and energy to explain human emotions like love, and frankly, it is false. In romance, it is nearly impossible to be attracted to someone in a way that is not surface beauty if two people are just too different. Things like political views, food preferences, even sleeping patterns can be detrimental if they are too different. In saying that, it is easy to deduce that most people are not fond of the person they consider their “opposite”, and the same goes for characters in film or literature. For instance, in The Crucible by Arthur Miller, there are many examples of pairs that may seem like

Samuel Parris and John Hale are the two ministers in The Crucible and were initially alike in their attitudes towards witchcraft. However, their personalities show some striking dissimilarities. Unlike Hale, Reverend Parris is characterized by extreme paranoia and egotism. He is very static- his traits and motives remain consistent from the beginning to the end of the play. Although a religious man and believer in witchcraft like Parris, Hale values human life and is motivated by personal beliefs and his sense of morality, disregarding his best interests. He is a very dynamic character, becoming progressively less confident and trusting of law and doctrine as his faith is tested throughout the ordeal.

In Act II, we see quite a bit going on, and it seems to be the climax of the story. We see Torvald belittle women once again when he says " is it to get about now that the new manager has changed his mind at his wife's bidding." We learn that Torvald expedited Krogstad's dismissal, and thus we see Nora acting really out of sorts as she tries harder and harder to maker sure Torvald never learns her secret- even going as far as to pretend she has no clue how to do the Tarantella to stop Torvald from reading the letter that Krogstad left. Finally, the Act leaves us with Nora stating "Thirty-One" hours to live- so us as readers are left wanting to know- is she going to commit suicide? Will Krogstad kill her? Or is it hypothetical- that she believes

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

Summer Foust Mrs. Burchfield English III-6th October 1, 2014 Extra Credit; How does Arthur Miller change Reverend Hale, through conflict and character motivations? Reverend Hale begins the play as a witty man with great knowledge of witch craft; he is called upon to confirm what has entered the town of Salem. Hale comes bearing heavy books “weighted with authority”. He is a very confident man with what seemed to be good intentions.

"There is a higher court than the courts of justice, and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts." (Mahatma Ghandi). In "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, John Proctor and several others face a severe injustice, having to decide what is more precious: vitality or virtue. John believes your name is the most important thing you have, but Reverend Hale thinks otherwise. Hale concluded life is God's most cherished gift, and it shouldn't be carelessly wasted or sacrificed. An ultimate sacrifice, though even if it is your own life, is worth being made if it is to protect one's reputation, to preserve one's moral values, or to guard others from harm.

In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, many rumors of witchcraft have been spreading after Betty Proctor became sick. This, in turn, leads her father, Reverend Parris, to call Reverend Hale into the town to prove that these rumors are false, but in turn, he does the opposite. Because of this, many innocent people in Salem, in 1692, are convicted and hung for being witches. Hale’s deceitful knowledge of witchcraft drives him to falsely confirm that good citizens have committed witchcraft which leads to the execution of many innocent citizens.

Caboodle of Injustice and the Pursuit of Justice In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the character of Reverend Hale is a consistent character that fought for justice of the town and townspeople during the witch trials, specifically John Proctor. Reverend Hale felt as if though John’s trial results in his death, it will be at his discretion for not fighting for rightful justification of John. With the actions of Reverend Hale, Miller emulates corruption in the outcomes of the witch trials. Hale knows that John is innocent, meaning that he is going to fight to spare his life.

"the Old Boy", a term which suggests he is not being as serious as he

Soon after he is wrongfully convicted, a movement for change in Salem begins to stir. The people become restless, more of the accused refuse to confess and many choose to desert the town. Reverend Hale, who has officially quit the court, describes the decrepit scene to Judge Danforth as follows:

Reverend John Hale is a scholar from Beverly who comes to Salem on Reverend Parris's request to investigate supernatural causes for Betty Parris' illness and thus instigates the rumors of witchcraft.

pride. In a way it's the worst one, because it was pride that made the