Hale's Paranoia In The Work Of The Devil

Reverend Hale admits to himself that he may have started the witch trials in Salem, feeling guilty Hale strives to save anyone that he can from being hung. After some time, Reverend Hale realizes that the witch accusations are driven by ulterior motives. He feels guilty because he is the one who confirmed that the presence of the devil is in the town of Salem, causing fear to overcome many people. Hale exclaims, “There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!!”(Miller 131). He believes that because he started the unjust trials he is the one to blame for the execution of innocents. Hale is convinced that if he had never gotten involved then the witch trials may have never occurred. In an attempt to fix the problem he created,

He is holds his head high above others, slightly cocky, assuming himself a high, respected position as soon as he enters Salem. He firmly trusts solely his skills to be the savior of the village. Hale also shows to be assured of the habitation of the Devil when he demands answers from a female slave Tituba in spite of no solid proof and her constant denials: “Have you sold yourself to Lucifer?” (156). He continues to pound at her: “Women, have you enlisted these children with the Devil?” (156). Hale’s relentless questioning exude the fact that he has already accused Tituba of witchery and is now attempting choke out an answer that will satisfy him. He disregards the facts presented in front of him and instead, allows his own ego of expertise to blind himself into arraigning an innocent

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

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

In Act 1 of The Crucible the characters deal with a series of emotions that have an influence on their actions. These emotions include fear and shame, which have a large impact on the characters’ behavior. Fear, regarding the possible outcome of a situation and shame, a state of being where you feel dishonor or regret can cause for . In these situations, there are people controlling the situation by being the cause of something to happen rather than being the one to respond to it after it has happened, meaning they are proactive. The few proactive characters in Salem are Reverend Hale and Abigail Williams. There are also people who act in response to the situation rather than being the one who controls it, meaning they are reactive characters.

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

Many people will say that coercive power is the most effective type of power. The process and use of coercion to gather information Is a widely employed tactic. This is because in all cases of coercion the subject is installed with an immense amount or fear causing them to easily give up information or co-operate. Reverend Hale is a prominent character throughout the play, and because of his expert status, his commands and opinions are widely respected. It is not common that someone would go against his command or second guess his authority. When he first arrived in Salem, he believed that the devil was alive in Salem. This further evolved the hysteria, as no one was prepared to go against his word because of his status. “I have seen too many frightful proofs in court – the devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not to quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points!”

In the beginning of the play, Hale enters as a strict law abiding citizen enjoying his position of power and his ability to make the decisions in Salem. An example of his defense of the law is, “Man remember until an hour before the Devil fell, God

“Why it is simple I come to do the Devil’s work. I come to counsel Christians they should belie themselves. There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!!” (201). This quote is so powerful to the audience, Hale is admitting he feels guilty. He feels he has killed innocent people. How many people had to die for him to finally realize? In act four, Hale also begs Elizabeth Proctor into getting her to make John confess. Elizabeth would argue that it isn’t her job to control him. “You know, do you not, that I have no connection with the court? I come of my own, Goody Proctor. I would save your husband’s life, for if he is taken I count myself his murdered. Do you understand me?” (202). Hale is saying he has no connection to the court's decisions. He comes to help Salem not destroy it. If John decides not to confess, and gets hung, Hale won’t think he did enough to help him, he could’ve done more. If John dies, with Hale knowing he’s an innocent man, Hale will call himself John’s

Hale’s pride shows through his ability to detect “witchcraft”. He wants the people convicted of witchcraft to confess. He feels he is responsible because he begins to kill innocent people instead of tracking down the source of witchcraft. He thinks of himself

When he first appeared in the first act of the play, when Parris called him to Salem after Betty had been acting strange and witchcraft was first thought of, his motivation with justice was to the Church. He wanted the devil or any other evil spirits out of the human world. “Aye. But the Devil is a wily one, you cannot deny it. However, she is far from accused, and I know she will not be. (pause) I thought, sir, to put some questions as to the Christian character of this house, if you'll permit me.” The quote previous to this sentence was said by Hale in act two when he was at the Proctor's house in search of signs of witchcraft. In act four Hale had realized by then how the people who were accused of witchcraft and being dealt with the devil had been innocent and the girls accusing everyone had been lying and trying to get the attention and blame off of themselves. People were scared for their lives if one person shall speak lowly of them in Salem. “Excellency, there are orphans wandering from house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stick of rotting crops hangs everywhere, and no man knows when the harlots' cry will end his life-and you wonder yet if rebellion's spoke? Better you should marvel how they do not burn your province!” People had been dying that had no reason to die. He was feeling regretful and wanted to right his wrong

When Mr. Hale was first introduced in the play, he maintained a positive attitude and remained hopeful. After he arrived in Salem and heard rumors of witches and the devil flying around, he informed the community that he’ll control the situation and destroy the devil. “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!” (39). By hoping to clear up this mess, Mr. Hale reads from his books with hope that it’ll break Betty away from the devil and assuage the situation entirely. I’m like Mr. Hale in this case because when the worst may be brought upon me, I remain hopeful that I can push through it. We both won’t quit when we’re faced with a tough decision that doesn’t have a clear solution, but instead we put our effort into solving whatever the problem may be, before it gets any worse. As the play perseveres, more similarities and differences between Mr. Hale and I surface.

Hale was a small-minded man in the beginning of the play. His beliefs were dictated by what he had read. This is shown when he goes to the unconscious Betty to try to find signs of the devil. His books have told him of the markings that are on those who have had contact with the devil and he believed it. This shows how he believed purely in what he read. His small-mindedness is also shown when he is interrogating Tituba. He believes she is telling the truth because he thinks it impossible to lie once you have put yourself in the hands of God. This changes as the play goes on.

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:

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