Morally Ambiguous Characters In The Crucible

In life, we come across many situations where we are forced to consider our values and make a choice between right and wrong. We all face conditions that stop us to pick a choice that we can only hope is the right one. Arthur Miller wrote this story that accurately reflects reality and created a book of these morally-ambiguous mentalities that consume our lives. Morally-ambiguous characters can offer a chance to explore situations and issues that don’t have clear-cut answers and drives a change from the straight-and-narrow characters.

The major influence was the time period in which The Crucible had taken place. "In 1692, Salem was filled with Puritans who saw the world as good vs. evil, ("The Crucible")." The people of the time were completely washed over by superstition that evil was coming for them and in that fear they made many decisions that in our current day would not be justified. Hale is one of the very many who were a victim of the "Claustrophobis Puritanical-code-of-conduct-fear-of-witches nonsense of Massachusetts in the 17th Century, ("The Crucible')." Hale had the mindset, like everybody else, that he needed to do whatever possible to save Salem from the evil thought to be in it when he get the girls to confess and

“Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit” (Proverb 12:17). The Bible represented the law of the land in 1600’s Salem. Religion influenced peoples actions and dominated societal norms. Rules set out by the Bible had to be followed because anyone who breaks it gets sentenced to death. When the threat of witchcraft hit the town, mass hysteria questioned peoples character and integrity. The stories are chronicled in Arthur Miller’s book, The Crucible. Marry Warren is introduced as a moral ambiguous character because of her altered involvement in Elizabeth Proctors trial. Arthur Miller, author of The Crucible, provides establishing ethos, commanding logos, and decisive pathos to convey the message of integrity

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

Reverend Hale believes in his second thoughts of the devil not being such a thing, and sees that Abigail has been setting this all up and framing John Proctor to have his love. Pointing at Abigail, Hale says, “I believe him!...This girl has always struck me false!...”(Act III, 50) After Abigail over-exaggerates and makes the girls believe the devil is in their presence, and the people of the court believe them, Reverend Hale walks out in frustration. People of the court and town don’t know what else to believe because they always thought the girls were saying the truth about what they saw. Hale begins to see that a lot of people in the town of Salem, are corrupted in result of the witchcraft trials.

Parris finds out about it. He says, "And what shall I say to them? That my

The subject of history has always been associated with reality, and hence people sometimes assume that historical fiction is strictly based around factual characters and events. However, an important consideration to remember is that historical fiction often twists the truth, adapting the material that it is based on to relate to different contexts. Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible is a famous example of a historical drama that successfully does this, using the Salem witch hunts of 1692 as an analogy for 1950s McCarthyism and highlighting fundamental issues of human nature. This play is often criticised for being historically inaccurate, and as acknowledged by Miller himself in his note on the historical accuracy of the play, “dramatic purposes

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.

What is a moral dilemma? A moral dilemma is a man versus self conflict. It is when a character has to perform two different actions, but they can not perform both actions because it is not possible. Authors use moral dilemmas in their writings to retain the reader’s interest in the book or play and to have the reader ask questions. People often face many life altering choices such as right versus wrong or good versus bad. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor chooses to die because he does not want to blacken his name throughout Salem and to ruin his sons’ names when they grow up.

Another pivotal development in the plot of the play is the reactions of Mr. hale to the happenings in Salem. He is a man of integrity, although at times misguided and overzealous, he is willing to change his mind when confronted with the truth. Despite this admirable trait, he lacks the moral conviction to act against proceedings that will condemn innocent people to death. He comes to realize that John Proctor is

he mood and situtation that he was in. At the end (Act ]I[) John Proctor was

Morality is an important topic. People must live with their own choices and morality, meaning that each person needs to make sure that they are living their lives and making choices that they can accept. This is why morality is typically a theme in literature. Authors incorporate the idea of morality to make the reader think about their own choices and to illustrate the character arc. This proves true in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. The play follows characters on their difficult lives during the Salem Witch Trials; a point in history where everyone was questioned and accused or being morally corrupt and practicing witchcraft. Miller utilizes characters from all moral backgrounds, from those that are morally ambiguous, to those that are more righteous because they are secure in their beliefs. These characters show how the issue of morality can affect their lives. One character that is important to analyze is John Proctor. Proctor is a man secure in his faith and morality, living a great life with his wife and three sons. That is, until Abigail Williams starts working for the family and makes him question everything he has ever known. In The Crucible, Miller suggests that morality and the search for truth must be pursued on a personal level by allowing Proctor to become morally flawed, realizing his mistakes, and then fighting to defend what is right, even though it ruins his good reputation.

      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.

Over the course of the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Reverend Hale has changed dramatically from the start of the play to the end. At first, Hale is convinced that he is an expert of witchcraft and the truth is found in his books. He also comes into Salem putting his faith into the court. As the play goes on, Hale questions his belief because he realizes that many people are being convicted without definite evidence. In the end of the play, Hale has no faith in the court. He realizes many people innocent people have died through the courts rulings and therefore he can not be a part of it. Hale’s character has changed significantly throughout the

“The essence of immorality is the tendency to make an exception of myself” (Addams). Immorality is a very subjective concept, but sometimes it is undeniable. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Abigail Williams is shown to be the most immoral character through her constant disregard of others throughout the different events of the story, furthering the point that when in fearful situations people will only think about themselves.