Mr Hale. Danforth. Hale

Proctor is later found guilty and he is ordered to be taken to jail. With anger, Hale speaks out, “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court” (1151). Hale can no longer take part in a court system that hangs innocent people. He publicly declares that the court’s rulings are wrong which reveal his frustration and his rejection to the court. Reverend Hale is no longer the same man who had his faith in the court when he had first arrived in Salem.

Therefore, we must rely upon her victims – and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. Therefore, what is left for a lawyer to bring out? I think I have made my point. Have I not?"(239-243). Reverend Hale is starting to believe that the girls are lying, and he thinks that the ones being accused should have a lawyer but Danforth just says the accused only rely on victims and witnesses. Danforth feels that he has much power and he wants it to stay that way by "defending" the people. "I cannot hear you. What do you say? You will confess yourself or you will hang! Do you know who I am? I say you will hang if you do not open with me!" (483-487). Danforth knows that he has the power to say if someone hangs or not so he's using it to scare Mary into telling the truth, or in this case the truth he wants to hear.

He is keen on protecting himself and his family’s name, which involves preserving the trials and its integrity. He cannot have the trials proven to be fraud because the illegitimate support he has for his lying daughter and niece will end his career thus making the community lose their trust and respect for him. The people of Salem are realizing that the assumptions of witchcraft in the village could be false and therefore they no longer believe what Parris and the girls have to say. As a result, Parris desperately craves for Proctor’s confession when he feverishly says, “It is a great service, sir. It is a weighty name; it will strike the village that Proctor confess. I beg you, let him sign it” (Miller 141). Parris is left feeling threatened and scared after finding a note and dagger on his front door from angry villagers who are upset about the noble people in their community being executed. As an act of self-preservation he pleads for a respected person such as John Proctor to confess, so that he can validate the trial to which he strongly favoured, protect his reliability within the society and prove that witches are present in Salem. Parris’ constant acts of self-preservation has backfired and initially if he were honest about the girls dancing in the forest, he could have avoided the complicated court trials that left many innocent people to die

His reply is accompanied with a vindictive nature towards anyone who opposes the actions of the court or by extension, him. Therefore, his arrogance and pride restrains him from listening to others point of view. Lastly, despite hearing about the mass opposition and rebellion at the Andover witchcraft trials, Judge Danforth refuses to postpone the hangings and orders Reverend Parris that “Now hear me, and beguile yourselves no more… Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part.” (Miller 129). Danforth arrogantly waves off the request of postponement made by Hale and Parris. He thinks that the act of postponement of the hangings will raise the issue of his credibility as a judge. Danforth’s pride of his status as a judge denies him from giving it a thought that his actions can lead to the death of innocent lives. When pride and arrogance interferes with ones wisdom the repercussions are often destructive. Judge Danforth proves this through the medium of his actions which lead to the destruction of trustworthiness in the community and brought tragedy to Salem.

Secondly, after Hale returns he wants to try and help postpone the hangings because he knows the accused are innocent. He returns just in time for the day John Proctor is to hang. He comes back to town because he knows that John is truly innocent. He has changed into a better man and he wants to now save the lives of those who he had a help in condemning. So he says to Danforth, “Excellency, if you postpone a week and publish to the town that you are striving for their confessions, that speak mercy on your part, not faltering.” (Miller 130) Hale is trying to show them, that they are helping the Church rid of evil by postponing the hangings and having the accused confess to dealing with the devil. Hale has become more desperate because he wants the accused to live; he blames himself for them being accused and not seeing that the accusations were false earlier. Hale came the first time to rid the town of what he thought was evil, and now he has returned to save the lives of the so called “evil people”.

“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

By making his decision based on his own application of the law, instead of based on religious expectations, Danforth is able to successfully separate “church” and “state”. The night before the hangings of Proctor and Rebecca Nurse are scheduled, Parris and Hale try to convince Danforth to delay the punishments:

However, throughout the story, Hale turns from a power-abusing, authoritarian intellectual into more of a caring, life-preserving ally. First of all, Reverend Hale acts as a very narcissistic individual, and uses his past condemnations as an example of his power. “Excellency, I have signed seventy-two death warrants; I am a minister of the Lord, and I dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it. ”(III.516-519). In this quote,

The dialogue between Hale and Danforth develops from agreements to anger as the play progresses. Throughout the first few scenes of the play, both Hale and Danforth are set on finding the witches and casting them out, and the only way to do this is through the people. By the last act, however, Hale has recognized that relying on the people has led to the people just airing their frustrations, resulting in many undeserved deaths. In Act

Hale goes up to Danforth as he putting an unfair case on trial: “ I cannot say he is an honest man; I know him little. But in all justice, sir, a claim so weighty cannot be argued by a farmer. In God’s name, sir, stop here; send him home and let him come again with a lawyer-”(92). Hale is concerned for the people of community; he believes that like Giles many other people in the community are not getting fair trials. He stands up for the people in the jail that are not able to these liberties to get to represent themselves civilly. Hale also tries to convince the accused to confess so they are not sentenced to death. When he realizes that his evidence of the accusations are altered by Abigail's

Danforth's lips spread across his face, making way for a proud look of crowd pleasing superiority. His eyes were pointed arrows shooting from person to person, taking note of everyone’s relief and satisfaction. At one point he glanced directly towards Hale. His face seemed to set slightly, and the once fulfilled look within his eyes disappeared, replaced with nothing but emptiness.

Danforth believes he is an free minded person, although Miller describes him as a dictator in the courtroom. He believes people should not strike fear in the

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

Even if he knew what was true and what was false keeping his reputation in tact was more important. Contrasting from both of the first characters Reverend Hale was more of a guy who wanted to do right. He knew that his job was on the line but instead of worrying he tried to find justice for the people who were being hanged. His name wasn’t as important to him as getting justice was. In act four Hale finally starts to realize all what he's been doing wrong, and so was watching those innocent people getting blamed for something that wasn’t even real. When trying to give Elisabeth advice Hale says, “Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, earring gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up. Beware, Goody Proctor- cleave to no faith when faith brings blood. It is mistaken law that leads you to sacrifice. LIfe, woman, life is God’s most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it. I beg you, woman, prevail upon your husband to confess. Let him give his lie. Quail not before God’s judgement in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he that

Danforth, but he questions his religion. Near the end of Act IV, Hale tells Elizabeth that