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Similarities And Differences Between The Crucible And Mr Hale

Decent Essays

In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, there are some similarities and differences between Mr. Hale and I. Mr. Hale is a Reverend from Beverly, who’s called to Salem by Reverend Parris to help wake his daughter, Betty, who fell ill after being caught in the woods “summoning” the devil. While dealing with accusations of witchcraft, Mr. Hale acts a certain way which can define his character. When he first arrives in Salem he remains hopeful. Towards the middle of the play he tries to help more by getting involved with the court trials, which ends up causing bigger problems. At the end of the play, Mr. Hale notices the good in those who are in jail and goes out of his way to help them. Overall, Mr. Hale’s character is considered optimistic and valuable, which relates to myself. 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. Quickly after Mr. Hale’s arrival in Salem, the situation regarding witchcraft escalates. Mr. Hale gets sucked into the middle of something which didn’t impact his life personally in the first place. As rumors of the devil spread around, more names known to be “seen” with him are mentioned in the court. Mr. Hale takes it upon himself to visit the houses of those who are accused of involvement in witchcraft. “No— no, I come of my own, without the court’s authority. Hear me. I know not if you are

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