The Crucible

31. The reason Hale gives for his visit is because Hale heard about the news about John’s wife name being mentioned in court as well as to question John’s knowledge of his religious beliefs.. This reveals that Reverend Hale is very religious about the devil as well as curious of john’s Christian character. He is aware of the whole witch hysteria and he is curious about John’s wife being accused in court which is why he visits him.

Towards the beginning of the book Reverend is focused on figuring out who is a witch and convict them of witchery, which is shown through logos. He says that powers of the dark “are gathered in monstrous attack upon this village. There is too much evidence to deny it.” (64). Miller uses this quote to show how Hale is willing to convict any person that appears to be apart of the devil, which adds details about Hale’s character. Hale is enthusiastic and determined as well as exceptionally respected in the town of Salem. As the book progresses, Reverend Hale’s viewpoints shift towards wanting and needing more time to convict witchcraft. Hale believes “you must hear the girl, sir,” (88). Hale manipulates pathos to convince Danforth to give Mary Warren a chance to explain her experience with spirits. In addition, Hale explains he must have more time to convict hangings (129). This is quite a big shift from the beginning of the book, but Miller employs pathos to explain the passion and desire Hale has to figure out who should be convicted of

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

Hale is a minister of Beverly a nearby town of Salem. He comes to Salem after hearing about witchcraft. He has studied the act of witchcraft extensively. He wants to heal the town of Salem and its people of witchcraft and the devil. He starts to question the court. Hale questions Abigail. Why was Abigail dancing in the woods (155)? It is towards the end of the play that Hale really starts questioning everything. He questions his own ability. He questions the court. He even questions his faith in God.

Sometimes the truth is hard to see, but if you look hard enough you can always find it. Reverend Hale’s intention was to help the town of Salem find the truth. He thought he found it quickly, but then realized that he was wrong. Coming to this realization caused him to look at the problem in a different way. Once he found this, he did everything that he could to help anyone that was accused. Reverend Hale changed from being accusatory to helping the accused.

Reverend Hale is a man who comes to Salem with a mission. He had recently discovered witchcraft in his own town where he was the minister, and now his services were being requested elsewhere (Miller, 9). His talents were becoming known, and he was very proud. He had intentions of being Salem’s hero by purging their small town of witchcraft and evil while increasing his reputation as a witch catcher. He truly strives to be a virtuous man, and seems to carry that

Irony is a technique that uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. For example, dramatic irony is a type of irony which is shown in the first Shrek movie. Fiona loves Shrek but only Donkey and the audience know. In this situation, dramatic irony is being created because the character Shrek does not know that Fiona loves him but the audience does. The short stories “The Lottery” the reader may find both situational and dramatic irony that both create the ironic ending.

The way that situational irony appears in the story is with John and his relationship with Abigail. Situational irony is irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, that the outcome is contrary to what was expected. The irony materializes when Reverend Hale asks John to recite the ten commandments and he is unable to remember the commandment that he has broken; John attempting to reel off the ten commandments "...Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,” Hale: "You have said that twice, sir" (Act II). John forgets the commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery, and his affair with Abigail is a prime example of him committing adultery.

Reverend Hale is an expert in witchcraft and all that is supernatural. He has come to practice his art by finding witches and expelling the presence of Lucifer from Salem as told in his introduction starting at the bottom of page 30. He believes as the church believes that witchcraft is a forbidden crime and must be exterminated, even if it means hanging people he does not wish to hang. When the accusations and rulings start to become unjust, he starts to see that his previous beliefs are wrong and that the court as well as the town has gone mad so he leaves the court as seen on page 111. He begins to feel responsible for this and tries to defend those that he knows are good people. When the court starts to not even listen to him, he begins to convince people to confess just so that they should save their lives.

When Reverend Hale enters the county of Salem, he brings with him the demeanor of a respected authority figure. When Reverend Parris remarks about the weight of Hale’s bags, he responds that “they are weighted with authority” (Miller 34). The bag is weighed by the authority of God, who through Hale as a conduit spreads his justice upon the wicked and mercy upon the poor. Hale sets himself up with false authority, believing that his collection of books and artifacts will fend off the demons making their home in Salem. By placing himself in a position of power, he causes the citizens to believe that his word is truth, which eventually leads to the spreading of the witchcraft accusations. Next, when Thomas Putnam tells him that Betty Parris can not stand to hear the Lord’s name, he demands that the citizens listen to him as the sole judge of the affliction: “The devil is precise; the marks of his presence are definite as stones, and I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of Hell upon her” (Miller 36). The dramatic irony is that the “marks” are not as “definite as stones” as Hale truly thinks. Yet, he uses his position as an “expert” to compel the

Furthermore, Reverend Hale was pushed to change also. Hale came into Salem a stranger, but knew how to fix the problem the town endured. He never questioned that God had a plan and always thought that something was either good or bad, with no gray area in between. This thinking is challenged when Elizabeth, a pure person, is accused and then later when John confesses. He knows that these people are honest and leaves the court for a period of time. In the end, Hale is a desperate man, and even though knowing there is no witchcraft present, he urges John to admit that he is not the one that should be punished. He has to question all the rules he has lived by his whole life and pursue something he knows is incorrect. In essence, Reverend Hale is pushed to his limits and is turned into a man that will be permanently in suspicion of any standards he ever thought were true.

9. What happened between Abigail and John Proctor prior to the opening of the play?

Reverend Hale, the specialist in dealings with the devil, has great intentions to save people from sin when he comes to Salem. In Act One, Miller writes of Hale: "His goal is light, goodness, and its preservation."(36) His goals and intentions when arriving in Salem are very specifically laid out for him when Miller speaks of him. However after events unfold, Hale ends up inadvertently sending many people to the courts. During the trials, he councils convicted witches to confess, so that they won’t be hanged. Hale knowingly counseled people to lie. The events that happen to Hale and the twisted way that he ended up saving lives is cosmic irony. Hale came to Salem to save souls from the devil and tell people not to lie, cheat, or sin, but when the play ends Hale has tried to save lives by telling those accused to lie and sin. Therefore, he has actually damned the very souls he came to save.

A week later, alone in their farmhouse outside of town, John and Elizabeth Proctor discuss the ongoing trials and the escalating number of townsfolk who have been accused of being witches. Elizabeth urges her husband to denounce Abigail as a fraud; he refuses, and she becomes jealous, accusing him of still harboring feelings for her. Mary Warren, their servant and one in Abigail’s circle, returns from Salem with news that Elizabeth has been accused of witchcraft but the court did not pursue the accusation. Mary is sent up to bed, and John and Elizabeth continue their argument, only to be interrupted by a visit from Reverend Hale. While they discuss matters, Giles Corey and Francis Nurse come to the Proctor home with news that their wives have been arrested. Officers of the court suddenly arrive and arrest Elizabeth. After they have taken her, Proctor tells Mary that she must go to Salem and expose Abigail and the other girls as being frauds and making up all these accusations just to gain the attention of others.

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