Examples Of Direct Characterization In The Crucible

Body 1

In Act 1, Parris's home, Reverend Hale comes to Salem to discover the strange behavior that Reverend Parris's daughter is experiencing and gives a diagnosis on Betty. He only uses books all about witchcraft to cure her and to find others who are practicing witchcraft. As Parris helps him take the heavy books, he comments, "My, they’re heavy"(Miller 24). "They must be; they are weighted with authority" (Miller 24). The indirect characterization of Hale being very intellectual and smart is displayed in this scene. Just by the actions of Hale and Parris, the heavy books seemed to hold so much knowledge about the Devil and everything about witches. In the era of McCarthyism, just by the actions of American citizens such as liberals or Hollywood directors were seen right away as communists. Parris did not even look inside the books yet already knows that they have to do with witchcraft. Also, the books were weighted with power as Senator McCarthy was weighted with power over the

People believed McCarthy. People in Salem believed the books. This just further shows how unjust both the courts were in those times. Briefly into Act 2 at the Proctor household, after questioning John Proctor, John tells Hale that the girls are lying. Hale believes "I have myself examined Tituba, Sarah Good, and numerous others that have confessed to dealing with the Devil. They have confessed it" (Miller 17). Hale becomes suspicious of John Proctor as to why he decided to tell him that the girls were lying at that time. Hale believes he is right about the people he examined for witchcraft. They confessed and did not get a harsh punishment. In the era of McCarthyism, people who confessed to being communists did not get much charged upon them. Senator McCarthy believed he was right about those who confessed to being communists and did not suspect