How Does Hale Use Irony In The Crucible

Salem is a town that is centered on their religious beliefs. The church is the basis for their morals and ethics, but discovery of the actions of the town’s girls impacts the entire town. Reverend Parris discovers the girls along with Tituba conjuring up spells, singing Barbados songs, and dancing naked. This begins a series of events in The Crucible by Arthur Miller where he uses irony to show that guilt can cause the most upstanding men to act uncharacteristically.

Hale is invited to town to prove that there is no witchcraft in the town. He comes in with his books and godliness as the expert. The ironic part is that the only book allowed to be read is the Bible. As the trial goes on he finds himself saying, “I denounce these proceedings!” When Hale leaves the courtroom, he also says “himself believes that the girls are telling the truth and feels that the judges are blind to the lies that they are telling.” Later in Act 4 Hale talks to the prisoners to get them to confess so they’re not killed, “After Hale has spoken to all the prisoners, he

“Your Excellency, I only said she were reading books, sir, and they come and take her out of my house for.” Giles won’t tell the name of who told him the information that the girls are lying, because he doesn’t want to cause them to go to jail or be hanged. “I cannot give you no name, sir, I cannot.” Giles is not wanting to be responsible for his family losing the family land and belongings
Elizabeth is saying. “He were not hanged. He would not answer aye or nay to his indictment; for if he denied the charge they’d hang him surely, and auction out his property. So he stand mute, and died Christian under the law. And so his sons will have his farm. It is the law, for he could not be condemned a wizard without he answer the indictment, aye or nay.” Before Giles died he kept saying, “more weight, more