Reverend Hale first appears in The Crucible at the end of the first act. He was sent to Salem to find who the witches were and make sure they got a trial. He has good intentions and will not confirm that anyone is a witch until he has hard evidence that they are one. But he starts to get cocky and he realizes that he is needed and it goes to his head. “Here is all the invisible world, caught, defined, and calculated. In these books the devil stands stripped of all his brute disguises … 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!” (Miller, 185). This statement shows that the power has gone to his head. He is promising that he will make everything right again and that he will obliterate the devil from Salem. He thinks he is the only one who can do this because he has read the books and obtained the knowledge needed to get rid of the devil. Once he gets to Salem there is so much evidence that it overwhelms him.
In his book, “A Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft (1702),” clergyman John Hale comes forth to confront the recent events going on at the time. Initially, Hale alludes to the questionable actions and activities of the townspeople being accused of witchcrafts, and being imprisoned as punishment. In addition, he discloses how everyone suspicious will be accused, not even young children are safe from the hands of this fate. Hale’s purpose of publishing this book was to describe the incident of the Witch Trials, and to reveal his experience of the trials, since his own wife was accused. By employing a didactic tone, Hale relays the actions of the past that targeted the Puritans and those wrongly accused of witchcrafts, so this occurrence
Reverend Hale, from the play The Crucible, is a dynamic character who was involved in determining the guilt of convicted witches in the Salem Witch Trials. The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller is based on the true events that occurred in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1953. Reverend Hale enters Salem with the assumption that there is witchcraft in the colony due to many unexplained events. Hale's character change can be traced in events that occurred throughout the story. He seeks to convict and condemn the witches in the beginning of the play, but by the end, he realizes the corruption of Salem in the convectors, judges, and witnesses and seeks to change the fate of the accused.
In the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, There are many examples of indirect characterization. Indirect characterization is heavily used throughout the play. Indirect characterization is Revealing a fictitious character's personality through his or her actions, speech, or appearance. Abigail williams uses indirect characterization heavily also by allowing herself to show emotion through her character. In The Crucible, Reverend Hale plays a shrew character who later reveals that he is willing to sacrifice his own reputation for what is right.
Countless people have learned about the lies and horrors of witches in 1692 during the Salem Witch trials. In The Crucible, a tragedy written by Arthur Miller, it displays the tragedy and wrongful convictions of the townsfolk of Salem. One notable character being John Proctor a well respected upperclassman in Salem who was willing to confess his sins, sacrificing his life for the greater good of his family and friends. There are many reasons people choose to do things in life whether or not they will turn out well in the end. Elizabeth Proctor, John’s wife told John to do what he thinks is best, disagreeing with the ideas proposed by Reverend Hale, to confess to the court. Reverend Hale’s
The witches are on the hunt for the innocent souls of Salem with Hale stating, “The Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points” (Miller 1251). Hale is determined to use God’s mighty hand against the “evil witches”. This shows that Hale is faithful to Abigail’s accusations against the common people of Salem. At first, Reverend Hale is eager to prosecute, but as more innocent people are condemned, his compliance turns into distaste. His dissatisfaction eventually turns into rage when Hale shouts, “I denounce these proceedings!” (Miller 1323). Hale shows to be a hero because he is trying to raise awareness of the unfair hangings of the townspeople. Additionally, Hale is exposing the idiocy of the court to the unaccused citizens of Salem. Reverend Hale shows heroism through his actions, but Elizabeth Proctor also shows heroism through her supreme
In act 1 and 2 in the play ,The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the character Reverend Hale was introduced and learned what his role was. Reverend Hale was a man nearing his forties and was a high-status intellectual who was an expert in witchcraft (Miller 155). In this act Hale said that he believes there always will be someone with the devil(Miller 155). Hale was siding with the court in this act and signing death warrants along with believing in these accusations fully as shown in his visit to the Proctors when he said there is too much evidence to deny the Devil is in Salem (Miller 171). Also, Hale almost played as an interrogator when he was giving rapid fire questions to John about his Christian character and if he goes to church in his visit to the Proctor house (Miller 171). In the beginning acts, Hale was trusting the court more than John and was a big part of handling warrants of the accused individuals along with having much confidence in himself, his knowledge of witchcraft, and knowledge of witches in Salem.
In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, many characters change throughout the story. One that stands out is Reverend John Hale. In the beginning he believes the false accusations of Abigail and the other girls. After listening to John Proctor and Mary Warren he realizes their story is more believable. It broke him to know that he was at fault for 19 innocent deaths. This experience changes him from being a confident man, who believed in the law and the witch trials to a humble and hurt man.
Due to paranoia, the once quiet town of Salem, Massachusetts has erupted with accusations, rumors, revenge, and in the end, death. The one thing that makes or breaks these characters is reputation. The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, goes back to the year 1692 when witchcraft took over Salem. Neighbors are now seen as enemies and no one can be trusted. Over 15 people died in this true, American event because of false, witchcraft accusations. Abigail Williams,a young woman is spreading lies about local townspeople alongside her friends. John Proctor, a questionable farmer, and Abigail 's lover, is now in rough territory. The one piece of evidence protecting John and his wife Elizabeth from mockery is their maid, Mary Warren. Salem
Reverend Hale is still struggling with believing the truth but he finally believes in the third act. The third act takes place in court where John testifies. Hale now knows the truth and believes that justice will be served. Everything gets placed out in the open (it is a hoax, the affair, and the dancing in the woods) but Danforth and Hathorne do not believe it. “But it does not follow that everyone accused is part of it” (Miller, 215). John is telling them all of the facts and truth and they still do not believe him. They only believe what Abigail says. That finally puts Hale over the edge and he decides that he is going to quit the court. “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!” (Miller, 227). He sees the corruption in these people
The Crucible takes place in Salem in 1692 where Reverend Hale is sent to help a local family and townspeople. He is supposedly someone who is going to summon spirits that occur to a girl in Salem. Reverend Hale is very faithful to himself and his job. His job being to identify the witchcraft that is happening and spiritually change the sinfulness into the state of being right. Reverend Hale had good intentions to help defeat the situation which motivated him. Hale is very kind. “...and the child she had allegedly been afflicting recovered her normal behavior after Hale had given her his kindness..” (Act 1, page 34). Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: the Penguin
For me, Reverend Hale is a good foil for John Proctor. They both get much experience during their journey, but from the opposite starting point. John Proctor isn’t sure what to think and don’t know what to do because he can’t decide what is right or wrong. So he doesn’t care. Then John Proctor realizes that everything is a lie and get the truth to everybody. He is now confident and would do everything to save it. He even risks his life to spread the truth. A good example that he is open about his opinion and has no fear to talk about it with anybody, e.g. “You are pulling Heaven down and raising up a whore!”. That is what he said to the judges, with no fear they could arrest him.
Arthur Miller developed several great characters in his novel THE CRUCIBLE. Connection to 21st century, time period, other archetypes. Reverend Hale, an example of the hero and traveler archetype, which is demonstrated by a connection to the 21st century, how the time period affected the story, and further illustrated by a comparison to other characters in other novels, movies, and other types of media. Hale is the only member of the court who questions the court's decisions. Of which he is striving for justice. Once he realizes that Abigail is a fraud, Hale devotes himself to attempt to persuade the other prisoners to confess so that they may avoid execution.
I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing 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 throws his life away for pride. Will you plead with him? I cannot think he will listen to another.” Reverend Hale pleads with Goody Proctor “ Let him give his lie.” Hale no longer believes in the witch trials. Everything Reverend Hale came to Salem for now no longer means anything to him. By this point Reverend Hale, among others, has become fed up with the pretense and falseness of ‘The Salem Witch Trials’ and wants nothing more than for it to be over. (page 84, act four, Miller, Arthur The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts, Viking Press 1953) “ HALE, quickly to Danforth: Excellency, it is enough he confess himself. Let him sign it, let him sign it.” Reverend Hale begs Judge Danforth to be
Our community seems to run our lives nowadays, which makes sense as it is in our human nature to want to belong. Therefore, We will do anything to belong with other people, but separating from the norm to do what’s right is something only a few have done. The separation from the norm for justice is even more admirable when the person has such respect and nobility within the norm. It takes a person with courage, strength and righteousness to be able to listen to the enemy in the possibility that they might be correct. Reverend Hale, in The Crucible, is that person with courage and the want for justice because he changed from an arrogant “witchcraft specialist” and a court member to the man trying to save the lives of those accused of witchcraft.