People’s opinions change as they face adversities throughout life. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play based on the actual events that, in 1692, led to the Salem Witch Trials, a series of hearings before local magistrates to prosecute over 150 people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. Reverend Hale goes through a change after realizing the witch trials are corrupt manslaughter. In Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” Reverend Hale’s attitude towards the witchcraft trials changes from pride in the court to distraught through his development during Act 1, Acts 2 and 3, and Act 4. Reverend Hale’s shows pride in the Salem witch trials throughout Act 1. When Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse, are accused …show more content…
As Hale talks to Danforth, he claims to “come to do the Devil’s work.” Hale is doing the Devils work by slaughtering all these people. He says this sarcastically because it shows the irony how he is killing innocent people although he is a reverend. The accusations reach a point where Hale can no longer ignore the corruption of the court. Hale exemplifies his new understanding of God's will and attempts to use it to stop the trials. John Proctor is given the option to confess to witchery and live, or lie and hang. Hale tells Elizabeth that “Life, woman, life is God's most precious gift.” Distraught by the thought of aiding in the death of innocent people, he realizes the value of life and that it cannot be wasted. After leaving the court Judge Danforth claims “That man have no authority to enter here.” Hale was once a reverend that had great pride in the court but now his peers will not even allow him to enter the court anymore. Hale was once a distinguished Reverend but now his opinion doesn’t matter in his own profession. Reverend Hale shows distraught in the Salem Witch Trials during Act 4 with his actions, statements, and through other people’s opinions of
The towns’ people accused now are too well known and well respected to be witches. He begins lose faith in the court as the court proceeds to accuse more people. Most of the accusations made absurd. Reverend Hale himself cannot believe that such well respected towns’ people could be
The events that have occurred are starting to let Reverend Hale realize what's really happening. In the end, Reverend John Hale reveals his corruption and shows his shame. Reverend Hale knew the actuations of the witch trials were fake and could have saved many innocent lives. Most people cared about their name and would not admit to being a witch, which caused them to hang. The article The Crucible character study states, “ Reverend Hale is heavy with guilt when the hangings take place, despite his prayers and impassioned protest”(Wade 3).
In the play The Crucible, the events that occurred in Salem sparked much change within all the characters involved. Each of the three following characters, John Proctor, Giles Cory, and Reverend Hale, went through his own crucible - a situation of a severe trial - which put his character’s to the test. Through these trials, each character had a choice of sticking to his beliefs and keeping true to his good morals or choosing to turn over a new leaf and changing his focus to staying alive, rather telling the truth. Throughout the play, John Proctor’s character had changed after enduring the malicious trials of Salem. Reverend Hale’s character changed due to his bearing witness to the effects of the treacherous trials.
Since Hale is motivated by faith, his decision to believe the towns people led to the death of many innocent people. The action of the play severely test Hale’s faith in God and understanding of people. Hale is over confident in his work when he first comes to Salem. He states, “ Pray you, someone take these!” In that quote his attitude is determined and ready to start investigating.
“The Crucible”, a play written by Arthur Miller, depicts the horrors and hysteria that swept through the town of Salem in 1692. The events in the town, now known as the Salem Witch Trials, resulted in the brutal and unjust executions under the false pretenses of being witches. John Proctor, the main character of the play embodies the essence of being a tragic hero by aiding the trials with the tragic flaw of his affair, his excessive pride, and by evoking feelings of pity from the audience.
Hale visits Proctor when Elizabeth’s name is mentioned in the court. He is present differently and “there is a quality of deference, even of guilt,” (Miller 62) about his manner. Visiting the Nurse and the Proctor home, Hale tries to disclose any misunderstanding the court holds. Hale’s attitude illustrates how he cannot believe people who are considered virtuous in town is evil and are “working” with the Devil. Before leaving, Hale tells John and Elizabeth that Parris is “ordained, therefore the light of God is in him,” (Miller 66) Hale is warning them that their life depends on Reverend Parris or the church and going against them will not lead to a desirable solution; he suggests them to attend church more often and have their last child baptized. Hale believes that a person’s religious purity and a person’s reputation in the town are connected. The people face charges for ridiculous reasons, such as for reading a book, keeping a poppet, and for “murdering” babies with their supernatural power. The court charges these people without even having any proof that they have actually committed crimes and sins. The court’s ridiculous way of charging people shows the delusion of the Puritan
In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, Arthur intrigues audience time and time again with the historical context, social implications, and the Salem, Massachusetts Witchcraft Trials of 1962. Most members in Salem feel the need to prove their authority in ways such as accusing those who have done nothing or hanging them without proving their innocence first. The thing is authority is not made up by an authority figure, but by society. Miller’s The Crucible, demonstrates how people misuse their authority for cruel purposes through a fascinating plot, well-crafted characters, and well-set theme. During the hysteria of witchcraft trials in Salem, there were multiple figures of authority or per say the community who abused their power, Reverend Hale, Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris and Judge Danforth.
In this act, and with much consideration (adverb phase #2), Reverend Hale seems to be less full of himself, and more hesitant. He talks about how he has a difficult time drawing “a clear opinion of them that come accused before the court,” because he doesn’t know the people of their town (adverb phrase #3) (Miller 1169). This is only one of Hale’s problems as the play keeps moving along. Act three brings more complications and hesitance from Hale. Proctor’s wife has now been seized and taken to court, along with others accused of witchcraft. During these court sessions, Reverend Hale is beginning (gerund #2) to realize that the court really is unfair (noun clause #1). For example, even though evidence is given by Giles Corey (adjective clause #2), the judge refuses to accept (infinitive #2) it and simply asks for more evidence (Miller 1195). Now, Hale is starting to become frustrated. He’s also beginning to realize that he has made some aberrations (noun clause #2). When John Proctor is sentenced to be hanged for witchcraft, Hale respondes to the prejudice court by declaring , “I denounce these proceedings! I quit this court!” (Miller 1213), and proceeds to walk out of the courthouse. This is only the beginning of Hale’s
So he wants to come back and try to save the people convicted, but this is what he wants others to think. His true motives are to get the others to confess to a lie so they may live and he will feel as though he is saving one's life. This is where he fails the test because he is not think of the others and what they want. Because if you are convicted of witchcraft you confess to it and later when they end the trails because there was not witchcraft then your name would be ruined. So in this Hale is only thinking of himself and how he can make himself feel
John reverend hale is a character from the famous book of Arthur miller the crucible which is based on Salem witch hunts and trials in Massachusetts during 1950’s. John reverend hale is a witch craft expert who was called by a priest reverend parries to help her daughter betty parries as she was assumed to be in the devil hands after she was caught dancing and practicing witchcraft in the woods with reverend parries’s nephew Abigail Williams by reverend parries .
American playwright, Arthur Miller, in his play The Crucible, implies that witch hunts still exist in American society. Miller supports this claim by drawing parallels between the Salem Witch Trials and the Senator Joseph Mccarthy Trials. His purpose is to warn his readers of the dangers of mass hysteria. He uses emotional appeals and logic to convince the reader that mass “hunts” are still a danger to Americans today. The central way, however, that Miller achieves his topmost goal of displaying the hazards of Individuality vs. Ideology is through the expressive characterization of Reverend John Hale. John hale is an example of outward conformity because he believes in the devil in the beginning, he sees that the girls are
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible emphasizes different human flaws and their dangerous impact on Salem in 1692. By analyzing the effects of arrogance, blind faith, and guilt, Miller creates the dynamic character Reverend Hale. As Hale struggles with overcoming his own flaws, he transforms from a zealous man focused on gaining respect into the voice of reason amidst the chaos and corruption of the court. Throughout his character development, Hale challenges the authority figures of Salem as he becomes more skeptical, fights against his own Puritan ideals and accepts his role as a tragic figure.
In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible the witch trials in Salem were a devastating time. The entire community was in disorder and chaos because of personal vengeance. This included accusations of innocent town’s people being called witches, so they hanged and were jailed. Throughout the play certain characters help the rise of witchcraft as well as the disapproval of all the innocent people who were being convicted for no reason. Reverend Hale is a dynamic character whom comes to rid of the evil spirits in Salem, yet he later tries to end the trials. Hale realizes the accusations are false, attempts to postpone the hangings, and persuade the victims to lie conveys that he is a dynamic character and changes throughout the play.
Reverend Hale was a complex character whose changes could be observed through his actions and motivations. Hale shifted from being a devote Puritan to abandoning his faith entirely. He went from fully believing in the trials to damning them and becoming consumed by guilt because of them. Hale’s complexity adds to the play by showing how intense the trials were and how even the most devote were
In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, Reverend Hale’s attitude and beliefs are changed completely as the play progresses. After Reverend Parris is a witness to girls dancing in the woods and also when his daughter becomes very ill, he calls Rev. Hale to Salem. Hale’s job is to find any form of witchcraft and to get rid of it. Over the course of the play, Rev. Hale experiences a transformation in his beliefs from the beginning of the play to the end. Reverend Hale has three different emotions throughout the play. When Hale is introduced in the the beginning of the play, he is passionate and very confident about finding witchcraft and getting rid of it. In the middle of the play, Hale is frustrated and he does not know who to trust nor