“The one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is unchangeable or certain”.-John F Kennedy. Reverend Johnathan Hale is a righteous and honorable man. He truly believes what he is doing is right. Reverend Hale is motivated by his honor and righteousness when he questions his own certainty and admits he was wrong by the end of the play. Reverend John Hale is motivated by honor and righteousness, but at the same time by reputation and pride. He is certain about the witchery in Salem and while having doubts refuses to speak up. Hale before the executions start to get out of hand is all for the witchery theory and absolutely believes that the girls are telling the truth. Hale’s wavers on the witchery theory after his talk with John Proctor. Hale realizing his error decides to say nothing out of pride and worry for his credibility. In essence he starts to question his own certainty about the situation. Hale’s motivation slowly changes as the executions continue. Hale’s motivation changes from pride and reputation to honor and righteousness. This is especially evident when he quits and breaks all affiliation with the court. He …show more content…
John Hale changes over the events of this story. Hale is so certain the witchcraft is real who would put his reputation on the line for it. Just so happens, he’s wrong, and he realizes it. John Hale changes from a prideful, ignorant, reputation conservationist, to a respectful, righteous, and honorable man. His decision to quit and openly oppose the court shows this change. You can how he openly opposes the court when he says “it may well be God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride.”(pg.206) He shows in this statement that he disagrees with the court executions because he knows that the people are innocent. That is also the main reason he tries to get the prisoners to
Hale is an intellectual man who takes pride in his ability to detect witchcraft. He was called to Salem to analyze their situation. "This is a beloved errand for him; on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he felt the pride of one specialist whose unique knowledge has at least been publically called for."
We have all heard the tales and seen the movies of evil witches cooking little kids up for supper. For the people of salem in 1692-1693 this was a reality. In the matter of less than a year more than two hundred people were accused of witchcraft and more than twenty were executed. In these historic events author Arthur Miller wrote a play about the people and events in this play there is a man, Reverend Hale is well versed in the study of witchcraft and has come to try and save the girls that have been gripped by the Devil. Miller has Hale change very much throughout the event of this play. In the beginning he believes that the Devil is at work in Salem, how ever near the climactic ending of this play he realises that this witch talk has gotten completely out of hand
Reverend Hale is a dynamic character in Miller's The Crucible as he is challenged by John Proctor's courage. He starts out very convincing and seems to know exactly what he wants. John Proctor is a very strong and courageous character. He influences Reverend Hale so much that Hale completely changes his mind about Salem, the court, and witches. Reverend Hale enters Salem as a very strong character that knows what he wants to do.
Reverend John Hale and John Proctor are the first to realize that the girls who started the accusations should be punished for their actions. Reverend Hale starts to change his belief when Mary Warren tells reveals that there is no witchcraft, and when the girls hear about this they start to turn against her. In the scene when John Proctor and Giles Corey are taken away into custody Hale says "I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!". Hale has now crossed a line between his old self who put all his faith into the court, to a man who has absolutely no respect for it. At first Reverend Hale leaves Salem, but returns to try and save as many of the accused as possible. While doing so, Hale tries to convince Elizabeth Proctor to get John Proctor To confess so that John doesn't die. Hale doesn't know yet but anyone who confesses will he sent to be
played a kind of a passive role, he always wanted to be in the middle
Statements from Hale show that he has realized the error of his ways. He decides to “shut [his] conscience no more” (223) and quits the court. Hale can no longer suppress his beliefs about the court and in effect, like Pontius Palter, absolves himself from the court. Next, Hale’s Words are used to show the immense amount of guilt that rests on his shoulder. Hale walks the prisons of Salem and, in knowing that “there is blood on [his] head” (234), “counsels Christians they should belie themselves” (234) even though he is also belying his reputation as reverend by doing this.
There are many secrets and hidden feuds circulating in the town of Salem that he is unaware of when he first arrives. It takes Hale a long time to come to terms with how wicked the town has become, and how they use witchcraft as an excuse to get even with those they feel have wronged them. He gets caught up in the trials, even acting alongside the court. Once the truth about Abigail Williams and her followers is revealed by John Proctor to be a scam, he vocalizes what he’s really thinking “I believe him! This girl has always struck me as false!” (50), “You cannot believe them!” (51), and finally “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!”
Salem citizens in general were afraid of all ungodly things with their Puritan views. They had no trouble believing that, because Parris had called Reverend Hale, (known for his studies in demonic arts), there must truly be witchcraft within the town. The play progresses and certain characters begin to develop: here is a community full of underlying personal grudges. Religion pervades every aspect of life, 'A man may think that God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now.'; but it is a religion that lacks the ritual of confession. Here and throughout the play we see how this affects John Proctor, a man so proud of his name that guilt eats at his very heart, as he will not let out his secret pain in a vain attempt to keep his integrity.
Reverend Parris and Reverend Hale share this motive because it would save more individuals’ lives in the town and validate that there are witches in Salem. Proctor has a good reputation in the town; therefore, if he were to confess, others would follow his actions. Parris believes John Proctor’s name in the village “...is a weighty name; it will strike the village that Proctor confess. I beg you, let him sign it” (1230). Parris begs Proctor to sign his confession on paper to hang up on the church doors. He knows if the village and others being accused see John’s name signed for confessing, it would validate that there are witches in Salem and that Parris did not call Reverend Hale for nothing. Hale desires Proctor’s signed confession because others being accused of witchcraft would see Proctor’s good name and they will confess along with him. Hale believes the less people who get hanged for being accused of witchcraft, the less guilt he will have to feel for being involved with these trials. Hale still has guilt for the individuals who have already been hanged: “There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!” (1224). Hale’s guilt starts to grow on him and he regrets his involvement in the witch trials. He knows he has already committed enough wrong doings, and Proctor’s confession would stop others from being hanged. Reverend Parris and Reverend
Because he is forced to accept that his beliefs have been messed with and realizes that he has sent people to their deaths, he loses faith in the law and questions his faith in God. Arthur Miller put many events into the story and tells about Hale’s mindset. In the middle of Act I, Hale comes and what he is called by the townspeople “The truth seeker”. Hale is called upon to determine what sort of witchcraft is going on. Hale arrives admired by the people who wants him to calm this nonsense of witchcraft down. He understands he being led toward the conclusion of witchcraft by the town’s wrong doings. He also begins to see a weakness in the position of the townspeople of Salem and tries to not let common things be the support for his
Hale does not start out as such however. In fact he is the reason the witch hunts are started. In the beginning of the play Hale is called to Salem to determine whether or not witchcraft is afoot. Witchcraft is expertise, and Hale, eager and naïve, wants to determine whether or not the devil is in Salem. His analysis is that Tituba is controlling the girls’ souls, leading the girls, starting with Abigail of course, to shout out various people they saw convening with the devil while they were under the control of Tituba. Hale, blindly and unquestioningly conforms to the rest of the town and believes the girls. In fact he leads the way, resulting in fourteen arrests. He is completely unphased by this, and wholly believes that they are all witches and that by arresting them he is doing God’s work.
The test that Reverend John Hale faces is whether he can change his character early enough to redeem himself for the lives he has caused to be lost. He is the character that shows the most significant transformation overall. When he first comes to Salem, he is eager to find witchcraft and is honored that his scholastic skills are necessary. He feels that as an exorcist, it is his duty to help pe...
As Reverend John Hale is not a resident of Salem, he approaches the accusations and rumors without any prior opinion. Hale is introduced as extremely arrogant and proud with his goal being “light, goodness and its preservation”(Miller 34). This phrasing strengthens his role as a man of God, but this is not actually displayed in his personality until later. He is very book smart and this leads to some signs of immaturity. This is shown in Act I when Parris questions why the devil would come to Salem. “Why would he [the devil] choose this house to strike?”(39) In response Hale says, “It is the best the Devil wants, and who is better than the minister?”(39) This shows he enjoys the position better than he does its purpose. He is also very eager.
Arthur Miller weaves many events into the story that contribute to the alteration in Hale’s mindset. In the middle of Act 1, Hale arrives and is perceived by the town as “The truth seeker”. Hale is called upon to determine what sort of witchcraft, if any, is occurring (Page 33-35). Hale arrives admired by the people, who all want him to claim it was witchcraft that has occurred. Although unsure, he understands he is being led toward the conclusion of witchcraft by the town’s false pretences and mass hysteria. He begins to see a weakness in the position of the townspeople of Salem and tries to not let common accusations be the support for his diagnosis.
Reverend Hale arrives in Salem thinking that he will become a hero and rid Salem of the devil. Hale is speaking to the townspeople when he says, "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!" Hale thinks that there is an actual devil in the town, and they must defeat it. He is trying to show the people of Salem that he is their savior, and that he knows exactly what to do.