Even if we have a lot of knowledge, any inexperience we have can have consequences in the present situation. The book The Crucible embodies ignorance and the unknown: people rely on someone who has intel instead of distrusting them because nobody knows what is going on. Before delving deep into the philosophical explanation, let’s explain the book first. The Crucible is written by Arthur Miller and published in 1953, it’s about a close-knit religious community in Salem, Massachusetts that delved into hysteria after a rumor about witches lurking about in their haven. Once the rumor became more popularized throughout the Salem community, witch-bounty hunters from New York came to assess the situation. However, they believed those rumors and brought judges to force people to either say that they were witches or get executed. …show more content…
John Hale, a character in The Crucible, tried to stand up and help because he understood that the rumor was a lie, but failed to do so since the people who were more powerful than him didn’t want to stop because they couldn’t accept that they were wrong. John Hale was sent to the small community where The Crucible takes place to help the other witch-bounty hunters to solve the case and free the small community of the witches. John Hale is an expert in identifying witches and he enjoys helping people, he understood that the rumor was indeed a lie once the Proctor family told their testimonies before going into court. He attempted to emotionally help the family to lie but to no avail, so he tried convincing the judges to stop with the execution and public shaming didn’t work, he felt extremely guilty about the whole situation and decided to first help the citizens and then criticize the whole justice system. A quote that contributes to this is “You have confessed
The tragic tale of the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts was re-written by Arthur Miller in the form of the play “The Crucible”. The trials have been studied to figure out what really happened, but no one will ever know since it happened decades ago. The play is the closest reenactment we have to help us see how people could have reacted to life. “The Crucible” shows how using others as a cushion to keep from being punished can go extremely bad. Amidst all the chaos a man by the name Reverend John Hale came to help but ended up with making it a huge amount worse.
Hale has a lot of wisdom to share with Salem. " Man, remember, until an hour before the devil fell, God thought him beautiful in heaven," (p. 71); ".private vengeance is working through testimony," (p. 114). John Proctor is a strong and courageous character who will not give in easily to his accusers. In the end of The Crucible he denies the charges of witchcraft.
Sometimes people are so narrow-minded that they do not see the whole picture. People see what they want to see because they cannot handle the actuality or do not like the truth. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Danforth refuses to come to the truth that the witch trials in Salem were the result of a cover-up, and that the court hung a handful of innocent people because of a lie. Miller once said, “The tragedy of The Crucible is the everlasting conflict between people so fanatically wedded to this orthodoxy that they could not cope with the evidence of their senses.” In other words, the tragedy of The Crucible involved the theocracy’s failure to control Salem’s witchcraft mania. At the time, Salem was governed by a theocracy, in which the ministers also had judicial power over society. Because the judges were ministers, religion took precedence over realism and pragmatism; they were unable to come to their senses and realize that the accusations of witchcraft were out of human emotions.
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
Lies. Death. Affairs. John Proctor had fornication with Abigail, who hates his wife and would do anything to make sure she was out of the picture. Abigail started the talk of witchcraft because her and the girls were caught dancing in the woods and she did not want to get into any trouble. John died because he was accused of witchcraft . Reverend Hale came into town and aided in pursuing the “witchcraft hunt”. In the book The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, Hale is the most responsible for John Proctor’s death because when he arrived in town he started the gossip of witchcraft, he pressured and inquired the girls to give him a name, and he left the court when he could have tried to salvage the innocent people.
“Hale: Why, it is all simple. I come to do the Devil’s work. I come to counsel Christians they should belie themselves. (His sarcasm collapses.) There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!!” (Miller 137). In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, a man is sent to Salem, Massachusetts to help get rid of the witches. This man’s name is John Hale. He helps get rid of people that are accused of witchery. The judge is still accusing people of witchcraft and because they will not admit it they are getting hanged. Hale is a dynamic character because at first he wants to prove that witchery is real but at the end he recognizes that a man named John Proctor was telling the truth and that the girls were lying the whole time.
Nationwide, students in history classes study and learn about the infamous incident known as the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Through textbooks and research, students learn about this event from a factual and objective point of view. Students learn such facts like 19 men and women were hanged because they were convicted of witchcraft. Students learn the essential information as deemed important by their teacher; yet, students do not have the opportunity to learn about the trials from a subjective and personal point of view. Arthur Miller uses such a view point in his play The Crucible, which personifies the sentiments, attitudes, and standpoints of the people in Salem who were directly involved in the trials. Through Miller's poignant perspective, he shows the readers another side of the witch trials through the eyes of the actual participants. One such participant in the play who provides the readers with this valuable perspective is Reverend John Hale, a minister from Beverly who is called to Salem to investigate Salem's eccentric problem. Nonetheless, Reverend John Hale's perspective does not stay constant throughout the entire play. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, the beliefs and principles of Reverend John Hale change dramatically, as the events of the Salem Witch Trials cause him to question his moral values and initial intentions.
While questioning John and Elizabeth Proctor at their house, John asks Hale if he is seriously believing the word of several children, and if he has ever considered the possibility that citizens are only confessing to witchcraft to avoid being hanged. Reverend Hale responds, “I have I have indeed. [It is his own suspicion, but he resists it]”(69). This is a key moment in the development of John Hale’s character, it illustrates that he may be starting to doubt the authenticity of the witch trials. It is also foreshadows his eventual decision to criticize the court and his own past judgements. During this portion of the play, Reverend Hale struggles with doing the right thing and following his
“Whatever hysteria exists is inflamed by mystery, suspicion, and secrecy. Hard and exact facts will cool it.” – Elia Kazan. In the crucible, Arthur Miller describes the witch trials and the hysteria that was caused by it. The fear of the devil overwhelms reason and makes the town of Salem even more afraid. In the story, Marry Warren falls under hysteria and through her, Arthur Miller explains that fear causes people to leave behind all their logic and reason.
...the beginning Reverend John Hale’s intentions were good, just like Joseph McCarthy’s intentions in the 1950s, but they both got caught up in their reputations. Reputation played a tremendous role in The Crucible. The fear of guilt by association became destructive. Reverend John Hale experienced the demise in his reputation. Reverend John Hale, although a sensible man, struggled to keep his sensibility. He believed he helped rid the town of the Devil, but soon after he began to doubt the reasons behind the trials. In the end he began to fear what had become of the Salem Witch Trials. Although Reverend John Hale recognized the evil of the witch trials, his comeback was not boldness but surrender. He persisted that survival was the highest good, even if it meant accepting oneself to discrimination, something that he just could not accept.
Miller’s play, The Crucible, is a fictional representation of the Salem Witch Trials, which occurred from 1692-1693 in colonial Massachusetts. He wrote the play to humanize the people involved, and to try and interpret their possible motivations to do all that they did. One particular character Miller focuses on is Reverend John Hale. Hale first appears in Act One, when the citizens of Salem summon him for his expertise on witchcraft. His presence sparks the witch hunts within Salem. Hale goes from being the main accuser and the investigator to later condemning the witch trials and the court’s rulings. Miller displays this change of view through the use of commentary, dialogue, and stage directions.
Today is the day that John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, known as the purest of Puritan women, and Martha Corey, wife of Giles Corey, are set to hang for being judged as witches. Hale comes back to speak with Elizabeth because he is uneasy with these three, who he believes are innocent, being hung. He was suppose to be this witchcraft expert, but in his conversation with Elizabeth, is shown to be doubting himself now due to all those who have died and are set to die. “ Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; the very crown of holy law I brought, and what I touched with 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. Like, 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 that he throws his life away for pride. Will you plead with him? I cannot think he will listen to another. “ Hale says. This shows the great guilt for all the accused. Arthur Miller has taken the highly confident witch expert and turned him into this guilt ridden minister who
John Proctor had broken some religious laws, including, working on the Sabbath day, adultery, and others, but witchcraft wasn 't one of them. John Proctor, though, was accused of witchcraft as a result of all the mass hysteria that had taken place. He, in fact, did not commit the crime of witchcraft though. John Proctor was urged to confess to doing the act of witchcraft and initially did. Reverend Hale had been asked to come to Salem to reconnoiter the area to see for sure if Lucifer was involved with the current events that had taken place. Reverend Hale soon realized all the lunacy that was taking place and began to suspect that the girls accusing everyone were pretending. His prediction was correct. When John Proctor was condemned, Reverend Hale was doing everything in his will power in order to persuade John to confess to witchcraft. If Mr. Proctor did this, he would be freed and his name would be written on the church. If he did not confess, though, he would be hanged by a noose. So this is why Reverend Hale urged John Proctor to
The Salem witch trials were a time period when any individual could be accused of witchcraft for numerous reasons. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller focuses on the deviation of the trials and how the town’s most religious and honest members of the community are tried with witchcraft. John Proctor, the town’s most honest man, is accused of being a witch and must decide if he should confess or not. Proctor’s confession will stop the town from rebelling and uphold the reputations of Deputy Governor Danforth and Reverend Parris. Hale also wishes for Proctor’s confession so he does not have to feel responsible if Proctor were to be hanged for his witchcraft accusations. The confession of Proctor would convince others in the town to confess to their
Explore Miller’s dramatic presentation and development of the theme of power and authority. Even though The Crucible is not historically correct, nor is it a perfect allegory for anti-Communism, or as a faithful account of the Salem trials, it still stands out as a powerful and timeless depiction of how intolerance, hysteria, power and authority is able to tear a community apart. The most important of these is the nature of power, authority and its costly, and overwhelming results. “But you must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or against it,” says Danforth conceitedly. With this antithesis, Miller sums up the attitude of the authorities towards the witch trials that if one goes against the judgement of the court