In 1692, the colony of Massachusetts was infected by witchcraft that would lead to the executions and imprisonments of a myriad of people. In particular, in the small parish of Salem Village, many called upon witchcraft when Reverend Samuel Parris, the town’s minister, is kneeling next to a bed while, “His daughter, Betty Parris, aged ten, is lying on the bed, inert.”(Miller 1234) It becomes known around the town that Betty Parris and numerous other girls were found dancing with the minister’s slave, Tituba. Because of these events, Reverend Parris summons the so-called witchcraft hunter and expert, Reverend John Hale, to examine his daughter. Reverend John Hale was a man of great knowledge, who experiences a major transformation over the course of the crucible, a severe trial or ordeal.
Hale is described in Act I as “a tight-skinned, eager-eyed intellectual.”(Miller 1252) Arthur Miller continues to say that this would be a perfect job for Hale because his skills in the matter of witchcraft are finally being called upon publicly. Reverend John Hale makes his entrance towards the end of Act I in the bedroom where Betty Parris lies on the bed motionless. In this bedroom, Reverend Hale and Giles Corey participate in a brief conversation that consists of Giles asking Hale what is means when people read strange books. The reasoning behind asking this question is due to the fact that he often finds his wife, Martha Corey, reading books and then hiding them from him. Reverend Hale stated his answer but also said, “I’ll speak further on that with you.” (Miller 1258) This serves as an implication than an eventful witch-hunt may occur. Hale begins to simply question Abigail Williams on the actions that took place in the forest. This is ...
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...me passes, Hale experiences a metanoia. He realizes the courts and the law itself is flawed. In an attempt to try and solve the issue, he tries to defend the accused, persuade prisoners to confess in order to save themselves from execution, and beg Danforth to pardon certain prisoners. Unfortunately for him, it was too late for anything to change. Reverend John Hale was a man of great knowledge who experiences a major transformation over the course of The Crucible. Although his attempt to fix the problem didn’t work, his inner good was revealed.
Works Cited
“Background.” Literature – The American Experience. Ed. Susan Andariese, et al.
Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Literature – The American Experience. Ed. Susan Andariese, et al. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. 1233-1334.
Written in the 1950s, Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible delineates the situation of the McCarthy conflicts in America while the plays’ events revolve around the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692. In the play, two major characters are Reverend Hale, an expert on witches sent to Salem for investigation, and John Proctor, a man known for his leadership and hard work. Proctor and Hale, in addition to both being Puritans, are alike in their actions and motives since they both see the depravity of the court and seek to protect people from it. However, they have major differences in their characters as they have contrasting dedication to Christianity and the values that they live by.
In the beginning of The Crucible, Reverend Parris of Salem, Massachusetts calls for Reverend John Hale. Reverend Parris believes Hale is an expert to everything related to witchcraft and is the best in the field. Reverend Hale has been summoned to determine if there is any evidence of witchcraft in Salem. When Hale arrives, carrying a number of heavy books, he is confident that he can use the books information to help discover if witchcraft is truly at work in Salem. Upon his arrival, the first thing he does is examine Betty Parris, the daughter of Reverend Parris, who supposedly has been stricken with witchcraft. This may be the only reason Hale visits Salem, but he stays to assist with the sudden accusations of witchcraft that arose up around the small village of Salem.
He went from optimistic to remorseful though his dialogue, stage directions, and how other’s perceived him and as he tried to fix his mistakes by trying to save those he put in jail, he was able to gather sympathy from the readers. Arthur Miller is able to represent a larger idea through Reverend Hale in retrospect to Communism and society in general. After World War II, the American government spread mass hysteria of Communism which led to innocent people being accused and hanged all thought America. Miller commented on how people did not speak up on how unfair it was and let innocent people’s lives be ruined. This can also be applied to today’s society in which innocent peoples are attacked and barely anyone helps them or stand up for them. People still struggle to speak up because they may be putting something at risk if they do so, but society should get past that in order to make life fair for
Hale’s radical change takes place throughout the play in three stages and throughout the play contributes greatly. He is the model by which the townspeople follow, though they are behind him they do eventually take his stance on the trials. His conformity and inward questioning are quintessential examples of what every story needs: the unsure character.
At times that are difficult for people, people can change. For example, such as conflicts with people that they know has changed people, on the inside and on the outside. Such possibility is probable, such as the Salem Witch Trials, which was a serious time. When the trails came, they acted differently, some resulted to be more justified and some that was immoral. Throughout the book, we see the overall actions of Rev. Hale, a man who remains neutral; Rev. Parris, a man that wants to keep his reputation; and John Proctor, a man that tries to keep his honor, was resulted from the results of the witch trials.
Arthur Millers The Crucible possesses many examples of interesting character development. A character who one initially finds to be worthy of mercy or pity can easily become the last person deserving of sympathy. This relationship is not only formed between the reader and the characters, but between the characters and the scenario of the story itself. The victim may become the accuser, or the scholar may become the humanitarian. This manner of characterization is best shown in the relationship between Reverend John Hale and Deputy Governor Danforth. Each is objectified to the events in Salem as they come into the situation with no attachments to any of the other characters and are unfamiliar with any of their mannerisms or personalities. Hale is a well-read minister who relies upon his books. Danforth is a reputable judge who relies on consistent input and prodding. Both of these men enter the trials with very similar goals. The places they stand at the finish, however, could not be more different. This is due to the personal relationships and opinions Hale develops concerning Salem. Reverend Hale is a dynamic character who learns his role as a minister while Judge Danforth is a constant force who voices others opinions through his authority.
Reverend Hale’s Character traits aided him in maintain his morals because they gave him the strength that he needed to do the right thing. In the beginning he saw signs that he interpreted as actual work of the devil and honestly thought that Salem was infested with...
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...
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. The conversations that Hale has demonstrated the evolution of his mindset. In Act II, Hale is traveling around the town, going house-to-house, searching for accused women to warn them that their names have been mentioned in the court. Soon, Hale finds himself standing at the Proctor home. At this moment, Hale sees a different perspective on the entire situation.
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.
“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.
When Hale came to Salem, his heavy books gave him confidence.”They must be; they are weighted with authority” (Miller, 1279). By Act II, he begins to change in his belief, that what he has brought to
Through time it can be seen that the world’s history has a nature of repeating its self. Author Miller, was aware of this as he experienced a repitition of history of society’s flawed government. In the text The Crucible, the writer, Author Miller has identified and illustrated the problems society faced during the 1950’s setting by drawing parallels with the setting of the 1962 Salem witch hunt. This setting helps readers to understand the characters of John Proctor and Giles Corey.
Authors often have underlying reasons for giving their stories certain themes or settings. Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of art inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues. Set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, The Crucible proves to have its roots in events of the 1950’s and 1960’s, such as the activities of the House Un-American Committee and the “Red Scare.” Though the play provides an accurate account of the Salem witch trials, its real achievement lies in the many important issues of Miller’s time that it dealswith.
1. Bowers, Kristen. The Crucible by Arthur Miller: Literature Guide. San Dimas, CA: Secondary Solutions, 2006. Print.