Reverend Hale In The Crucible

Reverend Hale

“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt” said the entrepreneur, publisher, lecturer, and writer Mark Twain. Most times in any society, whether it be new or old, people tend to be afraid to speak up when they believe something is wrong, so they choose to just sit by in the shadows, watching as life unfolds. While this is an easy way to live, it can be more helpful and beneficial to others once said person points out the flaws in a society. In The Crucible written by Arthur Miller, Reverend Hale is one of these people that prefers to sit behind in the shadows and watch as the Salem Witch Trials take place. Consequently, he instead hurts himself and others by

However, as the play continues from the very first act to the next, he realizes that it is not wise to contain his disapproval and decides to take a stand against the trials going on in Salem.

In the very beginning of this play, Reverend Hale starts off being very calm and collected about the situation. As he enters the Parris household he is described as: “This is a beloved errand for him; on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he felt the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge has at last been publicly called for. Like almost all men of learning, he spent a good deal of time pondering the invisible world, especially since he had himself encountered a witch in his parish not long before. That woman, however, turned into a mere pest under his searching scrutiny, and the child she had been allegedly afflicting recovered her normal behavior after Hale had given her his kindness and a few days of rest in his own house” (Miller 1146). This quote shows that

This can be seen when Hale begins to question the evidence being presented to the court. For example, Judge Danforth states, “Reproach me not with the fear in the country; there is a fear in the country because there is a moving plot to topple Christ in the country!” to which Hale responds, “But it does not follow that everyone accused is part of it” (Miller 1196). What readers can take from this quote is that while there could very well be witches in Salem, Hale acknowledges that it does not suggest that every single person accused is involved. By doing this he seems to be piecing together that just because some evidence is presented to the court, it doesn’t make it accurate. In addition, Hale also starts to express his concern about people using their own personal grudges to benefit themselves in court. Particularly, Hale states, “Excellency, it is a natural lie to tell; I beg you, stop now before another is condemned! I may shut my conscience to it no more-private vengeance is working through this testimony! From the beginning this man has struck me true. By my oath to Heaven, I believe him now, and I pray you call back his wife before we-” (Miller 1208). By stating this, the once quiet Reverend Hale shows that he is finally done taking orders from the court and decides to protest the doubts he has. As a result, this leads Hale to quit his job with the court after Judge Danforth