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Reverend Hale

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Reverend Hale
Reverend Hale

The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is a play that takes place in the sixteen nineties during the famous but tragic witch trials. Reverend Hale who is a minister and an expert of the demonic arts and witchcraft is sent from East Hanover to Salem where there is a spreading fear of witchcraft. When Hale arrives in Salem he finds the entire town in total chaos. At the beginning Hale is adamant in believing that they're where witches and that nothing but good could come of his being there. Near the end when the truth has been exposed, Hale with so much blood on his head pleads : ‘‘ I come to do the Devil's work. I come to counsel Christians they should belie themselves. There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!'' (Miller,131).

For Reverend Hale the witch hunt in Salem is the scene of a moral journey as he eventually makes a complete turn around in thoughts and beliefs as he is forced to see certain realities. At the start of Reverend Hale's metamorphosis he is so sure of himself and of his belief, in witches, that he even inadvertently eases their lying. At this point when he meets Parris and the girls who have been ‘‘ bewitched'' he encourages them to talk about their being bewitched, and puts some words into their mouths, but he only does this because he really believes in witches, and believes the girls' stories. This back fires however, and helps the girls with their lies. Soon after the trials begin Hale begins to have doubts in the girls. Hale has been seeing respectable people being charged, and this has flickered a doubt in his mind. After a few days of court Hale visits several households without the courts authority, and goes to John Proctors house to have a few words with John and his wife . At the end of the talks Proctor states : ‘‘ And why not, if they must hang for denying it? There are them that will swear to anything before they'll hang ; have you never thought of that?'' (69).

Hale knows that people

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