Preview

Why Is Reverend Hale Important In The Crucible

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
878 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why Is Reverend Hale Important In The Crucible
“The Spiritual Doctor”
A witch-hunt is an effort to expose ones disloyalty or dishonesty, usually using little, doubtful, or irrelevant support. In Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, Reverend Hale, a witch-hunter, transformed his entire perspective on the witchcraft trials in Salem. Although Hale is excited to help reveal the witches, he begins doubting the truthfulness of the court, and finally gives up on them. Reverend Hale is the best witch-hunter around and even that wasn’t enough to keep his perspective and beliefs unaffected. Fear and worry struck the town of Salem when Betty became ill and incompetent. Being concerned that it could be witchcraft they called in Reverend Hale to determine if witches are the roots of the problem. Hale was
…show more content…
This leads to Reverend Hale starting to reason that there are no witches in Salem. The whole thing seemed to be a hoax. Hale noticed and grew concerned that innocent people were being killed. The court was killing people with no legitimate evidence behind it. These injustices lead to Hale arguing the courts decisions. Although Hale started this job with his own reputation in mind he saw that these guiltless people needed help. Hale’s priorities shift from his own reputation to the reputation of the accused. Doing everything he can he wants to keep them alive and once again has God in mind. God does not want these people killed for no reason and Hale knows that and agrees. When everyone is being victimized Hale goes to the Proctor household to question them. Hale devoted a lot of his time to protecting the Proctors. To make sure the family is not accused he advises them to fix any suspicious actions. He tells the proctors, “God keep you both; let the third child be quickly baptized, and go you without fail each Sunday into Sabbath prayer, and keep a solemn, quiet way among you” (Miller, Act II, 70). He want’s the Proctors to lay low and show their love for God. This will show that God is their number one priority and they would not use witchcraft to jeopardize their relationship with God. Protecting the innocent in Salem is essential to the town’s future and Hale made sure he helped accomplish

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In The Crucible, a drama by Arthur Miller set in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, Reverend John Hale evolves from a self-confident witchcraft expert to a broken man who attempts to save lives. When Reverend Hale first arrives in Salem, he walks into the Parris’ home with an air of intelligence and great knowledge. As he situates himself in the house, he says to Mr. Parris, “… they [the books] are weighted with authority”, indicating that the books will decide whether a person is a witch or not (1.712-13). In Act I, Hale is the main person that begins the witch trials, because of the fact that he is a witchcraft expert and he gets Tituba to confess. His self-confidence, and lies from Tituba, Abigail, and Betty, leads him to think that there are…

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Despite being an educated man, Hale is fully embracing the witch-hunt and keeps advocating it. The people of Salem are too afraid to question the validity of the witchcraft claims because even “God thought him beautiful in Heaven” -an hour before the Devil fell-. How can common men of Salem identify the Devil correctly? “Ancient friendships” are no longer relevant because anyone, even a close friend can be in the league with the Devil. Although it is not important whether the person is a Devil-worshipper or not because the people of Salem do not “dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points”, Hale himself appears to believe that anyone accused has the potential of being a Devil-worshipper and worth to be interrogated. Since the way of the Devil is “so subtle” that the people of Salem “should be criminal” even to trust their friends now. The small bits of evidence seem to be forced or plotted, but according to Hale, all such proofs were real, “frightful”, and more than enough to be used to convict the accused. There appears to be a very thin line between being a devote Christian and a devil-worshipper, even to sensible Mr. Hale.…

    • 1306 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Coming into the Town of Salem, Massachusetts Reverend Hale illustrates a great deal of confidence with his knowledge and belief of witchcraft in Act I. Hale is known for being an expert on witch craft and as a “spiritual doctor”. Which he thinks very highly of as well when first comes to Salem. He sets his mind to persecuting the citizens…

    • 276 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the beginning of the play, Reverend Hale arrives in Salem eager to try and rid the Devil from the town. But in Act 2, his confidence starts to diminish when he goes to the Proctor’s house to investigate without the court knowing. “I am a stranger here, as you know. And in my ignorance I find it hard to draw a clear…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I came into this village like a bridge groom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; I beg you woman, prevail upon your husband to confess.” (Miller 132) Reverend Hale is trying to get Elizabeth to tell John Proctor to confess the charge of witchcraft in order to stop people from getting hanged in the first place. He feels if John Proctor confesses, his life will be saved, and everyone else accused will be saved too.…

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Crucible (1953), author, Arthur Miller brings to life many decisions that drag a respectable man to the noose. This play, based on the history of the Salem Witch Trials that occurred in Salem Massachusetts in 1692, though not completely true, does follow the basic line of events. This line of events begins with curious young girls who are caught dancing in the forest by the Puritan reverend of the community, Reverend Parris. An effort to contain the events by Reverend Parris, Parris’s niece, Abigail, and others backfired and resulted in the bringing in of Puritan priests trained in the topic of witchcraft, which quickly led to a mass hysteria of witches in the community. Once accused of being a witch, a citizen had two basic choices,…

    • 1126 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A morally ambiguous character who I thought played a pivotal role in the Salem witch hunt was Reverend John Hale. At first, Hale was completely convinced that the witchcraft occurring in Salem was in fact reality and was determined to get rid of it whatever way possible. He was constantly researching the source of witchcraft itself and how to destroy it. He investigated Betty Parris and the Putnam’s daughter to gather clues and evidence as to why these events are happening. He also talks with Abigail Williams and Tituba and aks them if they ever recruited others to be followers of the devil. Later in the act, Hale’s confidence and determination starts to slip as he cannot find legitimate evidence as to why these events are occurring.…

    • 432 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the act, Hale begins to realize some hypocrisy and corruption on the court’s part. It can be observed throughout this act that Hale is actively trying to suggest that those accused of witchcraft have a chance to defend themselves, yet is cut off by the likes of Reverend Parris, Salem’s local minister, at one point. Hale goes as far as to make an argument to the judge, Danforth, that “it does not follow that everyone accused is part of it,” “it” being witchcraft. Danforth proceeds to shoot down Hale’s arguments with arguments of his own telling him “No uncorrupted man may fear this court.” Time and time again, Hale attempts to suggest that those accused have a chance to defend themselves yet has his suggestions shot down by Judge Danforth. As John Proctor is falsely accused and taken to jail near the end of the Act, Hale “denounces the proceedings” and quits the court. It is clear that he doubted Abigail William’s testimony as shown in his outcries and even explicitly stating that “This girl has always struck me false!” in reference to Abigail. It is shown in him quitting the court that he longer believes those convicted, and accused, are…

    • 873 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “HALE: Excellency, if you postpone a week and publish to the town that you are striving for their confessions, that speaks mercy on your part, not faltering.” (Miller 120) By this point, some of the best people the village has to offer are scheduled to be hanged. Hale begs Danforth to lengthen their jail sentences, so he can convince them to falsely confess and save their lives. Danforth refuses on the grounds that it would be unfair to the 12 who have already hanged. The citizens of Salem are encapsulated in a flurry of fear. Hale blames himself for everyone who has died and everyone who is on death row. “HALE: There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!!...I would save your husband’s life, for if he is taken I count myself his murderer.” (Miller 121-122) Hale is driven by his desire to rectify the situation in anyway he can. It is no longer about his pursuance of the Devil and courtroom justice. His humanity has surfaced. Hale’s sole worry now is saving those on death row, by any means…

    • 2059 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He gathers that innocent people die because the townspeople are too afraid to look past the lies of juvenile women to discover the truth. The tragic downfall of Salem is obvious to Hale as he realizes that death prevails instead of justice. He clearly sees this dark cloud as ?There are orphans wandering from house to house; abandoned cattle bellow on the highroads, the stink of rotting crops hangs everywhere...? Hale finally admits to the horrors which had occurred in Salem. He knows that he signifies the spark that started the fatal flame throughout Salem, and he tries to redeem himself. As a ?minister of the light,? he has "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!!" The realization of his guilt unfortunately comes too late in the play as many have already died. Although Hale begs John Proctor, the last of the accused, to save his own life by confessing to a false crime, Proctor cannot be saved as he would rather die than to admit to a sin he did not commit. Hale recognizes that as a servant of God, he should be saving people?s lives, not taking them…

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    His change occurs when Proctor confesses that Abigail told him that the sickness was not witchcraft. Surprised and confused Hale says, “his eyes wide: Abigail Williams told you it had naught to do with witchcraft!” (II, 65). This is partially because Hale has never been in this situation therefore he assumes abnormal things are normal. Listening to John Proctor, Hale is convinced that they are speaking the truth and decides to testify on behalf of Elizabeth. No longer believing Abigail he opens his eyes to a different perspective on the trials that allows him to see that those who have confessed did so to avoid the rope and those who have not, were innocent . This burden causes him to change for good. At the trial Hale begins to realize that the trials do not make sense as he says, ““Excellency, I have signed 72 death warrants; I am a minister of the Lord, and I dare not take another life without there be proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it” (III, 92). Hale using his new perspective on the trials, he begins to doubt whether those who he signed to death were really guilty and in result he refuses to sign any more lives away until he seeks the truth. As a true puritan, Hale responds by devoting himself to save lives of those who have been accused. His first attempt is to use his power and save Elizabeth from Abigail's false manipulated accusation.…

    • 948 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of the play, Reverend Hale is a pompous and knowledgeable man who seeks to end any type of witchcraft in Salem. In Act 1, “His goal is light, goodness, and it’s preservation” (Miller 30). This gives the reader the impression that Hale has trained to be the best witch hunter ever, and his trip to Salem is his opportunity to test his new skills. His belief in witches is soo powerful he tells the people of Salem, “No man may longer doubt the powers of the dark gathered in monstrous attack upon this village”(Miller 64). He even goes as far as to falsely accuse Tituba of witchcraft. Violence is the first action used on Tituba, rather than looking for evidence against her, Hale decides to listen to Abigail’s claim with no regrard for Tituba’s side of the story. Hale is so blinded by the idea of witches that he does not consider the possibility that it may not be a supernatural force that is causing havoc in Salem.…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Reverend John hale was a minister from Beverly and witnessed Massachusetts’ first execution of convicted witch, Margaret Jones of Charlestown in 1648. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is about a group of teen girls convicted in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts for performing spiritual rituals around a fire; Which sparked the Witchcraft trials that Reverend John Hale participated in. My character analysis is on Reverend Hale because his dedication to the witchcraft trials changed, he had confidence in John Proctor’s innocence, and he regretted signing Rebecca Nurse’s death warrant. There are many examples in The Crucible that portrays Rev. Hale’s dedication status, confidence, & regret.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The struggle of Reverend John Hale is that he was transformed emotionally throughout the times of lies and treachery as he goes from unbiased accuser, to uncertain power, to defender of the accuser. This connects to Arthur Miller’s reason for writing this play because in 1952 the same thing was going on but in this case it was McCarthyism which is a vociferous campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy in the period 1950–54. Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” focuses on the inconsistencies of the Salem witch trials and the extreme behavior that can result from dark desires and hidden agendas.…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Entering these trials, Reverend Hale feels as though he is an expert on witchcraft. He is specifically called upon by Reverend Parris to diagnose his daughter and determine whether witchcraft is the cause of her illness (Act I Pg. 33-35). Although ambivalent about the nature of the child’s illness, Hale has a slight feeling of doubt that witchcraft has occurred. He understands that the townspeople are trying to lead him with false pretenses and mass hysteria toward the conclusion that witchcraft has occurred. He begins to see a weakness in the townspeople of Salem and tries not to let hearsay accusations be the support for his verdict.…

    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays