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Historical analysis of the salem witch trials
Witch trials puritans
Puritans during the salem witch trials
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Historical analysis of the salem witch trials
Witch trials puritans
Puritans during the salem witch trials
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Reverend Hale is motivated by the possibility of witchcraft. Hale said, “Have no fear now- we shall find him out if he has come among us and I mean to crush him utterly if has has shown his face” (39). This shows that
Nineteen men and women hung from the tree of destruction, for they were the ornaments of hysteria. New England was supposed to be a land of opportunity for the Puritans. During the summer of 1692, Salem Village proved to a wretched example of this; twenty people were falsely accused of witchcraft and were accordingly jailed and executed. Salem’s infamy has bewildered many, for nobody truly knows in entirety what caused the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Clearly, there were a few possible causes of the hysteria; however, envious, young, single women; sexism; and lying little girls stand out as the main causes.
Reverend Hale’s pride for his good intensions separates him from his morals to help the afflicted avoid punishment. Hale’s arrival in Salem sets the hysteria in motion, as he is a extremely enthusiastic and committed servant to the mission of eliminating witchcraft and the Devil’s work in society. Hale is confident that there is the presence of evil and that the townspeople should be aware that “the Devil is alive in Salem, and [they] dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points” (71). Hale is captivated by the idea of witchcraft that he is determined to do right in the society. He is encouraged by the apparent need for his services.
There is a certain polarity that comes with the territory in witchcraft. In most witch trials, there was a sense of “he said, she said”, one side claiming one thing and the other disagreeing. This seemed to flow into the realm of historical thought on the matter. There is a dividing line of external and internal interpretations on the subject of the witch trials, especially including the trials in Salem. However, I argue that the line between the external and internal interpretations of the witch trials is blurred, the sides often bleeding into each
In the year of 1692, 19 innocent people were forced to slowly walk towards a rope that in a matter of seconds would end their lives. These horrific events are something portrayed in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible. In Salem, Massachusetts, a mass hysteria violently spread the fear of witchcraft amongst the Puritan village. Reverend Hale, a so called “expert” in demonic arts, was brought in by Salem's most spiritual figure Reverend Parris to demolish any sign of witchcraft from his home. Yet, Hale is overall culpable for the tragedies that struck Salem because of his false accusations and narrow point of view.
John Proctor, a farmer from the Seventeenth Century town of Salem, Massachusetts, disbelieves the idea that the Devil can have any influence on the minds of the girls dancing in the woods. His belief that the children’s sickness had nothing to do with witchcraft does nothing to stop the court system from prosecuting and executing those accused of performing witchcraft. Although John Proctor provides clean-cut evidence to the court that witchcraft did not impact Abigail and her followers, the members of the court did nothing to stop the witch trials. One evening at the Proctor household, Reverend John Hale visits John and his wife, Elizabeth. He asks them a plethora of questions in an attempt to see if the Proctors could possibly have the Devil’s influence present in the house.
When Reverend John Hale, in the play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, signs the death warrants of multiple people, he unleashes an immense amount of chaos within the town, and himself. Reverend Hale enters Salem, in Massachusetts, “like a bridegroom to his beloved” (4.132) with intent to rid the town of the devil’s work. He hopes to help Salem by solving their witch problems through signing death warrants to those accused of witchcraft. Once Reverend Hale realizes the true corruption taking place in Salem, the deaths of innocent people flood his conscious and drive him to yearn for restoration of peace amongst the citizens in this township. Reverend Hale’s tragic flaws in Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible reveals Hale’s aspiration to revitalize faith and sanity in Salem, which in return lead to his redemption.
(35) This shows that Hale is so involved in his work that he could possibly end up accusing someone who was not guilty of witchcraft. Hale seems overly conscious about his own life and his duty to serve the people to find the devil in Salem; he doesn’t seem to like the idea that he himself could be wicked. This shows that Hale too, did not show himself to be truthful and courteous when it came to the
Reverend Hale goes on an emotional journey in the novel. His mind and heart are being twisted and turned when he starts to realize that things are not what they seem. His faith is shaken and watches as Salem falls partly due to his own fallacy. In the beginning of the novel a logical fallacy is set in motion the moment Reverend Hale is brought into the story.
In the book Crucible written by Arthur Miller took place in 1692. Some may believe that Reverend Hale is not to blame for all the deaths of innocent people in Salem. The only reason Reverend Hale is involved in this case, is because he is pushing his limits to get the truth. Also, to not let any guilty doers off the chain, for the reason that they will keep repeating their dirty crimes. There has been many witch trials taken place in salem, of which many people have been accused and persecuted.
At the beginning half of the play, for Hale it was strictly business by following the law to maintain order, and as time passed, he played a major contribution in the beginning of the witch trials. For instance, in his first scene of the play he goes into Parris' home to help his niece, who is expected to wield a spell cast on her, and is conveying an overwhelming heap of books that are "`..are weighted with authority'" (34).He organizes himself up to disregard any conclusions based on emotional association or sensibility by keeping within reach law-induced books to guide him. He assures that his books will help to maintain control over the emerging dilemma. What's more, when two church-going ladies, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey, happened to be accused of witchcraft, the ladies' spouses start to contend the case, yet Hale still seemingly defends the court. : "`I have seen too many frightful proofs in court
The Salem Witch Trials was a time period where tension and controversy arose from personal religious pursuits. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller used the character of Reverend Hale, a minister, and expert on the demonic arts, to display the raw injustice and hypocrisy manifested from his bibliocentric beliefs. Hale’s confident, formulaic view of Christian faith and witchcraft gradually changed. But as He came to Salem with much devotion to the church and with good intentions, he soon realizes the very evil he is committed to brought chaos and the overpower of authority. Despite Reverend Hale’s deep religious convictions, his naivety showed the fallibility of his judgment of others.
Hale had his thoughts changed about the people accused of doing witchcraft. Before, he saw all the people of Salem accused of being witches are guilty. However, he saw how unfair the court was being to those people and what the head of the court had been doing was wrong. “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court! He slams the door behind him” (Miller 1213).
When Mary Warren is in the courtroom, she confesses to lying about seeing spirit she says, “I am with God now” (1200). When Mary Warren says this all the things Hale heard from Proctor turn out to be true. Up until this moment Hale had no strong evidence to support there were no witches in Salem, just his supsision. Now with this confession Hale is set on helping those under accusations from the girls. Hale’s opinion during the beginning half of his time in Salem was that there were in facts witches loose in Salem, and anyone could be a suspect.
The witches are on the hunt for the innocent souls of Salem with Hale stating, “The Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points” (Miller 1251). Hale is determined to use God’s mighty hand against the “evil witches”. This shows that Hale is faithful to Abigail’s accusations against the common people of Salem. At first, Reverend Hale is eager to prosecute, but as more innocent people are condemned, his compliance turns into distaste. His dissatisfaction eventually turns into rage when Hale shouts, “I denounce these proceedings!”