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Who is morally conflicted in the crucible
Who is morally conflicted in the crucible
Comparison of the salem witch trials and mccarthyism
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Gandhi once said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” In The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, when characters are faced with differences between one another, they tend to show what they want the world to see instead of their true beliefs. Reverend Hale fights a battle between what he has been studying his whole life against what he feels is truly right. In the end he completely undergoes an important inner change, he sees the false accusations in the witch trials and changes from believing completely in witchcraft, to protecting the innocent and doing anything in his power to save their
Governor's Letter In Salem, the village was panicking. Suspicions rose from everywhere. I, Reverend Hale was sent for, for the help. I believed I could of washed away the wrong from this community. For the trials I stood, until new information was brought to my attention by Mr. Proctor.
At the beginning of the book, Reverend Hale was called upon to go to Salem, Massachusetts where he was assigned to help find witches because, he is an ordained minister who “feels himself allied with the best minds of Europe- kings, philosophers, scientists, and ecclesiast of all churches.” (Miller 34) This is a description of him that is used to show how he has a narcissistic personality and show that he is a man that believes that the word of God is the only way to truly prove one’s innocence. Towards the beginning of the book Reverend Hale comes into Salem with a stack of books he is struggling to carry. He says that the books are heavy because “They must be; they are weighted with authority”(34)
Being stripped of pride has the power to destroy us all. John Hale in the story of the Crucible is described at first as an “eager-eyed intellectual” (33) who is immensely proud of his knowledge and expertise in the art of witchcraft. He is the major force behind witch trials at first, however, over the course of the play, he undergoes a transformation. John begins to realize that it is the court’s pride in its “noble cause” that corrupts itself and blinds it from the truth of the matter. When Hale starts listening to the testimony of John Proctor, he begins to oppose the unfair trials of innocents.
Initially, Hale is unaware of the personal vendettas and hunger for land that can be attributed to accusations in the village. He tells the villagers “We cannot look to superstition in this. The devil is precise, the marks of his presence are definite as stone, and I must tell you all that I shall not proceed unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of hell upon her” (41) Hale is serious about discovering witchcraft. He is easily manipulated by the girls and their testimonies. But his stance changes.
The Crucible is a play centered around the Salem Witch Trials, which the author uses to reflect on human nature. Rev. Hale is an expert in witchcraft from Beverly, a town near Salem, and starts off by assisting the court in judging those accused. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Rev. Hale changes from feeling confident and justified in his beliefs to feeling uncertainty and guilt about what he has done through his manner, how he is portrayed, and his views of the trials. In Act One of The Crucible, Rev. Hale’s current demeanor, portrayal, and views are revealed.
Helen Keller, a disabled rights activist, American author, and lecturer once said “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” This quote relates to The Crucible by Arthur Miller by showing how a dynamic character changes throughout the story of the Salem witch trials. During this story, the character who goes through the most change is the character Reverend Hale. Through Reverend Hale’s change from a narcissistic holy man to a humbled, guilt-ridden man, Arthur Miller illustrates the realization of regret changing a man.
Reverend John Hale's amazing change of his point of view can be related to that of someone with a bad drug addiction who finally frees themselves from the darkness of their addiction. In Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, Rev. Hale undergoes changes throughout the play due to the ridiculous trials of witches in Salem, Massachusetts. These changes consist of his belief in who is a witch, the people he believes and trusts in Salem, and the outcome of the trials themselves. At the beginning of the play Rev. Hale is supposedly the "expert" on witches.
The goodness and honesty of a person is revealed when he or she faces a crucible. In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a strict Puritan town by the name of Salem is overpowered by the lies and deceit of supposed witchcraft. Everyone is subject to affiliation with the Devil and no one is safe from allegation. Two righteous men – John Proctor and Reverend Hale – compliment and contrast each other in their search to uncover the truth. As the play proceeds, Proctor and Hale find themselves and follow their own moral values.
A wise woman named Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Do what you feel in your heart to be right for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't”. In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, there is a number of characters whose true and honest actions eventually lead them to their unfortunate downfall. This play takes place in the 1600s during the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts. In the beginning of the play they introduce the protagonist John Proctor, a married farmer who in the past committed the heinous act of adultery with his former servant girl Abigail Williams, a moral less and manipulative seventeen year old girl.
This quote reflects that his perspective toward witchcraft has changed and 0signifies progress in Hale’s character, “Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up Beware, Goody Proctor-cleave to no faith when faith brings blood. It is mistaken law that leads you to sacrifice. Life, woman, life is God’s most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it . I beg you, woman, prevail upon your husband to confess.”
“Character Analysis over The Crucible” Arthur Miller is a commonly-known playwright, most famous for his 1953 play, The Crucible. The basis for The Crucible came from the witch trials which occurred in Salem, Massachusetts during the puritan era. Miller even uses some of the same characters in his dramatized play that were a part of the original witch trials in Salem. However, Miller made a few alterations to the historical members of the Salem society in order to suit his dramatic purpose in The Crucible, particularly Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Reverend Samuel Parris.
I conclude this from the following quotation said by Hale: “... I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face” (Miller 1281). Shown in this text is the depths Hale is willing to go to in order to rid witches in Salem. Additionally, it relays the message of how mementus and horrific he sees sorcery. Also said in the text by Hale is, “If she [Tituba] is truly in the Devil's grip we may have to rip and tear to get her free” (Miller 1281). The excerpt ensures his strong feelings about do whatever it takes to annihilate witchcraftery.
The Fall of Reverend Hale People’s views are constantly changing. They can be so confident in the beginning and afterward, they can be uncertain about their beliefs. This is exactly what happened in the Salem Witch Trials with Reverend Hale. Between February 1692 and May 1693, people were accused and brought to court on allegations of witchcraft. Puritans were a harsh branch of the Church who believed that they are God’s chosen ones.
After meeting characters such as Rebecca Nurse, John Proctor, and Giles Corey, Reverend Hale starts to question the ideals he was a part of. After hearing the story of those characters, Reverend Hale starts to believe that they are telling the truth and that they are not connected to the devil or witches in anyway. After seeing people that he talked with and seen them as the most righteous and Christian people being accused and hanged. Reverend Hale begins to question himself and wondering if he is doing his job right, or if his job is even the right thing to believe in. In the end of Act three, you see the view of Reverend Hale change and see him start to question the accusers and the court and anyone else who believes in witches.
