Preview

The Crucible Reverend Hale Character Traits

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
156 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Crucible Reverend Hale Character Traits
When Reverend Hale first arrives to Salem, he is confident in what he's doing. He truly only has the intention of fighting the devil and removing him from the town of Salem. Being a specialist in witch removal, he really knows what he is doing or so he thinks. In his first major scene, he is examining Paris’s daughter. He quickly confirms that her ailment was caused by witchcraft; amazing everyone in the room.”Have no fear now—we shall find this devil out if he has come among us, and I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face!” (miller act 1) Hales confidence can be seen as him being full of himself but at this point it is not completely a negative trait. Hale has only one intention and that is to live out his dream of being a witch

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
  • Satisfactory Essays

    “I say I say, God is dead”. John Proctor said this in Act 4 when John refused to give his written confession to Governor Danforth John Proctor is a middle aged man who was married to Elizabeth Proctor. He is a hard worker and a sinner but he's also loyal and a good leader at times. I think of myself as John proctor when it comes to his traits because I am hard working, loyal, and a good leader.…

    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory 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

    A scholar from Beverly, Reverend Hale comes to Salem on Reverend Parris ' request to investigate supernatural causes for Betty Parris ' suspicious illness and thus instigates the rumors of witchcraft. Hale approaches the situation precisely and intellectually, believing that he can define the supernatural in definitive terms. Despite his early enthusiasm for discerning the presence of witchcraft in Salem, Hale soon grows disillusioned with the witchcraft accusations that abound and defends Proctor when he challenges Abigail. Hale does this out of guilt, for he fears that he may have caused the execution of innocent persons.…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 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

    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 changes-- although he does not lose faith in Puritanism, he does lose faith in the court and the ideals of the society in Salem. Hale arrives as an educated religious scholar who is brought to find the truth behind the witchery. He means well but ends up turning from the court and becomes incapable of stopping the executions. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Reverend Hale was able to use his intelligence to save himself from falling into adopting the perspective of justice of society. By being exposed to the residents of Salem, Hale gained the capability to see the truth, leading to desperate attempts to restore justice in a society full of insensible beliefs. Despite the victims’ innocence they will be seen guilty by society. At the end…

    • 948 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He is becoming more cynical and reasonable that he begins to interview the people of Salem to discover the truth. Reverend Hale goes to question the Proctors without the knowledge of the court because Goody Proctor is the ideal christian woman, but is still being prosecuted by the court on accounts of witchcraft. He confronts John Proctor to ask him if he has “ no belief that there may even be witches in the world” (Miller 40 ). This shows that Hale is worried and curious about what truly is going on. When John Proctor gets convicted in Act III due to Abigail’s transparent schemes, Hale’s confidence in witches is completely shattered. He is completely fed up with the situation and tell Judge Danforth that he will not “dare not take a life without there be a proof so immaculate no slightest qualm of conscience may doubt it” (Miller 214). He quits the court and storms out of the scene in pure anger. Knowing the misjustice going on in Salem Reverend Hale begs John Proctor to sign the statement that is a lie, but will save his life. As the novel progressed, Reverend Hale began to be more reasonable and open to other’s opinions leading him to become a vague man who is fully against the…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pride often leads many to be blinded, such as the reverends and judges of Salem. Reverend Hale, a specialist in witchcraft, has excessive pride. Due to his ego, he forces many to confess to…

    • 525 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning, Rev. Hale was dedicated, knowledgeable, and certain in the trials, but as the story rolled on, he starts to feel unhappy about how the trial was going and then lost all faith in the court system at the end of the play. In act one, Hale came to the town of Salem with his understanding of the trials as well as a stack of heavy books; he comforted the people telling them to not be hasty. In act three, Hale realized that there isn't at all any witchcraft in Salem, only corruption. At this point, Hale’s understanding of the trials altogether altered him to doubt the court and leave the trials. In the end, Hale’s dedication…

    • 614 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
  • Good Essays

    Samuel Parris and John Hale are the two ministers in The Crucible and were initially alike in their attitudes towards witchcraft. However, their personalities show some striking dissimilarities. Unlike Hale, Reverend Parris is characterized by extreme paranoia and egotism. He is very static- his traits and motives remain consistent from the beginning to the end of the play. Although a religious man and believer in witchcraft like Parris, Hale values human life and is motivated by personal beliefs and his sense of morality, disregarding his best interests. He is a very dynamic character, becoming progressively less confident and trusting of law and doctrine as his faith is tested throughout the ordeal.…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays