Crucible Essay

Instances of harsh and disreputable times throughout history are seen quite frequently. A byproduct of this struggle can be mirrored from those select few who struggle to persist and become stronger. A parallel occurrence of this could be illustrated in Arthur Millers playwright the Crucible. The specific character that develops in Salem village is Reverend Hale, who is considered to be an expert on witchcraft.

In the beginning of Act I Reverend Hale is summoned to Salem for his renowned knowledge of sorcery. He has come to investigate the unknown ailments of Minister Paris's daughter, Betty. Hale expresses himself with precision and unparalleled intellect. He thrives for evidence that will declare someone in Salem a witch. He eludes them with promises such as, "..We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise... I shall not precede unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of hell upon her...". This statement can be deemed somewhat ironic for he already believes that this town in Salem Massachusetts is greatly burdened with satanic activities. His aggressive nature can be illustrated through his hard hitting conversations with the Barbados slave Tituba. John leads her into a corner, making Tituba announce herself a witch then implicates four others with this charge to relieve pressure from herself. In Act I Hale would jump on anyone who was deemed to be affiliated with witchcraft. Giles an elderly member of the Church conversed with Hale about the strange literature that his wife reads and as a result he cannot pray in her presence. John takes this into account and provides this flimsy piece of evidence to the court and later his wife is accused. At the end of Act I Reverend Hale could be described as en enthusiast in the hunt for witchcraft and will stop at nothing to rid this town of the devil.

In Act II of the Crucible John's character comes to a stunning realization of this manipulative web spun by Abigail Williams . In the beginning of the act Hale comes to the Proctors house and lays out many suspicions of the devils presence in Elizabeth. He inquires about their rare appearances in the Church and for