Reverend Hale Character Analysis Essay Sample

Reverend Hale Character Analysis Essay Sample haracter Study of Reverend Hale Arthur Miller’s play ‘The Crucible” was based on the historical account of the Salem witch trials in 1692. At that time 19 men and women were convicted and executed by Salem court. Miller depicts a particularly dark period in American history but he moves beyond the discussion of witchcraft and instead, he focuses on human motivation and subsequent behavior. Miller transforms faceless names from American history into living characters who had emotion, desires, and free will. Arthur Miller creates the atmosphere of a restrictive society with a Puritan culture that determined the life of that historical period. Puritans relied on religious doctrine to determine what was socially acceptable and their life was characterized by religious fanaticism and intolerance to what they considered inappropriate or unacceptable from the point of view of their religion. People of Salem summon Reverend Hale who is a minister in the nearby Massachusetts town of Beverly to investigate Betty’s illness and determine if it was caused by the witchcraft. Reverend Hale is considered to be an expert in identifying witchcraft. He is a ‘spiritual doctor’ whose job is to diagnose if the witchcraft is responsible for Betty’s condition and provide a cure either through conversion or by removing the infected people from Salem. Hale is the most complex character in the play. He approaches religious matters as a scientist and emphasizes on a proper procedure. Reverend Hale is an intelligent man, a naïve witch hunter, and sees himself as a philosopher and a scientist. He is motivated by a sincere desire to help and good intentions. He devotes himself to work, probing for confessions and encouraging people of Salem to testify. He is compassionate and logical and always remains calm. His approach to the situation is precise and intellectual. Unfortunately, Hale’s eagerness for discovering witchcraft allows Abigail to manipulate him. He feels overwhelmed with the amount of evidence and although he is determined to declare witchcraft only if he can prove it, he takes the evidence of Salem people for granted at face value instead of investigating it himself. Later, Reverend Hale makes attempts to correct his shortcomings because he is striving for justice. He experiences a remarkable transformation over the course of the play. When talking with Mary Warren and John Proctor, he realizes that they are telling the truth and Abigail is a fraud. Reverend Hale makes attempts to persuade other prisoners to confess and help them avoid execution by using lies to prevent lies. But he can’t understand that these new lies would support the numerous slanders that the court has already committed. The actions of the play test Reverend Hale’s beliefs in witchcraft and his faith in the law. He can’t deny that children have manipulated him and realizes that he convicted innocent people and sent then to death. He undergoes a serious internal crisis and feels guilty. His attitude to witch trials changes immensely. This understanding is a heavy burden that changes his outlook. He wants to help the accused witches and counsels them to lie and confess just to save their own lives. Reverend Hale’s quotes reveal his traits of character and show his transformations. At first, he thought highly of himself as an expert in finding witchcraft and devilry. But later, in Act Four, Reverend Hale admits his arrogance and pride, when he says that he came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion [] and what [he] touched with [his] bright confidence, it died []. He admits that he was doing wrong. Gradually, Hale changes. When he quits the court, he becomes a much better man. He grows from an accuser to sympathizer. Suddenly, be begins to understand that the church can be used for evil. Arthur Miller shows that all people are constantly changing due to different events that happen in their life. Besides, Miller shows that people are shaped when they react to these situations.