Reverend John Hale in The Crucible

Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible" delves into the Salem witch trials, shedding light on the irrationality of extreme behaviors that stem from dark impulses and secret intentions. The author drew inspiration from the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. The story revolves around a group of young girls who were discovered playing in the woods, attempting to conjure ghosts, along with a slave. Miller used the historical events of the Salem witch trials as the foundation for his play.

Miller's play successfully captures the historical era and Puritan culture through its setting and mood. Learning about the Salem witch trials and society's paranoia during that time period is one thing, but experiencing the trials is another. By giving the nameless figures from historical personalities, emotions, and the ability to make choices, Miller allows the audience to fully immerse themselves in the events. It's worth noting that Miller did alter some of the names, ages, and occupations of the historical figures in his play.

Although McCarthyism is a thing of the past, Miller's play remains a timeless masterpiece due to his insightful examination of human psychology and behavior. The play delved into a dark period in American history when people feared the Devil's presence, even among their close neighbors or family members. However, Miller goes beyond the events of the Salem witch trials to explore the motivations and behaviors that drive human actions.

The play is titled "The Crucible," which is appropriate since it refers to both a container that can withstand high heat and a rigorous test. In the context of the play, the term takes on a new meaning as it refers to a test that aims to bring about change or reveal a person's true nature. Throughout the play, Miller carefully peels back layers from each character to help the audience understand their motivations and reconsider their actions.

Plot Summary of “The Crucible”

Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" is a play that centres on the events of the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts, from 1692 to 1693. It was published in 1953. The play opens with Reverend Parris discovering his daughter, Betty, participating in a pagan ritual with a few other girls and his slave, Tituba, in the woods. Betty falls unconscious, and when news of the incident spreads, a mob gathers outside of Parris' home. He fears that this could result in his removal as the town's preacher.

When he calls for Reverend Hale, an expert on witchcraft, he asks his niece Abigail and one of the girls who was with Betty what they are doing. Abigail quickly assures him that they were only dancing and warns the other girls to do the same if anyone asks, as there will be severe consequences if they admit otherwise.

Shortly after, a farmer named John Proctor enters and has a private discussion with Abigail. During their conversation, we discover that Abigail had a romantic relationship with John while she was employed as a maid in his home a year ago. This led to John's wife, Elizabeth, firing her. John advises Abigail to cease her flirtatious behavior with other women after she admits to still having feelings for him.

Betty, who had been in a vegetative state, suddenly starts screaming, and everyone gathered at the house is drawn to her. Proctor departs while Reverend Hale arrives to check on her. He grows suspicious of Abigail's activities in the woods and interrogates her. Reverend Parris and Tituba are also questioned, as Tituba admits to attempting to communicate with the Devil. She then accuses other town residents of doing the same. Betty also joins in, accusing people of being witches, causing chaos in the house. Abigail supports Tituba's claims, stating that she has witnessed many town members engaging in demonic activities.

John and Elizabeth Proctor, at their farmhouse, discuss the unjust detainment of many people due to the trials. Elizabeth pleads with John to go to court and accuse Abigail of being a fraud, but he declines. Elizabeth suspects that John still has feelings for Abigail. Later, Mary Warren, the Proctor's maid and a member of Abigail's group, arrives from Salem to inform the couple that Elizabeth has been accused of witchcraft. Reverend Hale visits the farmhouse to speak with the couple while Mary goes to bed.

Shortly after, Giles Corey and Francis Nurse visit the Proctor household to inform them that their wives have been arrested. The police are searching for Elizabeth, and John urges Mary to come back to Salem and reveal the truth about Abigail and the other girls who are deceiving the town.

The following day, Proctor and Mary appeared in court and revealed that Mary was willing to testify that the girls were lying. The judge then informed Proctor that Elizabeth was pregnant and would be given a temporary reprieve. However, Proctor was insistent that Mary provide testimony about the deceitful actions of Abigail and the other girls. Mary testified in court that the girls were lying, which was confirmed by Danforth. An enraged Proctor then shared that he had an affair with Abigail and that she was falsely accusing Elizabeth out of jealousy. Later, the girls were brought in and claimed that Mary was attempting to bewitch them.

During the trial, Judge Danforth questions Elizabeth about John's loyalty to her. In an effort to protect John's reputation, she tells lies, but Danforth accuses John of lying. Abigail and the girls continue to act as if Mary has bewitched them, causing Mary to accuse John of being a witch. John's emotions boil over, resulting in his arrest and Reverend Hale leaving the meeting. As time went by, Salem and its neighboring communities still felt unsettled because of the witch trials. Reverend Hale advises the accused witches to lie and save themselves, but they refuse. This makes Judge Danforth uncomfortable, and Abigail runs away with all of Parris' money. Danforth proposes that John confesses to save himself, so he asks him to speak with Elizabeth about confessing to the court. She agrees, and John also agrees but won't implicate anyone else. However, when the court wants to make his confession public, John tears it up and withdraws his guilty plea.

Despite Hale's protests, Proctor and the other defendants are hanged, bringing a stop to the process.  View Examples

Reverend John Hale – Introducing the Character

Reverend Hale is called in from outside Salem because of his knowledge of witches. He claims to be knowledgeable and informed on the issue. Despite his initial support for the trials and his fervent conviction that witchcraft poses a serious threat, he gradually loses faith in the girls' claims and the way the trials are being conducted. By the play's conclusion, Hale has come to see the trials as a farce, abandoned his Christian beliefs, and begun encouraging the accused to tell lies to protect themselves.

At the end of the play, Hale shows compassion, and though it's too late to stop the witch trials, the audience comes to love him. Hale is one of Arthur Miller's most recognizable characters, a man with good intentions who was misguided by his strong belief that witchcraft was widespread in the colonies.

Detailed Analysis of Reverend John Hale

Reverend Hale is faced with a dilemma between his faith and trust in people. When he is summoned to Salem, he takes on the role of a "spiritual doctor" to evaluate the situation. His duty is to detect any signs of witchcraft, provide treatment if necessary, and either convert or remove the affected residents of Salem. Hale puts his heart and soul into his work and beliefs, with a genuine desire to help those in need. Although Hale is knowledgeable, his interest in studying witchcraft makes him susceptible to being influenced by others, particularly Abigail. Upon his arrival in Salem, the sheer volume of evidence pointing to witchcraft is daunting despite his determination to only accuse someone with solid evidence. The pressure from the people of Salem causes him to accept their testimony without further investigation.

The audience should not judge Hale too harshly. Like Proctor, he makes errors in judgment and conviction that lead to his downfall, but he tries to make amends for them later on. Hale is the only member of the court who disagrees with their rulings. He is driven by a desire for justice, not a desire to challenge the court's authority or rebel against it. When he realizes that Abigail is a liar, he devotes himself to convincing the other prisoners to confess so they can avoid execution. To do this, he uses deceit to counteract falsehoods. However, he is unaware that this approach would only reinforce the court's defamatory statements instead of revealing the truth.

The play's action challenges Hale's faith and understanding. He is forced to confront the fact that he killed innocent people, and corrupt children have influenced his unshakeable beliefs. Despite the heavy burden of this realization, Hale is able to improve himself. He begins to question his own beliefs but still maintains some form of religious practice. He finds hope in the pure faith of those he had previously condemned, such as Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor.

Hale became involved in the trials due to his prominent position as a clergyman. The Governor of Massachusetts, William Phips, was a supporter of the trials and a close friend of Hale, which resulted in Hale feeling a significant amount of pressure. It is believed that Hale strongly believed in the existence of witchcraft and believed that it was necessary to remove those who practiced it from the community.

Suddenly, he had a change of heart when he found out that four people from his church were suspected of being involved in the trials. It hit him even harder when his wife Sarah, who was pregnant at the time, was accused. Although few thought she was guilty, it was difficult for him to see his congregation and wife being accused. As a result, he grew to dislike the trials and spoke out against them.

During his meeting with Parris and the Putnams, Reverend Hale delivers one of the play's most interesting lines. While they claim that there are witches in Salem, he cautions against hasty judgments and warns against attributing everything to superstition. According to him, the Devil is real and should not be underestimated.

Arthur Miller once said that the line in question failed to amuse any audience that saw the play. Miller believed that Hale would find it funny due to his belief in the superstitious nature of the Devil. However, since Satan is a real entity to people like Hale and many audience members, the joke about superstition fell flat.

Hale's intuition leads him to change his mind and believe that John Proctor is telling the truth in the third act. Even though Reverend was once idealistic, he openly criticizes the court, but it's too late as the judges have already made their fatal decision. When the hangings take place, Reverend Hale experiences remorse despite his fervent prayers and appeals.

In 1697, the same year Sarah died, he published "A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft," which was his own account of the trials. It was not just a depiction of the events but also an acknowledgment of his wrongdoing and an apology for the questionable validity of the proceedings. Although he did not deny the existence of witchcraft, he argued that the trials were driven by emotion rather than reason. His main purpose for writing the book was to caution future generations to act with caution and restraint in comparable situations.