Thomas Kim #3
Ms. Lin
English Honors 10A
November 5, 2015
Reverend Hale and Justice
If a distorted justice seeks to exist and to disappear in a society, then there must be those who support and oppose it. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Reverend Hale played a key role in both the affirmative and the dissenting sides of the trials by promoting the existing theocratic justice, doubting it later on, and opposing it in the end, which sends a signal to everyone that the theocratic justice is not absolute and completely justified. At first, Hale initiates the witch trials by explicitly supporting the laws and the court. However, as the court’s absurdity increases with its attempt to maintain its reputation by condemning innocents to their ruins, …show more content…
For instance, when he enters Reverend Parris’s house to attempt to cure his niece Betty, he is seen to carry a heavy load of books that “…are weighted with authority” (Miller 36). Hale uses a metaphor to compare his books with authority in order to show that he desires to ignore any conclusion based on emotion and irrationality, and believes that these books would serve as a reminder for him to not hesitate when deciding whether an accusation against a person for committing witchcraft is justified or not. In addition, during his visits to numerous houses, including Nurse’s and Proctor’s, he notifies them about how their wives are either accused for committing witchcraft or “somewhat mentioned” in the court. Although Francis Nurse requests Hale for the release of his wife Rebecca, Reverend Hale assures him: “Let you rest upon the justice of the court; the court will send her home, I know it… Nurse, though our hearts break, we cannot flinch; these are new times, sir” (Miller 71). Through his solemn decline to Francis’s request and mentioning of desperate times, Hale indirectly asserts the validity of the court and its theocratic justice. The carrying of books and denial of Rebecca Nurse’s release show that he is a crucial catalyst that sparked the entire hysteria and the …show more content…
For instance, when John Proctor is in court, Hale “prays” Danforth, the deputy governor who serves as the presiding judge, to allow Proctor to return later and “let lawyers present to you [this argument]” (Miller 100). The tone in this quote is desperate pleading, which is emphasized by the word “pray”, as Hale strenuously beseeches Danforth to ensure that the trial against Proctor would be fair, not, as Hale believes, biased for the maintenance of the court’s name. Needless to say, Danforth, who deeply cares about upholding the court’s authority, dismissed the idea immediately, seeing that this action may undermine it. The significance in the dialogue between Danforth and Hale is that while Danforth is the most powerful person in the court, Hale, for the first time, attempts to dispute such power in order to maintain his principles about morality. He notices the court’s extremely biased judgment and begins to oppose it. As soon as Danforth orders the Marshal to arrest Giles Corey and John Proctor, Hale furiously condemns the court: “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!” (Miller 120). He can no longer ignore the ludicrousness of the court and tolerate its obviously falsified charges. This condemnation is the pinnacle for Hale’s transformation, because he, as one of the reverent officials of the theocracy, directly
Ms. Lin
English Honors 10A
November 5, 2015
Reverend Hale and Justice
If a distorted justice seeks to exist and to disappear in a society, then there must be those who support and oppose it. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Reverend Hale played a key role in both the affirmative and the dissenting sides of the trials by promoting the existing theocratic justice, doubting it later on, and opposing it in the end, which sends a signal to everyone that the theocratic justice is not absolute and completely justified. At first, Hale initiates the witch trials by explicitly supporting the laws and the court. However, as the court’s absurdity increases with its attempt to maintain its reputation by condemning innocents to their ruins, …show more content…
For instance, when he enters Reverend Parris’s house to attempt to cure his niece Betty, he is seen to carry a heavy load of books that “…are weighted with authority” (Miller 36). Hale uses a metaphor to compare his books with authority in order to show that he desires to ignore any conclusion based on emotion and irrationality, and believes that these books would serve as a reminder for him to not hesitate when deciding whether an accusation against a person for committing witchcraft is justified or not. In addition, during his visits to numerous houses, including Nurse’s and Proctor’s, he notifies them about how their wives are either accused for committing witchcraft or “somewhat mentioned” in the court. Although Francis Nurse requests Hale for the release of his wife Rebecca, Reverend Hale assures him: “Let you rest upon the justice of the court; the court will send her home, I know it… Nurse, though our hearts break, we cannot flinch; these are new times, sir” (Miller 71). Through his solemn decline to Francis’s request and mentioning of desperate times, Hale indirectly asserts the validity of the court and its theocratic justice. The carrying of books and denial of Rebecca Nurse’s release show that he is a crucial catalyst that sparked the entire hysteria and the …show more content…
For instance, when John Proctor is in court, Hale “prays” Danforth, the deputy governor who serves as the presiding judge, to allow Proctor to return later and “let lawyers present to you [this argument]” (Miller 100). The tone in this quote is desperate pleading, which is emphasized by the word “pray”, as Hale strenuously beseeches Danforth to ensure that the trial against Proctor would be fair, not, as Hale believes, biased for the maintenance of the court’s name. Needless to say, Danforth, who deeply cares about upholding the court’s authority, dismissed the idea immediately, seeing that this action may undermine it. The significance in the dialogue between Danforth and Hale is that while Danforth is the most powerful person in the court, Hale, for the first time, attempts to dispute such power in order to maintain his principles about morality. He notices the court’s extremely biased judgment and begins to oppose it. As soon as Danforth orders the Marshal to arrest Giles Corey and John Proctor, Hale furiously condemns the court: “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!” (Miller 120). He can no longer ignore the ludicrousness of the court and tolerate its obviously falsified charges. This condemnation is the pinnacle for Hale’s transformation, because he, as one of the reverent officials of the theocracy, directly