Moral Issues In The Crucible

Improved Essays
The Crucible is an extended analogy of the 1950’s Red Scare written in a historical context of the seventeenth century witch trials. Throughout the course of the book Hale has many moral struggles that change and are affected by the honesty or dishonestly that is presented by the actions of the other characters. Reverend Hale’s moral struggles throughout The Crucible was driven by the choices and actions of the characters with the ultimate goal of maintaining justice. Whether or not the character’s were telling the truth or not, affected the struggle that Hale has with making the right choice. Hale’s choices were influenced by the character 's decision to be honest due to the fact that they thought it benefit them to lie in some situations. …show more content…
But in this situation Abigail was lying which lead to the struggle of Hale having to make the right decision depending on what story he believed. Hale would always try his best to look at all of the facts and get to the bottom of the situation, in the most reasonable way possible. But as the book went on and the problem came to an end Hale never took the side of Abigail. Hale said “I believe him. Pointing at Abigail: This girl has always struck me false!” (106), this shows that Hale saw through the lies of Abigail. By her putting the blame on others made it harder for Hale and increased his moral struggle. Such as from the beginning of the play Abigail started out by putting the blame on Tituba. Abigail realizes that after she denied herself not being involved in witchcraft, she feels the guilt but she still puts the blame on Tituba. Abigail tried to protect herself by directing everything towards Tituba, she said “I never sold myself! I’m a good girl! I’m a proper girl! …show more content…
He hoped to keep his ruling, points and beliefs equal for everyone, by trying to help all even with the differences in stories he was hearing. But Hale also wanted to keep justice by providing the support and assistance for all that had been accused. When Hale says “Proctor, I cannot think God be provoked so grandly by such a petty cause. The Jails are packed-- our greatest judges sit in Salem now-- and hangin’s promised. ...Were there murder done, perhaps, and never brought to light? Abomination?... Think on cause, man, and let you help me to discover it.” (75) He says this to Proctor when he loses his temper due to his wife being accused. Proctor tries to protect his wife but he surely isn’t in the best situation for doing so with him also being involved with the accusations. Hale says this intending to try to calm Proctor down, but also hoping he can do his best to help with the situation. With the pleasure that is put on Hale when he is helping and figuring out the trails, goes along with the authority in his position that he has to respect the final results whether they guilty and the

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Hale is still towards the hunt, yet he starts to draw back from it. Hale begins to see the harm he is doing. Hale shows up at Proctor door alone late one night hinting that he is second guessing what conclusions he had made. The moment that Abigail is noticed for her transparent machination’s Hale looses it.…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Proctor responds with, “Good. Then her saintliness is done with. We will slide together into our pit; you will tell the court what you know,” (80). This portrays a sense of desperation for Elizabeth’s freedom and self-hatred for himself. Proctor wants nothing more than to make things right between Elizabeth and himself.…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When witchcraft expert John Hale comes to Salem to investigate accusations of witchcraft he has a rather methodical and calm demeanor. However, as his stay progresses he feels more pressure and becomes more fearful that witches are in Salem. He questions John Proctor about his Ten Commandments and when Proctor cannot remember them all he equates the study of God to a fortress and alludes to the fact that he has no tolerance for people who do not have a strong religious beliefs. Hale is scared that crack in the fort will overrun it just like modern anti-illegal immigration activists feel illegal immigrants are overrunning their country.…

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The people of Salem believe Abigail’s information and accusations she provides because Abigail is their only source of information, and there is absolutely no one who can counter her claims and disprove the unknown. Towards the end of Act 1, Abigail pretends that she “danced for the Devil” and that she “wrote in his book” so Reverend Hale will continue to believe Abigail’s absurd accusations against the townspeople (48). As the trouble-making Abigail realizes that the townspeople will believe anything she says, she begins to abuse this sudden source of power, accusing many in the town, even when they have not done anything wrong. Abigail gains Hale’s trust as well and knows that by claiming she was in contact with the Devil, Hale will first come to her for answers regarding witchcraft. Abigail is originally a female servant with a low voice in the town of Salem, but as power shifts to herself, she suddenly becomes a powerful accuser in the Salem court…

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Here, Hale reveals that, although he once had the utmost faith in the witch trials, and loyalty to the court, he is now questioning his beliefs and trusts. He is relinquishing his faith in the trials because of the arrest of the reputable members of the community. Hale now understands that if decent, blameless people, such as Proctor’s wife Elizabeth, are being arrested, it must mean there are faults in the court and in the accusers. While Hale once supported the witch trials, and truly believed that there were witches in Salem, the arrest of more highly regarded citizens modifies his perspectives and beliefs, and causes him to doubt the…

    • 1031 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As a cause of Abigail 's lies and deception to prove the girls and her side of the story true nineteen innocent townsfolk die those deaths are all Abigail 's fault. If she had told the truth about what really happened in the forest the dark cloud that were the witch trials never would have commenced. In this background Reverend Hale is…

    • 1367 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hale has finally took a stand against the court and is now on the side of justice, rather than the side of power. He begs the court to “stop now before another is condemned” (Miller 105). Hale realizes that so many innocent lives have been taken due to a misunderstanding, and desperately tries to prevent even more from being taken. After both John Proctor, and Giles Corey are taken to jail, Reverend Hale is appalled by the actions taken by the court and says “I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court” (Miller 111)! Knowing that he no longer stands a chance to change the mind of the court,…

    • 1020 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, the town of Salem, Massachusetts is in hysteria as the dark forces of witchcraft become evident. Honest, religious, and an expert witch hunter, Reverend Hale is called upon to investigate the “bewitching” of Betty Parris. He is motivated by his desire to help the people and save the town from the presence of the evil, but has a change of heart when he realizes everything is not as it seems. The truth captures his attention and directs him towards saving the corrupt ways of Salem before it is too late. Miller uses Hale to portray truthfulness in society by illustrating his development from a naive opinionated individual to a compassionate soul who acknowledges validity and strives for justice.…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Out of fear, blame is often presented to those who come off as an easy target. Taking the easy way out seems a lot simpler then risking oneself pride and status, and this way creates a multitude of problems. Not only is the blame made off of assumptions and past grudges, but oftentimes the accusations are made from a type of deeply felt resentment that boils below. Whether this blame is made based on skin color or reputation, or whether the accusation is made out of a sense of greed and want for more, the scenario is that oftentimes taking the easy way out becomes a much more complicated circumstance.…

    • 1435 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Arthur Miller’s The crucible, Reverend Hale’s character changes dramatically over the course of the play. The town of Salem was overrun with fears of witchcraft, so they called in a renowned witch hunter, Reverend Hale. When Mr.Hale initially came to Salem, he brought the attitude that there was definitely witchery present in the town. But,the longer Hale stayed in Salem, he realized that his first thought may not have been true. By the time the play ended, the Reverend’s mind had been completely changed.…

    • 1037 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Crucible Justice Quotes

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The crucible was a play that was written by the man Arthur Miller, this play was based and surrounded on the Salem witch trials. The Salem witch trials happened in 1692 but Arthur had written this play to show the familiarity in which unfair laws and justice were served in the Second red scare. Witches were on trial in Salem, communists were also pegged for being a danger into the society in this point of time. People were accused of breaking laws that were just absurd and then the worst punishment they could have received was death. In the play he shows the detail of how people were blaming each other just to cover themselves from the powerful people in the justice system.…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He seems to be the only authoritative figure that has morals and wants to prevent further mistakes. Furthermore, he does not involve himself in the trials for selfish gains or to save himself, but rather to achieve justice in a town full of corruption. Hale is a crucial part of the Puritan theocracy and their aim to dispose of any and all witches in Salem, however, he is the only authority that is able to see the hysteria for what it truly is. At first, Hale is adamant he must find and convict a witch for conspiring with the Devil, however, as soon as he realizes the entire event was a lie, he immediately tries to right his wrongs. He struggles internally as he sees the obvious delusion set by Abigail Williams and her followers, but does not know how to convince the rest of the court he is telling…

    • 1307 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    John Proctor ripped the Elizabeth 's arrest warrant, and after Hale tells him that they will prove Elizabeth innocent, he said, “If she is innocent! Why do you never wonder if Parris be innocent, or Abigale? Is the accuser always holy now?” (Miller 204) In…

    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction and Thesis Statement – Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a novel set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Its primary focus is the description of the chaos, struggles and difficulties which arise as a result of the witch trials taking place during this time. The Crucible has been referred to as a “Morality” play. A morality play is a drama in which the characters personify qualities or concepts such a having virtues or vices and generally involves a conflict between right and wrong or good and evil from which a moral lesson may be drawn. There are numerous characters and circumstances in The Crucible that support the assertion that it does indeed represent a morality play.…

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Crucible Critical Analysis In every human, there exists an impulse to harm or help. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible takes place in a community that believes a person and their reputation are more important than living honestly and helping others. Many acts of selfishness, which occur in the town of Salem, bring about immense consequences. The themes of dishonesty and deceit are important aspects in The Crucible because they reveal the drastic character developments of the protagonist and antagonist.…

    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays