Reverend Hale in the Crucible Essay Example

Nationwide, students in history classes study and learn about the infamous incident known as the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Through textbooks and research, students learn about this event from a factual and objective point of view. Students learn such facts like 19 men and women were hanged because they were convicted of witchcraft. Students learn the essential information as deemed important by their teacher; yet, students do not have the opportunity to learn about the trials from a subjective and personal point of view. Arthur Miller uses such a view point in his play The Crucible, which personifies the sentiments, attitudes, and standpoints of the people in Salem who were directly involved in the trials. Through Miller's poignant perspective, he shows the readers another side of the witch trials – through the eyes of the actual participants. One such participant in the play who provides the readers with this valuable perspective is Reverend John Hale, a minister from Beverly who is called to Salem to investigate Salem's eccentric problem. Nonetheless, Reverend John Hale's perspective does not stay constant throughout the entire play. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, the beliefs and principles of Reverend John Hale change dramatically, as the events of the Salem Witch Trials cause him to question his moral values and initial intentions. Before the Salem Witch Trials even occur and even early in the proceedings, Reverend Hale arrives in Salem with a concrete commitment to authority. He comes to Salem with a determined objective to investigate the situation and to use his expertise in witchcraft to aid the people of Salem in their bedlam. He is not only considered an expert in witchcraft, but he also considers himself an expert in witchcraft. With an air of pride, Reverend Hale places a certain emphasis on doing things in a precise and respectable manner. He relies heavily on the power of the written word and pays no heed to superstition. For