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Reverend Hale Character Analysis

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Reverend Hale
In the United States of America, The Bill of Rights states that everyone is “innocent until proven guilty.” In the Salem Witch Trials, this right was not in effect. The judges accused people of being witches without any real evidence, they were guilty until proven innocent. However, Reverend Hale was one voice of reason. In The Crucible, Reverend Hale goes from assisting the accusers of witchcraft, to denouncing the accusations.
In the beginning of The Crucible, Reverend Hale is somewhat skeptical, but doesn’t reject the idea that there are witches in Salem. When he arrives, he states, “We cannot look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise.” (Miller 1146) This tells me that Hale is not ready to do something impetuous, and wants to do some investigating before anyone is indicted of any wrongdoing. Hale is a holy man, but also a man of substance and …show more content…
Because he knows the truth, he is doing everything in his power to help, and says “Coming to Danforth now: You must pardon them. They will not budge.” (Miller 1222) He knows at this point that he doesn’t have much power but is trying to sway the judge anyway. Hale tries to convince Rebecca, John, and Elizabeth to confess, because it is his last chance to see justice, and that is his main goal. He feels that the people condemned to hang are being falsely indicted, and because he is a good man, he is going to try to save them. Reverend Hale changes for the better in The Crucible. He becomes someone who is advocating for the rights, and the lives of good people. He stands for the modern belief we have in our Bill of Rights that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. By the end of the play, Hale exhibits his compassion through working for the falsely accused victims of the court. He also shows his candor by voicing his opinion to the court. Hale owned one of the only voices of reason in the trials, and sadly, the chaos subdued

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