Human beings have always longed to be accepted by others and often conform to the ideas and beliefs of those around them in hopes of being accepted. In Arthur Miller's, The Crucible, Reverend Hale, perhaps one of the men who are to blame for the trials, is a prime example of one’s desire to be accepted and needed all while questioning the actions of society. His transformation from an overzealous scholar to a man who regrets his own actions contributes to the meaning of the play. In Act I of the play, Reverend Hale was called over to Salem from a nearby village to examine Parris’s daughter, Betty, for signs of witchcraft. Miller describes Hale as an “eager-eyed intellectual,” who saw this call as a “beloved errand.” Miller continues to write how, “he [Reverend Hale] felt the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge [of witchcraft and diabolism] has at last been publicly called for.” With this description of Hale, the audience can sense his eagerness to please those who called upon him. Practically blinded by this opportunity to show off his knowledge of the situation, Hale almost immediately jumps to the possibility of witchcraft and pushes for the confessions and testimonies of …show more content…
Hale had to make the decision of whether or not to stick to what he originally believed. At the time, one’s word was valued and something one took pride in, so to switch from one extreme to another was a difficult decision- especially for Hale since he was a leading figure in the witch-hunt. Fearing ridicule, he decided to stand by his beliefs until he no longer could. In the last parts of the play, it is easy to tell where Hale stood on the topic as he decided not to believe what others believed simply because of what they feared. His transformation contributes to the meaning of this play as most major themes, fear, intolerance, and reputation, are in some way expressed at the actual