Reverend Hale Essay
Reverend Hale Essay
According to Merriam-Webster´s dictionary, the term ¨crucible¨ means a vessel used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat. Arthur Miller strategically chooses this term to title his play, The Crucible, because the people of Salem endure a heated tension of false accusations about witchcraft. Like a melting pot, people´s land lust, personal hatreds, and fears motivated the town to persecute innocent people. The play is set in 1692, and many Miller portrays many characters represented in our American history. Reverend Hale is a conceited minister who comes to town believing he can exterminate said witches. Ultimately, he doubts his judgement and becomes guilt ridden until he realizes his contribution to the mass hysteria. Miller illustrates the idea that theocracy and good intentions can still lead to calamity.
In Act I, Reverend Hale hunts for witches among innocent women and arrogantly believes he is the one to deliver the town from evil. When he first comes, Miller describes Hale feeling like “the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge has at last been publicly called for¨