Reverend Hale's Objectivity as an Outsider in The Crucible by Arthur Miller

The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, is a play that is set during the Salem Witch trials in the Sixteen Nineties. All of Salem is put into a massive hysteria during the play, all pointing fingers at everyone else. One character that Miller uses is Reverend John Hale. Reverend Hale fights his conscience throughout the play because he doesn't know whether to do what is right or what he is asked to do by the court.

In Act I Reverend Hale first arrives in Salem, He brings many books to back up his theories on witchcraft.

Hale enters Salem with the belief that he is God's messenger and he is there to drive out all the witches from the province. He is seen as the greatest intellect that people can turn to in this, time of need. It says in the book that, Mr. Hale is nearing forty, a tight-skinned, eager-eyed intellectual. Hale is part of the court in Salem and nothing will stand in his way to help stop the spread of witchcraft.

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In Act III Hale starts to change his beliefs in the court system in Salem. He starts to see the true dishonesty in the girls and how their lies have led to such chaos. Hale starts to see that many honest, respected townsfolk were being sentenced and hung.

Then Hales conscience starts to affect him. Hale knows that the trails are bad, but he is a man of the court and does not wish to overthrow it.

Hales's conscience overwhelms his current duty as a person of the court and he starts to help those who have been wrongly accused. At then end of the Act a respected man, John Proctor, is taken and blamed of witchcraft. Hale knows that John and the others have been falsely accused and says, I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court!

In Act IV Reverend Hale returns to Salem after awhile from his departure. He comes back to help those who have been falsely accused and does not have any ties to the court. He came back because he believes that it is his fault that the innocent have died.

This makes him come back to Salem to help those who sit in jail who have been persecuted. He tells them to commit perjury against the court to save their own lives. He tells the people, I come to do the Devils work. I come to counsel Christians they should belie in themselves. There is blood on my head! Can you not see the blood on my head!! Hale realizes that if he lets these innocent people die because of an object that is not really there, then he is somewhat of a Devils advocate and he does not want to be that.

Hale changes many times throughout the play. He starts as a man who knows nothing of his surroundings, but only what he holds in his books. The thing that Hale has above any of the residents in Salem is that he is not from Salem.

This proves to be key because he has no grudges and is not tied to any one so his opinion of the people starts when he first meets them. The only thing that hurts Hale in the beginning is that he is part of the court and that hurts his judgment, but because he is an outsider he easily sees through the girls and the whole scheme they have going. Reverend Hale is one of the key characters who brings down the Salem witch trials in the end.