Analyzing the character of Reverend Hale: “The Crucible”

Mr Reverend Hale had a very controversial role in moving the story to the end how it had happened. Beside the other three main characters: Mr Proctor, Elizabeth and Abigail he was fourth biggest person who influenced the happenings the most. However, while the main characters played a kind of a passive role, he always wanted to be in the middle of attention. He was a very proud man, but naive as well. He though that himself is an expert in the mysterious world of witches. “a tight-skinned, eager-eyed intellectual. This is a beloved errand for him; on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he has felt the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge has at last been publicly called for.

This bad self-conscious brought to attention the witchcraft. The role of his character is a good example how a not completely reliable person can mislead a whole community. Mr Hale played a crucial part in starting the witch trials and initiating the madness in the town of Salem.

Though, he was the one who accused the girls of being witches and trying to get their testimony, he was always seeking the truth. He did not intend to make such a huge conflict between the villagers. Abigail used his willingness of believing in mystic creatures like witches, she realized that he can be misled easily. Moreover, through his convincing personality everybody in the town can be misled, too. Therefore, the madness was partly happened due to his intervention, because the others should have not listened or believed to him.

Hale’s goodness and naivety was shown through his enlightenment. After he had realized his wrong decision, he strived for persuading all the innocent citizens to confess cooperation with the evil that they obviously had never done. He did not take into account the people’s feeling of proud ness, he was only thinking in terms of life and death. He had never though the shame that other villagers would feel though their entire life.

His personality had many positive and negative effects that had the opposite influence to the plot. When his negative personality came along, the others suffered a lot, however, when the tried to help the innocent evicted citizens, it was too late.