Wednesday, September 4, 2013

What kind of man is Reverend Hale when he first arrives in Salem and in act four, to what extent is he a changed man?

Rev. Hale, when he arrives in Salem, is convinced that he
must undertake every effort to "drive the devil from Salem." He believes that the
allegations of witchcraft are completely true at first, and his actions and words show
that he is interested only in proving that Satan himself is loose in the town through
the form of witchcraft. Hale, we must remember, is supposed to be an "expert in the
demonic arts," and the only person who is believed capable of exorcising demons and evil
spirits in the vicinity. By the end, however, his opinion has changed; he sides with
John Proctor and is saddened by his decision to hang rather than "sign himself to lies."
Hale, by the play's finale, realizes the falsehood and deceipt represented by Abigail
and the other girls who have cried witchery upon other members of the
town.

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