This book starts of in thefirst act laying down the foundation on how Salem was based.The author starts by telling in which how Salem was during the trials.It was a hard working town that people had strict values on how they based their lives upon.Books were rarely read, and dancing in the forest was interpreted as witchcraft.These people never celebrated much, but when the roof of a barn was installed everyone sat around and drank cider.
The play starts in the bedroom of Betty Parris, who after her father found her in the woods dancing naked, is now sick an unable to move.A slight argument is pursues with another woman, as Reverend Parris is pushing the doctor to find a medicine for Betty's sickness.With the prospect of witchcraft looming over his head, he is desperate.Hysteria is starting to set in and now a woman is crying that the devil caused the death of her seven children.A short while later they start to question the Abigail Williams in an interrogative way.That was when they shifted the interrogation towards Tituba, Reverend Parris' slave.Abby had made a comment that she was in the woods with them speaking in her native tongue.After speaking to Tituba is when he young girls start taking advantage of the mass hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts.Abigail Williams starts chanting out names like wildfire.By the time she is done, six names have been mentioned.Then suddenly Betty wakes up, and she said that there were four more people are accused.
Eight days later in the house of John and Elizabeth Proctor is where the next act takes place.John walks in and she serves them dinner while they have some small talk.Soon there after is when the friction begins, because the housekeeper went to the town of Salem for business of the court and John Proctor did not want her to go.When housekeeper returns she has brought bad news.Elizabeth name was brought up i
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The Crucible
"Which, Witch"
John Hale is the minister of Beverly, who has been summoned to discover and rid supposed witchcraft in the town of Salem, Mass. Before the end of act one he has already decided Salem is plagued with witchcraft, with or without concrete evidence to support his allegation. Reverend John Hale went looking for evidence of witchcraft, real or make believe. The three traits that best describe him would be both presumptuous, impetuous and towards the end of the play rueful for his actions.
Hale before the end of act one has already decided Salem is run by the devil, with no serious evidence to show. He exhibits presumptuous traits through act one. Hale uses evidence such as the death of Mrs. Putnam'sfirst seven children and Giles' wife reading of strange books which keep him from reciting the Lord's Prayer. It soon shows to be easy for Hale to find any false evidence, since Salem has more than enough odd activates for him to blame on the devil. Although he does express, "We can not look to superstition in this. The Devil is precise; the marks of his presence are as definite as stone, and I must tell you all that I shall not precede unless you are prepared to believe me if I should find no bruise of hell upon her" (38). Hale is manipulated by Abigail's lies and false fits into believing a slave has been casting voodoo spells on the children. He later comes across Tituba. After putting immense pressure on her to proclaim herself a witch, he is able to force Tituba to admit that she has been willing her spirit on the girls of the town. The Reverend at the time had not taken into consideration that she only admitted, for fear of greater punishment.
Rev. Hale throughout act two shows that he is becoming more and more unsure of the witchcraft possibility. He confronted Mr. Proctor about his faith, church attendance and about the child t
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The Crucible
The play'The Crucible' is a political parable, which addresses many main issues relevant to today's society. These issues are demonstrated in the play, by John Proctor and Reverend Hale. Reverend Hale is considered to be, and considers himself, an expert on witchcraft.He is initially summoned to determine whether the devil is in Salem and enthusiastically participates in the court proceedings.He attempts to convince the condemned to admit to witchcraft and save themselves from death. John Proctor is a stern, harsh-tongued man, who hates hypocrisy. Nevertheless, he has a hidden sin-his affair with Abigail Williams-that proves his downfall. When the hysteria begins, he hesitates to expose Abigail as a fraud because he worries that his secret will be revealed and his good name will be ruined.
John Proctor's affair with Abigail is an example of one of the conflicts John had in "The Crucible". This causes a lot of anxiety on John's part. He feels extremely guilty for committing the crime of adultery and for betraying his wife Elizabeth and his children. He had to face up to the fact that he sinned -that he was wrong to have an affair with Abigail.
Another conflict John has in the play is when he is trying to denounce the girls and Abigail as liars or frauds. The girls, led by Abigail, put on a great show for the judges. Everything they did in the court was an act so that they weren't convicted as witches.
John has also another conflict, which is with himself. He has been put to the test to see how truly a hero he is. Because of his crime, he either had to choose whether or not to lie and live, or to sacrifice his life and die with a good name and a good conscious.
As well as John Proctor, Reverend Hale also has been put to many tests. Thefirst one is that he had to decide whether or not he was going to support the actions of the court, or to go with the girls. He also wanted the peopl…