What is the significance of reverand hales questioning proctor

This initial storm of confessions and ensuing hysteria eventually led to the condemnation of people he knew to be innocent. He signed seventy-two death warrants pg. The only way Hale thinks he can make up for this is by returning to Salem and convincing the accused to save their own lives, even if they must lie to do so. He does not consider that signing a confession is essentially the same as death to someone like Rebecca Nurse, whose whole identity is based on her integrity and piousness.

Hale is ultimately only looking out for his own peace of mind and spiritual wellbeing. And God did say unto Reverend Hale, " yolo. So what actually happens in Act 4? What does the ending of the play mean?

Check out our full summary of the last act of The Crucible. If you want to back up a little bit to the heightened courtroom drama of Act 3, you can also read our full Act 3 summary , complete with key quotes and thematic analyses. Read our answer and explanation. We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score.

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See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers. How to Get a Perfect , by a Perfect Scorer. What does Hale advise the proctors to do? What does Reverend Hale visit the proctors home? What questions does Hale ask the proctors?

Is Hale a good person? What do we learn about Hale and what qualifies him to discern witchcraft? What does Reverend Hale think of others? What kind of person is Reverend Hale? Is Abigail in love with Mr Putnam? Is Reverend Hale a hero or villain? Is Reverend Hale a tragic hero?

What happens to Reverend Hale? Is Giles Corey a tragic hero? Is Giles Corey good or bad? Why did Giles Corey refuse to confess? What does John do with his confession to witchcraft? Did Giles Corey really say more weight? What were Giles last words? Why did Giles Corey accuse his wife? What does it mean to be pressed to death? What happened to the dead bodies of the convicted witches? Who was the youngest person jailed for witchcraft? When was the last witch burned?

What really caused the Salem witch trials? Why the Salem witch trials are important? Although Hale is hesitant to believe that Rebecca could be guilty, he will not dismiss the possibility.

At this point the play introduces the issue of an individual's works. The Puritans looked to the Scriptures as a guide for daily life. They did not believe that faith was a sufficient indication of religious dedication, unless a person demonstrated that faith through good deeds. Not surprisingly, the Proctors argue with Hale over Rebecca, considering her history of good works. Hale seems willing to discount Rebecca's past works, even though Puritan ministers preach that God judges people according to their works.

Hale extends this argument when he questions Elizabeth regarding whether or not she believes in witches. Elizabeth denies the fact that witches exist because of Hale's attitude toward Rebecca. Elizabeth does not believe that Rebecca can possibly be a witch because the idea contradicts the morality of the Scriptures. Elizabeth knows that suspicion hangs over her also. Elizabeth has devoted her life to moral goodness and charity; therefore, she refuses to acknowledge the existence of witches when the court could label her as one.

Proctor's statement that Abigail admitted she was faking the entire witchcraft incident forces Hale to reexamine his own faith and actions in the preceding events. Hale realizes that good intentions and a firm commitment to God governed his own actions. However, he also realizes that he may have imprisoned innocent people and condemned to death those individuals who refused to confess to something they did not do.