Crucible - 2

Doubt
When Nathan Hale came to Salem in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, he came bent on finding any and all witches. He was a “witch-hunter”, a man of God whose sole duty was to find men, women, and children who sold themselves to Satan and make them pay with the law of God. He was a righteous zealot who was willing to do anything and everything to expel the “Devil” and make everything in Salem right again. At the beginning of the play Reverend Hale came to Salem intent on finding witches but, as the hunt progressed, seeds of doubt were planted and he began to doubt that which he so righteously believed in.
Hale first arrived in Salem hell-bent on finding out the mystery behind the children’s ailments. As he is an educated man he dismisses all notions of witchcraft until there is proof of such. While inspecting Betty he questions Parris and Abigail about what happened when Abigail suddenly accuses Tituba of bewitchery. With that accusation and the “evidence” brought up by Abby, Hale accuses Tituba of witchcraft and dealing with the Devil. Hale asked her, “Are you gathering souls for the Devil?” (Miller 41). The fear of dying was too great and Tituba caves in to the pressure and admits to being a witch. Hale is now convinced that this is the work of witches. At this point, Hale and everybody else are convinced there is witchcraft afoot based on the testimony of a sixteen year old girl.
When Hale travels to John Proctor’s house to question him they have a lengthy conversation which makes him begin doubting witches to be the cause of these ailments. Hale realizes Proctor is a sane man and that what he speaks of is true. Then the news of Rebecca Nurse’s imprisonment reach them. Hale, who knows Rebecca Nurse is of fine moral standing, is confident that there is a mistake. “Let you rest upon the justice of the court; the court will send her home, I know it.” (Miller 67), Hale utters. He is confident that there is a mistake because it was unthinkable that a...