A paradox is something that appears to be one manner but is the opposite manner. Writers frequently use paradoxes in their plants to do them more interesting. In the drama The Crucible Arthur Miller presents the audience with a paradox in so much as the character of Reverend Hale, who lives, is presented as being more tragic than the character of John Proctor, who dies. At the get downing Hale is held in high respect, while Proctor is non trusted or loved by his married woman. Hale runs off from the tribunal when he realizes the truth while Proctor stands up for the truth. Hale abandons his religion and all he lives for, while Proctor dies for it.
At the beginning of the drama Reverend Hale is held in high respect by the people of Salem. He is a sure curate of God and all esteem his sentiments on affairs of witchery. Parris says ; I have sent for Reverend Hale of Beverly, and Mr. Hale will certainly corroborate that. ( 9 ) in act one. He does non believe that the kids are afflicted by enchantresss and he looks to the wisdom and counsel of Hale to corroborate that. When Hale says that Betty had been bewitched no one inquiries or uncertainties him. Everyone in the room believes him and they instantly agree with him that it is Tituba s mistake that she can non wake when he says it is. This shows the reader that he is held in high regard and believed by all. Since Hale is liked and believed by all the people of Salem he is set up for a large autumn at the terminal of the drama. While Hale is held in high regard by all Proctor is non. He does non even have the love or trust of his married woman. This is shown in act two when they are reasoning and he says ;
Spare me! You forget nothin and forgive nothin. Learn charity, adult female. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven month since she [ Abigail ] is gone. I have non moved from at that place to there without I think to delight you, and still an ageless funeral Marches round your bosom. I can non talk but I am doubted, every minute justice for prevarications, as though I come into a tribunal when I come into this house! ( 54-55 )
Proctor s character can non decline. He does non hold the love or trust of his married woman so he can non decline as the drama progresses. If he can non deteriorate he must hold to better by the terminal of the drama.
Proctor s character starts to better in the 2nd act when he decides to face the tribunal and state them that the misss are lying. It is the love he has for his married woman that prompts him to make this. Even though he will likely be arrested and convicted as a enchantress he still must seek to salvage his married woman. When they take his married woman he reassures her that he will salvage her. I will convey you place. I will convey you home shortly I will fall like an ocean on that tribunal! . Fear Nothing Elizabeth. ( 77-78 ) He knows she does non love him but he still will try to salvage her life and convey her place. This is the point when Proctor s character begins to assend. Proctor still doubts himself as a good individual but he finds the bravery within himself to dispute the tribunal and effort to salvage his married woman. While Proctor challenges the tribunal and stands up for what he believes in, Hale runs off from the tribunal when he realizes they are incorrect.
He does non stand up for the lives of the guiltless Christians that are condemned to decease. When Proctor convinces him that the tribunal is a fraud he decides to run off. I denounce these proceedings, I quit this tribunal. ( 120 ) Hale does non seek to salvage Proctor or his married woman or anyone else who has been convicted. He does non seek to demo Danforth that the misss are lying or state anyone about his intuitions. This is the beginning of Hale s ruin and his outgrowth as a tragic character. Hale lacks the bravery to stand up for what he knows is true and by his actions condemns guiltless Christians to decease. He breaks his vow as a curate to assist all people and two of the 10 commandments, 1000 shalt non kill and thou shalt non bear false informant. He has besides abandoned his religion s chief values of assisting others. He has turned into a broken adult male.
Hales ruin is completed in act four. He returns to Salem to council those condemned to decease to squeal. He tries to acquire other Christians to squeal to witchcraft and annoy worship. He besides abandons the legal system that he was so confident of in Acts of the Apostless one and two. He says to Elizabeth Proctor ; Beware, Goody Proctor-cleave to no religion when religion brings blood. It is misguided jurisprudence that leads you to give. ( 132 ) He tells Elizabeth to abdicate her religion and confess to witchcraft. He has wholly abandoned his religion and has renounced all that Christianity Teachs. He now councils others to make the same. He can non, nevertheless, find the bravery to stand up to Danforth and state him the tribunal is a fraud and the misss are lying. This is the completion of his ruin. Everything that he believes in he has cast aside and destroyed because he can non happen the bravery to indicate out a prevarication. Unlike Hale, Proctor had the bravery to indicate out the prevarication. He was convicted of witchery because he would non stand for the prevarication and take to assist those who were already convicted. He is about to give Danforth his confession when he realizes that he is good and that his married woman does love him. He chooses to decease before giving up his religion like Hale has.
I can. And there s your first wonder, that I can. You have made your thaumaturgy now, for now I do believe I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not white plenty to weave a streamer with, but white plenty to maintain it from such Canis familiariss. Elizabeth, in a explosion of panic hastes to him and weeps against his manus. Give them no tear! Tears pleasure them! Show award now, show a rocky heard and drop them with it. ( 144 )
He realizes that he is a good adult male and his married woman thinks the same. He decides that he will non give up his name to a prevarication that Danforth wants from him. Even though Proctor dies in the terminal he has risen every bit high as a adult male can. His married woman loves him and he has the bravery to stand up for what he believes in.
In the beginning Hale is good liked, Proctor is non. Hale runs off from the truth, Proctor does non. Hale wantonnesss all he believes in, Proctor does non. The drama is a paradox in which Proctor appears more tragic but in fact Hale is the more tragic of the two. This drama demonstrates that calamity may non ever be synonymous with decease. Calamity can be paradoxically synonymous with life.
