In 1692, the colony of Massachusetts was infected with witchcraft that would lead to the execution and imprisonment of a myriad of people. In particular, in the small parish of Salem Village, many resorted to witchcraft when the Reverend Samuel Parris, the town pastor, knelt by a bed while "his daughter, Betty Parris, aged ten , is lying on the bed, inert. » (Miller 1234) Word spread throughout town that Betty Parris and many other girls were found dancing with the minister's slave, Tituba. Due to these events, Reverend Parris summons the so-called hunter and witchcraft expert, Reverend John Hale, to examine his daughter. Reverend John Hale was a man of great knowledge, who underwent a major transformation during the crucible, a severe trial or ordeal. Hale is described in Act I as "a tight-skinned, keen-eyed intellectual." » (Miller 1252) Arthur Miller continues to say that this would be a perfect job for Hale because his skills in witchcraft are finally in public demand. Reverend John Hale enters near the end of Act I into the bedroom where Betty Parris lies motionless on the bed. In this room, Reverend Hale and Giles Corey participate in a brief conversation during which Giles asks Hale what it means when people read strange books. The reason he asks this question is because he often finds his wife, Martha Corey, reading books and hiding them from him. Reverend Hale gave his answer, but he also said, “I will talk more about this with you.” » (Miller 1258) This suggests that a hectic witch hunt may be taking place. Hale simply begins questioning Abigail Williams about the actions that took place in the forest. This... middle of paper......happen to me, Hale experiences metanoia. He realizes that the courts and the law itself are imperfect. In an attempt to resolve the problem, he attempts to defend the accused, persuade prisoners to confess in order to save themselves from execution, and ask Danforth to pardon some prisoners. Unfortunately for him, it was too late for anything to change. Reverend John Hale was a man of great knowledge who underwent a major transformation during The Crucible. Although his attempt to solve the problem did not work, his inner good was revealed. Works Cited “Context”. Literature – The American Experience. Ed. Susan Andariese et al. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Literature – The American Experience. Ed. Susan Andariese, et al. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. 1233-1334.