Student Extraordinaire Mrs.

Ordway English 11 period 3 13 December 2012 Short Response for The Crucible prompt #1: Confessing to a crime you didnt commit in order to avoid punishment is wise.

In Arthur Millers play, The Crucible, many characters are encouraged if not forced to give a false confession in order to save their lives. Reverend Hale, a minister whose expertise was identifying witchcraft, realizes towards the end of the play that the court and the village of Salem have gone crazy in the crying out of witches. In hopes of cleaning the blood from his own hands he encourages Elizabeth to get John Proctor, the protagonist and tragic hero, to confess to being a witch in order to save his life. Reverend Hale pleads with Elizabeth that Johns life is more valuable than the sin of lie he will give the court to save his life. life is Gods most precious giftprevail on your husband to confess (132). Confessing to crimes that arent actually committed by a person in order to save ones life seems insignificant. Ultimately, your character will prove your innocence and guilt, not ones senseless death. Reverend Hale recognizes that the false confession is not what will damn the accused souls, but the pride they cling to by sacrificing their lives.