The purpose of this essay is to discuss the play, The Crucible. In particular, what will be discussed is how characters in The Crucible behave in strange ways. This behavior can best be described and understood by utilizing Kohlberg’s moral precepts. Specifically, Kohlberg has three distinct descriptions of perspectives that motivate individuals to behave in certain ways. These three categories are pre-conventional behavior, conventional behavior and post conventional behavior. All three categories are factors that are considered when individuals decide to act in any given situation. If we understand the consideration and action, we will be able to achieve a better understanding for the characters within The Crucible. With the understanding of the reasoning behind their strange decisions we can find out why they behaved in a confusing manner throughout The Crucible. 

There are many characters within The Crucible that are pre-conventional. Pre-conventional Characters behave in a certain way to obtain reward and avoid punishment. The first character that is pre-conventional is Tituba. After being told by her master that if she did not confess to being in league with the devil she would be taken out and whipped to her “death”, she confessed to working with the devil. The reason she confessed to working with devil even though she was not to avoid the punishment of being whipped to her death. She decided to avoid her punishment and continue living, the only thing she could do was lie even though Tituba knew lying was a sin. Another character that behaves in a way to get reward is Abigail Williams. Abigail wants to be with John Proctor, but to accomplish her goal, she needs Goody Proctor out of the way. That is why she confessed to the court that “Goody Proctor (had) always kept Poppets” so she could get the reward of taking the place of Goody Proctor as the wife of John Proctor. Abigail did not care what happened to others, she was only driven by the possibility of getting the one reward she wanted. The final example is Reverend Paris. Paris begged the judge to “postpone (the) hangings” because of the backlash he was receiving from the town’s residents. He was scared that he would receive punishment for being responsible for many well-liked figures in the town’s deaths. He knew that he could be killed or lose all the power and prestige that he had if the hangings were to occur. If he could delay the hangings, he would still maintain his power and his life would no longer be threatened. You can see from the examples provided that many characters in the crucible behave in a way to obtain reward and avoid punishment. 

There are many Characters found in The Crucible that are conventional. Conventional behavior is when you behave in a certain way to fit into a group. To begin, Marry Warren is a conventional character. Marry Warren was trying to tell the truth in court saying that Abigail was lying, and she had never seen the devil before. However, once she realized that the group was siding with Abigail, she begged Abigail to let her back into the group saying that she would “never hurt (her again)”. She did this to get back into the group she was once in and knew apologizing to Abigail and continuing her lie was the only way she could possibly get back in. Marry completely changed her stance in a couple of moments so that she could continue to be in the majority group. The next character to discuss is John Procter. He behaves in a way that illustrates he wants to be in a group. John Proctor did not want to confess to the fact he had slept with Abigail Williams even though his confession could save the lives of others he only said that he “will think on it”. He knows that if the townspeople were to find out that he committed adultery that he would no longer be in a group with any of them because of how seriously they took their religion. He could not take being an outcast from the town and its people. The final Character is Thomas Danforth. While he was trying to get a confession from John Proctor during court Reverand Hale asked if they could get lawyers so that it would be a fair trial. Danforth denied this request and stated that the “pure (of) heart” should not require lawyers. He did not want lawyers to be present during the preceding’s because they could challenge his authority and end up removing him from his position within the town. If the townspeople found out that he did not have their best interests at heart he would run out of town. He was so adamite to be the only figure of power within the court because of his fear of no longer being a part of a group. One can see from the examples provided The Crucible has many characters that show a desire to fit in. 

There are multiple post-conventional characters found in The Crucible. Post-conventional characters internalize a sense of right and wrong. They are confident in their value and beliefs regardless of punishment, reward and group acceptance. The first post-conventional character to discuss is John Procter. While Infront of judge Danforth he admits to having slept with Abigail Williams saying that he has “known” Abigail. Even though he knows that he will be facing heavy repercussions for committing a sin he does not care because of how confident he is in his own beliefs. He does not care what people will think of him, he just knows that confessing is the right thing to do. The next character that is confident in theri values and beliefs is Reverend Hale. After Thomas Danforth gives his guilty verdict of John Proctor being in leagues with the devil, Hale cannot stand by and let this happen. Reverend Hale openly defies the proceedings and says that he “quits this court”. Even though he will lose all his power and credibility from the court Hale still stands up for John Proctor because of his values. He has a strong belief in what is right and wrong. He will never turn his back on his ideals no matter the circumstances or oppression he might face. Finally, the last character is Elizibeth Proctor. While talking about who is being accused of witchcraft with Reverend Hale, she finds out that her name came up. Elizibeth tells Hale that if he thinks that she is a witch “then there are none”. Elizibeth knows that her saying that witches do not exist Infront of a reverend means she is openly going against the church. However, Elizibeth does not care because of how strong her belief in always telling the truth is. She is aware that her actions could lead to her being jailed or executed, but these possible punishments do not make her beliefs waver. It is evident from the examples provided that many characters in The Crucible behave in a way that follows their sense of beliefs and values without concern for punishment, reward, or group acceptance. 

In conclusion, it is evident that Kohlberg’s moral precepts have been a valuable resource in allowing the reader to achieve a better understanding of the characters in The Crucible. It has also demonstrated why individuals behave the way that they do in certain situations. It also has given more insight onto which precept the characters fall into. Lastly, it show-cases that characters can change which precepts they are in, which is another reason why their actions and behavior may appear strange.