The purpose of this essay is to create a better understanding for the characters found in Arthur Miller the Crucible. Many of these individuals behave in a specific was that may cause the reader confusion. However, by using Kolbergs moral perception one can obtain a better understanding for the motivation individuals had for behaving as they portrayed. This essay will look at the 3 different categories of Kolbergs moral perceptions to illustrate what the characters have felt. These 3 categories are pre conventional, conventional, and post conventional. There are pre conventional characters in the crucible. the characters behave in such a way that allows them to obtain reward and avoid punishment. The first pr conventional character is Abby. She shows she’s pre conventional when she tells her uncle that all of the girls in the woods were just stewing something that was just “sport”. Abby realizes it was more than sport, she is lying. She’s lying because she if she lies, she can downplay the severity of the situation she finds herself in and she might be less severely punished. Those actions suggest she is behaving in that way to avoid a punishment and that in fact is what pre conventional is. The next example is Betty. Abby tells her cousin to “stop this now”. She reveals this when Betty is lying in bed pretending to act ill, even though she realizes if she behaves in a normal manner she can be taken out and be beaten. As long as she lays in bed pretending to be sick no punishment will come her way. The final character to avoid punishment is Tituba. She shows this when Parris threatens Tituba and says, “you will confess yourself or I will take you and whip you to your death.” Tituba confesses to Parris about witchcraft for her to have a reduced amount of punishment. She cannot really do anything to defend herself because she is a black female slave. In conclusion, the crucible has many pre conventional characters.

There are conventional characters found in the crucible. Conventional behavior consists of an individual behaving a specific way to receive approval and acceptance from a group. The first conventional character is Hale. He shows he’s conventional when he says that that this isn’t right because the court believed the accusations the girls made and left the court saying the “the court is just.” Even though he says the court isn’t right, he still goes along with it because he wants to be a good member of the court and be respected by the people. The next example is John Proctor. John Proctor doesn’t tell his wife that he had an affair with Abby, so he went out of town and says to his wife “ill think on it.” He doesn’t want to come back to town right now because he needs more time to think and if he goes back into town and talks about a conversation he had with Abby, people are going to start asking questions and the affair might come out and if it comes out his reputation will be ruined. The final character that behaves in a certain way to fit in and be accepted is the girls, following Mary Warren. What ever Mary Warren says or does the girls can never not do what Mary Warren doesn’t. For example, when Mary Warren says “Abby you mustn’t” one of the girls Mercy Lewis says it because the girls want to gain power, they are influenced by her, and the girls stick together. In conclusion, the crucible has many conventional characters.

There are characters in the crucible that are post conventional. The characters behave in a certain way that reflects and internalizes sense of right and wrong. This sense of morality can’t be affected by reward, punishment, or group acceptance. The first post conventional character is Rebecca Nurse. She shows she’s post conventional when she states confessing to a crime, she didn’t commit would be a “lie”, “how may I damn myself.” She realizes that to lie is a sin and it would destroy her moral soul, and she doesn’t want to do that. Another character is Giles. He shows he’s post conventional when he doesn’t confess to witchcraft even though he did. He got tortured to death by stones and he said, “more weight.” He realizes that he doesn’t want to confess because if he did then his sons wouldn’t be able to inherit his farmland and it would end it would end his suffering quicker. The final character that behaves in a way that illustrates your beliefs and no concern for reward, punishment, or group acceptance is John Proctor. He shows he doesn’t care when he orally confesses to witchcraft and tears his confession up and says, “because its my name I cannot have another.” He realizes that if he signs the confession, it will condemn himself and others that were convinced of doing witchcraft. He doesn’t want to view himself as a morally righteous person.

In the examples above the crucible has many post-conventional characters. This paper has made it evident that many characters within the play behaved in a strange and possibly confusing manner. However, by taking each character using a direct quote from the play and deconstructing the motivation. Their behavior and the reasons behind it have become clear, Kolberg is a valuable tool that gives the reader a butter understanding of the play. This essay has achieved what it was created to do, give the reader insight into the literature and its characters.