To grasp the characters in “The Crucible” better, consider how they align with Kohlberg’s Moral Development stages. Kohlberg suggests people pass through three phases as they mature: pre conventional, conventional, and post conventional. It’s important to remember that once an individual moves on to the next stage, the previous stage is still inside of them somewhere.

There are many different examples within the literature that showcase different characters being pre conventional. Pre conventional is when someone completes a task, or acts a certain way to avoid punishment or to be rewarded. My first example is when Tituba confesses to something, even though she was not guilty. The reason why she confessed is because Parris states that if she doesn’t confess, he will “take (her) out and whip (her)” to death. Tituba realizes that she has to confess to avoid the punishment. Furthermore, Abigail Williams is a pre conventional character. her pre conventional characteristics were showcased when she says that she “never called (the devil)! tituba” did. Abigail realizes that she needs to act quickly and shift the blame off herself to avoid punishment, which is what she does. Lastly, Betty is a pre conventional character. Betty is shown to be pre conventional when she doesn’t tell the truth and speak up, even though it’s the correct thing to do because Abigail keeps telling her to “shut up!”. Betty wants to avoid punishment, as she knows Abby will punish her in some way if she tells the truth. In conclusion, there are many different characters within the Crucible that showcase pre conventional attributes.

Not only are characters pre conventional, but they are also conventional. Being conventional means you would act a certain way, or do something to fit into a group. Marry Warren is a great example of a conventional character. Marry Warrens conventional side is displayed when she states that she has “no power.” Mary feels trapped by the expectations of others and feels like she cannot make her own choices. She is afraid of going against the powerful people in Salem, so she gives in to what they want, even if it means doing something she knows is wrong, making her conventional. furthermore, John Proctor is a conventional character. This characteristic is shown when Proctor states that he and Abbigail have “never touched.” He doesn’t want to admit to the affair, because he doesn’t want the entire town to hate him. Lastly, Hale is a conventional character. Hales conventional attribute is shown when he says “let him sign it” referring to Proctor signing the confession to witchcraft, even though he knows proctor is innocent, this is conventional because he did this to fit in with the people of the court.

Lastly, there are many examples within the literature that showcase post conventional behaviour. Post conventional behaviour is when you do something you believe in, and you don’t care about the reward, the punishment, or what people might think of you. One example of a post conventional character is Giles Corey. Giles Corey demonstrates his post conventional side when he says “more weight”. This is post conventional as they were torturing Giles Corey to get the name of Mr. X, but Giles Corey stood by what he believed in, and didn’t tell them. Another example of a character with post conventional behaviour is John Proctor. John Proctors post conventional side is when he says “because it’s my name!”. This is post conventional because Proctor would not falsely confess to witchcraft, even though it would save his life. instead he chooses to uphold his integrity and moral principles, valuing his name and reputation over his life. Lastly, Reverend Hale is a post conventional character. Hale is shown to be post conventional when he says “there is blood on my head”. This is post conventional because Hale confronts the court about the wrongful convictions and executions that have occurred due to the witchcraft accusations, because he believes that is the right thing to do and he doesn’t care about the consequences.

In conclusion, it is proven that Kohlberg’s Moral Precepts is useful as a guide to understand the characters in The Crucible and also human development as a whole. This concept that takes us from the pre conventional state, to conventional, then pre conventional helps us understand complex personalities. Pre conventional includes Tituba, Abigail, and Betty, all wanting to avoid punishment or get rewarded for what they have done. Then you have conventional, which includes Proctor, Marry Warren, and Hale, all wanted to be accepted by a group of people, and finally, you have post conventional, the people who don’t care about consequences and are extremely passionate about what they believe in, this list includes Gilles Corey, Proctor, and Hale.