To understand the strange behaviours of the characters in The Crucible, Kohlberg’s Moral Precepts can be used for explanation. Kohlberg has three different categories of perspectives that individuals are motivated by to act in certain ways, including pre-conventional behaviour, conventional behaviour, and post-conventional behaviour. It will be easier to achieve a better understanding of the characters once we understand the considerations and actions of each individual.

There are many examples of pre-conventional characters in The Crucible. Pre-conventional characters behave in ways to avoid punishment and obtain rewards. The first pre-conventional character to be discussed is Tituba. Reverend Parris’ threats to whip Tituba to death if she “[does] not confess”, lead to Tituba’s confession. Tituba’s desire to avoid punishment leads to this choice being mad and shows how Tituba would even lie about something that had not happened if it meant that she could escape bad consequences from happening to her. The next character who behaves in a way to avoid punishment is Abigail Williams. She accuses others of being “with the Devil” even though it is untrue so that she could get away from being punished. Since Abigail is aware she could get in trouble, she decides to guide the attention onto others before it is too late in order to steer clear of facing accountabilities. And the final example is Mary Warren. Mary is reluctant to go against Abigail as Mary claims Abigail would “kill” her for saying such things in opposition to Abigail. She chooses to play it safe by avoiding saying things that could get her in trouble with Abigail, someone with great power. From the examples provided, it is clear that many characters in The Crucible act in particular ways to avoid punishment and obtain reward.

There are many characters in The Crucible that are conventional. Conventional behaviour is when you behave in a way that suggests you want group acceptance and to fit into that group. The first conventional character to be discussed is Mary Warren. As Mary is pressured by the group of girls at court, she eventually confesses how she “heard the other girls screaming”. She seems to be influenced into feeling as though she has no other choice but to admit if she wants to belong in a group. The next character who wants a group of people to embrace him is Judge Danforth. He states that Mary will have “committed perjury” and either way will “go to jail for it”, making it transparent that he believes in the conventional standards of the court and follows its rules. He wants to fit in with the other members of the court and thus makes sure to abide by the legal system’s procedures. The final example is Elizabeth. It is apparent that Elizabeth accepts some of the responsibility for the affair her husband had when she claims that she too has “sins”. Though she feels betrayed by her husband’s affair, her desire to fit in with the larger community of Salem and conform as a wife is larger. From the examples provided, we can see that many characters are struggling to fit into a group for acceptance.

There are many post-conventional characters found in The Crucible. Postconventional characters internalize a sense of values and ethics. Those beliefs are not influenced by reward, punishment, or group acceptance. The first post-conventional character to discuss is John Proctor. He admits to having “known” Abigail to confess to his affair with her regardless of the consequences he may have to face. It is obvious that he acts this way because he no longer cares about receiving punishment/reward, but rather values saving innocent lies and being truthful. The next character who behaves in a way to reflects their values but is not influenced by reward, punishment, or group acceptance is John Hale. Although John has a powerful position in Salem as a minister, yet he finalizes his decision by saying that he “[quits] this court”. Giving up all his reputation and power for choosing to do what he believes is right is proof that John Hale is no longer affected by other factors to influence his decisions. And finally, the last character to be discussed is Giles Corey. Even while being tortured to death, Giles refuses to both plea nor deny the charge, and instead tells the people to add “more weight”. His words make it clear that he is behaving in a way that is influenced solely by his own beliefs on what he is convinced is the best decision he could make in that situation. It is evident from the examples provided, that many characters have internalized their value system and are not influenced by punishment or reward.

In conclusion, it is evident that Kohlberg’s moral precepts play a big role in helping readers understand the characters and the actions they take in The Crucible. It also demonstrates why individuals behave in particular ways when they deal with certain situations.