The Crucible Essay
Utilizing Kohlberg’s moral precepts can support the understanding of the Crucible. It can help explain the motivations and thought processes behind the characters’ actions in the play and why they behave in certain ways. Characters can be analyzed by understanding the concept of pre-conventional, conventional and post-conventional behaviour. By recognizing these ideas, the story and the characters of the play can be thoroughly comprehended.
There are several characters in the Crucible that display pre-conventional behaviour. Preconventional characters value their own personal needs and behave in a way to receive rewards or avoid punishment. Firstly, Betty is a pre-conventional character. While Reverend Parris was worrying about Betty’s abnormal behaviour of lying still in bed, Abigail says “Betty’s not witched.” Betty convinces Reverend Parris that witchcraft was involved in the situation by staying still in bed for a long time. Clearly, Betty wants to avoid any punishment for being in the woods with other girls. Instead, she has Parris feel worried. Abigail is another character who demonstrates behaviour to avoid punishment. She states that “[She] saw Sarah Good with the devil.” Although she does not see Sarah Good or any of the people she names, she uses the opportunity to lie. She accuses others who she knows are innocent. By lying, she believes that the others will trust her and that she will get away with the incident in the woods. Lastly, Reverend Parris is one of the characters who are pre-conventional. During a conversation with Danforth, he states, “There is danger for me.” He tries to persuade Danforth to postpone the executions of the accused people. The reason is that Parris is concerned for his own safety because people might blame him for the conflict of witchcraft in Salem. Because of his own needs, he acts on it and requests not to hang people for the sake of his own good. In the Crucible, there are many characters who are concerned about avoiding punishment and protecting themselves. Their actions can be described as pre-conventional.
Various characters illustrate conventional behaviour throughout the play. Conventional characters value group acceptance by maintaining the expectations of others and the social order. Their judgements are based on society’s views. To begin, Tituba is a conventional character. When Tituba is accused of witchcraft, Reverend Hale wants her to confess and says to her, “You would be a good Christian woman, would you not, Tituba?” Afterwards, Tituba does confess to witchcraft, although it is untrue. She behaves this way because she believes that she will be accepted by others through meeting the standards of Christianity. She is willing to fulfil the expectations implied by Hale. Mary Warren behaves in a way to gain acceptance from others. She states, “The whole world cried spirits, spirits.” Mary claims that she was only pretending to see spirits because the other girls were. She was mirroring the actions of others, although they contradict the truth, to conform with the group. She also wanted to be accepted by Abigail, who was leading the group of girls. Reverend Hale is another character who demonstrates conventional behaviour. During a scene with John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor, Hale says “Theology […] is a fortress, no crack in a fortress may be accounted small.” This statement displays how Hale believes in the importance of the rules and standards of theology and Christianity. He expresses how the rules should be followed strictly to be fully accepted by society. In addition, he evaluates John Proctor’s knowledge of the Ten Commandments, a significant aspect of Christianity, to judge his character. In the Crucible, numerous characters believe that group acceptance and social norms are important and valued. The actions they display can be described as conventional behaviour.
A few characters in the Crucible are post-conventional. Postconventional characters are individuals who make decisions and act upon their personal beliefs and values, even if they are not in accordance with the standards of others or society. Giles Corey is an example of a post-conventional character. When Danforth and Hathorne instruct Giles to name the witness he mentions, Giles responds, saying “I will not give you no name.” He refuses to say the name of the witness, as he wants to protect the anonymous person from punishment. Giles demonstrates his loyalty, especially after losing his wife in a similar incident. He believes it is right to stay mute and not state the name. Reverend Hale is a character who displays behaviour of acting upon personal beliefs. He arrives at the Proctors’ house and says, “I find it hard to draw a clear opinion of [the people] that come accused before the court.” Although others are convinced that the Proctors should be accused, Hale visits them himself to judge their character. Instead of blindly believing the other members of the court, Hale is determined to draw his own conclusions. He believes that it is the right course of action to take, based on his morals. Lastly, Elizabeth Proctor is another clear example of a post-conventional character. When Reverend Hale attempts to convince Elizabeth to “plead with [John Proctor]” to not hang him, Elizabeth replies, saying “he has his goodness now, God forbid I take it from him.” She had an opportunity to defend and save John from his execution. However, she chooses to remain still because she recognizes that John made the right choice, which was to confess to lechery. Elizabeth behaves according to her beliefs and values, although they conflict with the opinions of others. Throughout the play, there are characters who have internalized a sense of right and wrong, without the concern of receiving punishment, reward, or group acceptance. Their behaviour is portrayed as post-conventional.
To fully understand the Crucible, referring to the three main ideas of Kohlberg’s moral precepts can help deepen the insight into the characters’ thoughts and actions. This also helps to understand any behaviour that appears to be illogical on the surface. There are many characters who behave in pre-conventional, conventional or post-conventional ways, which helps the understanding of the play.