To gain a deeper understanding of the characters in The Crucible, one must apply Kohlberg’s moral perceptions to the text, which can provide insights into the motivations and influences behind certain characters and their actions. This essay will use Kohlberg’s moral precepts as an explanation and analysis. Kohlberg uses three levels of moral development that can determine people’s behaviors, these include: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. All levels represent a progression that typically unfolds over time, within an individual’s life. In many instances, a character’s actions may reflect more than one of these stages in the matter of certain actions. 

To further reflect on the introduction to The Crucible and Kohlberg’s perceptions, there are many examples within The Crucible that illustrate pre-conventional characters are involved. Pre-conventional characters are displayed when they act out of self-interest, to avoid punishment and focus on the reward. John Proctor portrays himself as a pre-conventional character. He demonstrates this when he is in a conversation with Elizabeth. He displays his pre-conventional ideology by saying that “[he’ll] think on it”. After Elizabeth urges John to go into the city of Salem and expose Abigail’s lies about witchcraft, Proctor hesitates and thinks whether or not he should involve himself. Although John could confess, it would cost his marriage, and he would commit the sin of lechery. It reflects his internal struggles. Another character that displays themselves seeking reward and avoiding punishment is Abigail. She portrays her pre-convention when she says to the other girls, “[she] will come to [them] in the black of some terrible night, and [she] will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder [them]”. It shows her threatening the other girls from the woods to stay silent about the activities that occurred concerning witchcraft. She was focused on self-preservation. She uses the threat to ensure that she keeps her reputation and avoids any punishment for herself. Finally, the last example is Reverand Parris. Expressing his pre-convention, he says, “you cannot hang this sort, there is danger for me”. He is worried people are going to be after him. When Parris says this, he starts to realize that he has a concern for his own reputation, safety, and well-being, so he shows more focus towards that. This shows Parris is concerned with the fact that if members of the well-respected community were executed, he may be at risk. In conclusion, The Crucible contains many characters that act in a pre-conventional manner. 

The shift from pre-conventional to conventional morality, in The Crucible shows the beginning of when characters emerge where they start to prioritize their reputation over personal beliefs. Further to this, there are many characters that are conventional throughout The Crucible. These characters align in a way to fit in with the beliefs, expectations, or behaviors of a larger group. They find ways to maintain acceptance and keep within their associated group. Betty is conventional. She demonstrates her convention when she “[sees] George Jacobs with the devil!” When Betty says this, she represents the societal norms of Salem. This is represented as she fits in with the others by yelling out and speaking on her own terms. She gains acceptance even if that means that she compromises the truth. Another demonstration of fitting into a group is when Ann Putnam says; “I take it on my soul, but who else may surely tell us what person murdered my babies”. She said witches have killed her babies so that she may not look weird in front of everyone, including the Christians, she puts the blame of her baby’s death on ‘The witches”, this makes her look like a good Christian person. Finally, Judge Danforth displays his convention when he states, “A person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road in between”. Judge Danforth addresses this statement to the people of Salem. He reflects a strict and rule-oriented system that is commonly associated with a judge of the court. He ensures his position and fits into it by stating his claim. Questioning authority was known as disloyalty. He takes it as offence and demonstrates why he fits the role of a judge. To conclude, there are many statements within The Crucible that display conventional characteristics. 

As the Crucible progresses, there are post-conventional characters found in the Crucible. Post-conventional characters display how they have a keen sense of values and beliefs towards themselves. They are not influenced by any punishment, reward, or group acceptance. John Proctor is post-conventional. He shows this when he says, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life”. Proctor says this quote in expression of commitment to protect his name and not reveal the truth. He says this quote in a heated argument with Judge Danforth as he has a confession in his hands although he doesn’t want his name to spill. A boundless anger rises on him while the questioning goes on interfering with Proctors personal integrity. Hale illustrates he isn’t influenced by any means after saying, “Man you will hang! You cannot!”. This quote by Hale represents the challenge towards the court’s authority and the way the system is run. The character presents what he believes is a correct way of justice instead of what’s legally enforced. Finally, the last character that portrays a sense of post-convention is Elizabeth, after she says that “he gave his goodness now. God, forbid I take it from him”. When John makes the decision to die on his own, Elizabeth shows integrity while still feeling a bit of guilt. She honors the decision made by John, and instead of trying to hold him back and fight him for it, she shows her own beliefs that represent how she can support Johns decision by prioritizing personal integrity over survival. It is John’s decision, not Elizabeth’s, that is why she represents her own beliefs by making her own decision, not having a thought what other people think, because it will be better for her. 

In conclusion to the essay, Arthur Miller demonstrates he can show the complexities of different human beings and characters through the stages of Kohlberg’s moral perceptions. These perceptions include pre-conventional, where you act out to gain reward and avoid punishment, conventional, when you act in a way to fit into a group, and post-conventional, when you have your own beliefs with no regard for others’ opinions. Each character’s actions can reveal motivations and influences shaped around scenarios. Arthur Miller is able to highlight the consequences within certain choices, which emphasizes the integrity of characters and their well-being.