The purpose of this essay is to discuss the characters in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. Particularly, how the characters convey themselves within the play. Using Kohlberg’s precepts, their behaviours can be analyzed and understood. Essentially, Kolberg has three distinct explanations that can define the motivations of why characters behave in certain ways. These three categories are pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional.
There are many pre-conventional characters within The Crucible. Pre-conventional characters behave in a certain way to obtain reward and avoid punishment. To begin, the first character that is pre-conventional is Reverend Parris. Throughout the film, Reverend Parris is compliant with Judge Danforth orders and operations. However, when Parris opened his “door to leave [his] house, a dagger clattered to the ground”, and his behaviour entirely changed. He became paranoid and wanted to delay the hangings. Citizens of Salem are furious with him, as his daughter, his niece, and his slave were the ones who created Salem witch trials. With that in mind, he knows something harmful might happen to him, as the pillars of the community are about to die. When Parris attempts to persuade Danforth with deferring the hangings, it is to avoid punishment, in his case death or major injury. Secondly, the next character is Abigail Williams. Abigail confesses “[she] saw Sarah Good with the devil”, to avoid punishment. She knows if anyone truly found out what she did, she would be penalized. She promoted acts that go against Puritan culture such as sneaking out of the house, listening to Tituba singing, dancing, and casting a spell against Elizabeth Proctor. If the town were to find out the true proceedings of that night, she would be whipped, and her reputation would be destroyed. She lied to avoid punishment. Lastly, the next character is Betty Parris. After being caught, Betty “tried to leap out the window”, in attempts to kill herself. Her attempts to “fly”, exhibits how overwhelmed and scared she was to face the whippings. She would rather die, than get harmed for her actions. Using the examples provided, there are many characters in The Crucible who behave in a way to avoid punishment.
Furthermore, there are many characters in The Crucible that are conventional. Conventional behaviour is when you behave in way that suggests you want group acceptance and to fit into that group. The first example of a conventional character is Ezekiel Cheever. When Cheever is retrieving Elizabeth for her arrest, he admits he “must do as [he is] told”. He will do anything, even apprehend his close friend’s wife to jail, for group acceptance. Cheever compromises his morals and values to be embraced by his peers. The next character is John Proctor. Proctor claimed he “never touched Abby,” denying his affair with an underage girl whilst married. By denying the affair, he is seen trying to fit into the Puritan culture, obtaining group acceptance and fitting in. He wants to be recognized as a good Christian man. If anyone found out he would be charged with lechery and his reputation within Salem will be tarnished. The final example is the town. Despite the fact that “there [were] orphans wandering from house to house; abandoned cattle … on the highroads, [and] the stink of rotting crops hang[ing] everywhere”, it was a “marvel” that citizens of Salem did not “burn” the province. The circumstances within itself exhibits community-wide conventional thinking. Those who are not accused of witchcraft are afraid of rebelling, as they could be hanged as well. Nobody wants to lose their lives if it means they must agree with the morally wrong events. The Crucible features various characters who behave to receive group acceptance and to fit in.
Besides pre-conventional and conventional characters, there are characters who display Kohlberg’s third precept, post-conventional thinking. Characters who act post-conventionally, have an internalized sense of value and ethics that are not influenced by reward, punishment, or group acceptance. The first post-conventional character to be discussed is Giles Corey. He showcases post-conventional thinking by refusing to name the man who provided him with valuable information. He insisted for “more weight” during his personal punishment. He would rather die than confess and reveal the unknown man. Giles is willing to die for his beliefs and was not persuaded by any punishment, reward, or acceptance. Another like-minded character is Elizabeth Proctor. Although her husband refused to confess and committed himself to death, she refused to convince him to live, as “he [has] his goodness now”. In her heart she knows his death would be beneficial for him and not for her. Not only is she losing her husband, but she also risks losing group acceptance from Hale, Danforth, and the panel of judges. She refused to convince John to live, despite the group of people who wanted her to. Elizabeth is a crucial example for post-conventional behaviour. The last character to be discussed is John Hale. When Hale realizes Proctor, Corey, and the rest are innocent, he denounced the proceedings and “quit [the] court”. He could not sentence innocent people to death, despite a powerful group of people wanting to. Quitting the court could have resulted in punishment or ostracization, but Hale continued to do what he thought was morally correct. Hale acted based on his internalized values, without any influence. In The Crucible, it is evident that many characters have internalized their value system and are not influenced by others, punishment, or reward.
In conclusion, Kohlberg’s moral precepts have been vital in allowing any reader to achieve a better understanding for characters in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. Using the three precepts can explain the underlying motivations of a character’s actions in any given circumstance.
