The Crucible Essay

To truly understand the characters found within the Crucible, one only has to use Kolberg’s moral perceptions for explanation and understanding these characters’ motivations and influences. This essay will employ Kolberg’s moral perceptions to better understand the characters as it helps describe the motivation people go through when deciding on their behavior. The three levels are pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional, which occur in this order chronologically throughout an individual’s life.  

There are many characters found in the Crucible that are pre-conventional. Pre-conventional characters behave in a way to avoid punishment and obtain reward. The first character illustrating this is Tituba. She acts to prevent punishment from Reverend Parris. He threatens her, saying he will “take [her] out and whip [her] to death” if she doesn’t confess to being in league with the devil. Driven by her desire to escape punishment, Tituba falsely confesses to witchcraft. Similarly, Reverend Parris also acts to avoid punishment. Fearing the consequence of death, he states, “I would postpone these hangings.” His fear reflects a deep concern for his reputation and the potential loss of power, revealing his attempt to control an uncontrollable situation. Finally, Abigail Williams embodies pre-conventional behavior. She claims she has a needle “stuck in her belly” as an attempt to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft. Abigail is convinced that Elizabeth is the only barrier to gaining John Proctor’s complete love and attention. Collectively, these examples illustrate how characters in the Crucible act in a manner to evade punishment and seek rewards.  

The second level of Kolberg’s moral perceptions is the conventional stage. Conventional characters behave in a way to help them fit into a group. The first individual who acts in this manner is Mary Warren. She desires acceptance from Abigail and the girls when she declares to John Proctor that she will go his “way no more.” This illustrates her desire to be part of the group of girls, as doing so provides her with a sense of protection. Mary Warren decides to go apart from John Proctor in order to gain acceptance within the group. In a similar manner, Betty desires to align herself with the group of girls. She displays this when she accuses various people of being in league “with the devil”. It is evident that the only purpose of her alleging others of witchcraft is to fit in with the girls as Abigail starts naming people of witchcraft. The final example is John Proctor as he couldn’t take being an outcast from the town. He demonstrates this when he announces that he “will think on” revealing the fact that he committed lechery. As a Christian man he prioritizes his reputation and his status over the truth to ensure that he belongs into the town. As illustrated previously, it is evident that many characters in The Crucible adjust their behavior to fit into a group.  

The third level of Kolberg’s moral perceptions is the post-conventional stage. Post-conventional characters behave in a way that reflects their beliefs, values, and morals. The initial character is Giles Corey. Giles Corey maintains that he should not betray even in the face of death. This is illustrated when he instructs the interrogator to put “more weight” on him, refusing to give up the name. Even in the face of mortality, he endures the punishment and goes as far as asking for more to protect his moral assets. In the same way, Hale sacrifices everything for what he believes. This is revealed when he “quits [the] court” and refuses to judge the testimonies. He recognizes the innocent people are being executed and decides to discontinue his involvement with the court, sacrificing his reputation, power and authority. And the final example is John Proctor as he speaks the truth regarding the consequences driven by his belief that it is right. He communicates that he has “known” Abigail and confesses to lechery. Regardless of his reputation, John Proctor confesses to his crime and admits to his sin, believing that this is the right thing to do. To conclude, the characters are not influenced by punishment, reward and the desire for group acceptance; rather, in a way that reflects their belief, values, and morals.  

In conclusion, it is evident that Kohlberg’s three moral perceptions contribute to gaining a deeper understanding of the characters in the Crucible. The three perceptions have illustrated the reasons behind the individual’s behaviors when confronted with situations. Many characters in the Crucible display pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional behaviours, acting in ways to avoid punishment and gain rewards, to fit in with a group, while also aligning their actions with their beliefs, values and morals.