We are going to figure out how to truly understand characters found within the crucible. One must only use Kohlberg’s moral perceptions as a vehicle to assist us in understanding these characters’ motivation and behaviors. In this. Kohlberg’s moral perceptions will be used as an explanation, Kohlberg has three moral perceptions that describe the motivations people go through when deciding on their behavior. The three levels are: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. We can gain a clearer understanding of the characters in The Crucible and the complex motivations driving their actions.  These three steps occur chronologically through an individual’s life, this offers a valuable perspective for analyzing how the characters navigate the intense moral and social pressures of the Salem witch trials. This approach allows us to explore how their decisions are influenced by self-interest, societal expectations, and a higher sense of morality or justice. One way to analyze these motivations is by identifying pre-conventional characters in The Crucible.  

Pre-conventional characters behave in a way that avoids punishment and obtains a reward. One of these pre-conventional characters would be John Proctor; he exemplifies a pre-conventional character because of the scene where he is talking to Elizabeth Proctor his wife and she is trying to convince him to go to court and tell them that Abigail Williams is lying about it all having to do with witchcraft and John Protectors response was “I’ll think on it”. This shows that he is in fact a pre conventional character because he trying to avoid the punishment of lechery if the court or anyone found out that he had an affair with Abigail he would be completely ruined there for he is willing to have many women sit in jail from Abigail’s false accusations even when he can stop the trails if he went and told the court it’s fraud but that would make him have to tell the court about the affair he had with her. Another character that does something to avoid punishment and receive a reward would be Mrs. Putnam. She demonstrates this when Tituba is listing off people that she saw with the devil and when she finally said Mrs. Osbuns name, Mrs. Putnam instantly said I knew it she was a mid-wife to me three times “my babies always shriveled in her hands.” Mrs. Putnam was helping in questioning Tituba because she wanted to get the bottom of how her babies died either during or shortly after birth. She wanted someone to blame and therefore everything she was doing up till Mrs. Osburn’s name was said was to achieve the reward of closer and understanding and to be able to blame someone for her children’s death, she does not understand that natural causes and is grieving so badly she needs someone to blame. And finally, the last example is Reverend Parris. Parris says “you cannot hang this sort there is danger in it for me I dare not step out at night” to Hale because he no longer wants to proceed with the hangings due to the fact people have started to threaten him. Reverend Parris is a very pre conventional character. He only cares about himself and what he wants the reward he is looking for is his life and the punishment he is trying to avoid by stopping the hangings is the death that could happen  

However, there are post conventional characters found in the crucible, post conventional characters balance in a way to fit into a group. A conventional character would be Mary Warren. When being questioned by the court and being brought upon the court she decides to be honest and says “I thought I saw spirits” the reason Mary warren says this is because she wants to fit into the group of girls who are claiming they also saw them. This goes against what she believes, and she knows she is not supposed to lie, however she believes that it is better to follow them and claim she saw spirits than be outed for lying or going against Abigail in fear of what might happen to her. Another character that tries to fit into a group is Elizabeth protector, the group she tries to fit into is being a good Christian. John protector says “that woman never lies” when Hale claims that Elizabeth is pregnant. Elizabeth wants to be a good Christian meaning you cannot lie if you believe in God if you do then you can be cast to hell, and she does not want that to be burning for all of eternity. That is why Elizabeth Protector is a conventional character because she is doing all this just to fit into the group of good Christians. The final example is Abigail Williams when she says, “I saw Serah good with the devil” Everyone was confessing to the court who they saw with the devil because the devil is never seen with just one person. Abigail wanted to be apart from the people confessing so she herself could be considered safe and not have the court believe that she was with the devil herself.  

Finally, there are post conventional characters found within the crucible, post- conventional characters have two senses of values and beliefs they are not influenced by punishment, reward, and group acceptance. Hale is a post-conventional character due to the fact he says, “I quit this court.” Hale quits the court shortly after he couldn’t get the hangings stopped, he does not care for punishment or reward or trying to fit into a group his beliefs are straight that witches do not and will never exist and that every woman convicted of witchery is innocent and the court has gotten way to out of hand and he doesn’t want to be part  of the Salem court anymore. Another character that strongly believes in what he believes in Giles Corey he would not answer ay or nay to the indictment given to him and instead said “more weight” this demonstrates his own belief of staying silent and not telling the truth that he isn’t a wizard or lying that he is because either way he dies and his land does not go to his sons and he wants and this also shows that he rather die a silent man. The last example is John Proctor. When Danforth is questioning him and wanting to sign his name Proctor says, “I have given you my soul, leave me my name” His decision to stand firm in keeping his name untarnished, even at the cost of his life, highlights a profound moral struggle. Proctor’s refusal to sign a false confession is a powerful manifestation of his adherence to personal integrity and his understanding of what it means to be a good man, despite the pressure to conform. His moral journey, from initial reluctance to rejecting the court’s demands, mirrors Kohlberg’s higher stages of moral development, where the focus shifts from mere obedience to authority to an internalized sense of justice and personal responsibility. Proctor’s choice shows his belief that maintaining his moral identity is worth more than survival, demonstrating a commitment to his own ethical principles over societal expectations.  

In conclusion, applying Kohlberg’s moral precepts provides us with a more in-depth perspective to understanding the motivations and behaviors of the characters in The Crucible. By categorizing their actions according to Kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning  pre-conventional, conventional and post-conventional we can  better grasp how personal morality interacts with societal pressures, Ultimately, Kohlberg’s moral perspectives offer a meaningful way to analyze the complex ethical choices made in The Crucible, shedding light on the broader human condition of grappling with right and wrong in times of crisis.