To truly understand the characters found in The Crucible, their behaviour and the motivation for their behaviour, one only has to refer to Kollberg’s moral perceptions for explanations. In this paper, Kollberg’s three moral perceptions will be discussed. The three moral perceptions are pre conventional, conventional, and post conventional. A detailed discussion of those three perceptions will take place. This discussion will take the form of a detailed definition of each, as well as a discussion of three independent characters that are used as an illustration of each of these categories. 

There are many pre-conventional characters found in The Crucible. The first example of a pre-conventional character was Abigail Williams. With the intention of avoiding going to jail and obtaining the man she most wanted, John Proctor, Abigail betrayed her friend, Mary Waren, and deceived the court b telling them that Mary used “black art to change [her] shape.” A preconventional character behaves in a way to avoid punishment & obtain a reward. The next pre-conventional character would be Tituba. Tituba was Reverend Parris’ slave from Barbados, and she was the first accused of witchcraft. Tituba was told that if she did not give the names of the other witches, she would be whipped to death. In order to avoid punishment, she told everyone she saw “Goody Good” with the devil, referring to Sarah Good. The third example of a pre-conventional character was Mary Warren. Mary was one of the girls who accused people of witchcraft, then later confessed and said she “never saw no spirits.” Mary told the truth because instead of rotting in hell for eternity, she wanted to go to heaven. In conclusion, you can see by the examples provided why these three characters were pre-conventional. 

There are many conventional characters found in The Crucible. The first example of a conventional character was Ann Putnam Ann Putnam lost “seven children” out of eight during childbirth. Because she was a high valued women in Salem, her losing majority of her children made her looked down upon. A conventional character behaves in a way to fit into a group. The second example would be Susanna Walcott. Susanna was one of the friends of Abigail Willams. While Abigail was in court lying about Mary Warren using her spirits, some of Abigail’s friends wanted to fit into the crowd and started accusing Mary as well, with Susanna saying Mary was “stretching her claws” at them. The third example of a conventional character was Reverend Parris. Parris was primarily driven by self-preservation and had many insecurities. He prioritized his reputation and social standing above all else. Even when it meant sacrificing mortality and truth, all he wanted to do was “bend every stiff-necked [person] to [him.] In conclusion, you can see by the examples provided why these three characters were conventional. 

There are many conventional characters found in The Crucible. The first example of a post- conventional character was Reverend Hale. Hale was a logical minister who came to Salem to investigate the claims of witchcraft. After Hale realized the trials were based on lies and vengeance, he “quit [the] court” in order to do the right thing and save innocent people’s lives. A post conventional character internalizes a sense of right and wrong without concern for a reward, punishment, or group acceptance. The next example of a post-conventional character would be John Proctor. While Proctor was accused of witchcraft, he chose to die rather than falsely confess to witchcraft and save his life. After Proctor realized that the court intended to publicly display his signed confession, he tore the paper since he had “already given his soul” and wanted to “leave [his] name.” The final example of a post-conventional character was Rebecca Nurse. Rebecca was accused of witchcraft by Ann Putnam who believed that Rebecca’s role as a midwife caused the death of her children. While Rebecca claimed she was an “innocent women,” she refused to confess to a crime she did not commit and was hung. You can see by the examples provided why these three characters were post-conventional. 

In conclusion, in The Crucible, the motivations and actions of the characters are best understood through Kollberg’s moral stages. Pre conventional, which is driven by self-interest with the desire to avoid punishment. Conventional, which focuses on following societal rules and gaining approval. And post conventional, which is based on personal principles and justice. By examining all the characters, each representing these stages, it is shown how moral reasonings influence people’s decisions and shapes the events of the book. Through this perspective, The Crucible becomes not only a story, but an exploration of how people’s sense of right and wrong evolves in times of crisis, revealing the complexities of human nature and the consequences of fear, power, and social pressures.