Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Salem's change

bing/images.com  old cemetery
The story of the Salem Witch Trials has changed over the course of the story. Now it is fall, and many of the town's people are in jail abd some are about to be hanged. We have seen how Hale has changed earlier in the story but here in Act IV, we see more change. Instead of being skeptical about the trials, now he is completely against it. He has just recently returned to Salem after three months of being in the wilderness. He has changed his mind about these trials and knows that they are wrong. "Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law i brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up. Beware, Goody Proctor- cleave too no faith when faith brings blood. It is mistaken law that leads youto sacrifice. Life, woman, life is God's most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it. I beg you, woman, prevail upon your husband to confess. Let him give his lie. Quail not before God's judgement in this, for it may well be God damns a liar less than he that throws his life away for pride. Will you plead with him? I cannot think he will listen to another." Hale knows that those people that have been accused are innocent and this entire nightmare has been a plot developed by someone seeking vengence.

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