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It is not until Hale dives deeper into the case that he uncovers the lies that Salem holds. At this point, Hale believes that all the girls are revealing the truth. Hale is ecstatic, yelling “Glory to God! It is broken, they are free!”(48). An assortment of responses arises: “I saw Goody Hawkins with the Devil!”, “I saw Goody Bibber with the Devil”, “I saw Goody Booth with the Devil”(48). Figuratively, the books are “weighted with authority”: they have the ability to condemn anyone believed to be a witch.Īt the conclusion of Act I, Hale asks the group of girls about the people they saw with the devil. Literally, the books are large and abundant with knowledge about witches and the supernatural world. The books that Reverend Hale transports are weighty both literally and figuratively. In response, Hale says “They must be they are weighted with authority”(36). When he first meets Reverend Parris, the minister of Salem, Hale is carrying a stack of books, which Parris says are very heavy. Reverend Hale’s confidence in the existence of the Devil results in his becoming overconfident in his religious beliefs.
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Because of this success, it “…never raised a doubt in his mind as to the reality of the underworld or the existence of Lucifer’s many-faced lieutenants”(33). Reverend Hale comes to Salem from Beverly, a town in which he recently cured a case of witchcraft. At the time of his arrival in Salem, Reverend Hale is full of arrogance about his ability to put an end to the suspected witchcraft and dark arts.
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