Throughout Salem's struggle for justice and purity, the townspeople are faced with a question, "Are we really messengers of God?" Everyone handles the question differently. Those of the town who are in positions of power, such as Judge Danforth, doubt themselves, but must admit to being true messengers of God for the sake of political hierarchy. Danforth admits this in his lecture to

Reverend Hale, "Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; r

and Reverend Hale were not, because of the puritan belief of a Godly court system. That opinion alters in the minds of the townspeople later as they see the results of the trial proceedings.

Finally, if one thinks that people can read God's will, why are there so many murders and innocent people dying, just as in The Crucible? The answer is simply that we cannot, because God is in heaven and we are on Earth.

Yet, neither of these officials are native to the town. If one examines the

"Goody Proctor, I do not judge you. My duty is to add what I may to the godly wisdom of the court."# However, later on as the ugly truth reveals itself, his opinion changes and he says, "Woman, before the laws of God we are swine! We cannot read His will!"# This strong change of fate in which Hale realizes there is a clear distinction between God and humans has no impact on any in

punishment, "While I speak God's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering."# Judge Danforth backs up his cause with a biblical reference demonstrating his utter belief in his cause, "Mr. Hale, as God have not empowered me like Joshua to stop this sun from rising, so I cannot withhold them from the perfection of their punishment."#

The Crucible, with its accompanying themes has far reaching implications for us today. Does our connection to God alter our moral actions? For example, if we, humans were messengers of God as Danforth said, how could we enforce capital punishment. If life is God's most precious gift, who else can take it away but him.

Others, not leaders in the hierarchy, like Reverend Hale, must take a different stance to the posed question. Being more spiritual than he is political, he takes the position that we are not messengers of God, for he has seen what power and political stance do to one, even though he originally sided with Danforth on the matter. Even after Danforth's rebuke, he still is able to muster a response that we, the officials 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

Other characters in The Crucible, however, do not change their minds but are firm from start to finish. Elizabeth Proctor sides with Hale's later inclination and firmly

Some common words found in the essay are:
Reverend Hale, Judge Danforth, Elizabeth Proctor, Goody Proctor-cleave, Goody Proctor, Proctor Hale's, God's Salem, Salem Witch, Hale Postponement, God God, messengers god, read god's, judge danforth, reverend hale, court system, elizabeth proctor, divine providence, witch trials, connection god, god's precious gift, crack voice, law crack voice, god's law crack, speak god's law, life god's precious,
Approximate Word count = 1568
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)