The circumstances a person faces can change them dramatically. The Crucible is partly based on McCarthyism of the 1950s, similar to the Salem Witch Trials. Reverend Hale undergoes an immense change when he begins to uncover the lies going on in Salem. Slowly, he moves from confidence to doubt. Hale having such a big change of opinion demonstrates the true dysfunction and chaos of Salem. In "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, the changes Hale experiences are proven by the things he says, the things he does, and other people's opinions of him. At first, Hale is wrong about the situation at hand. He does not yet realize the lies that are happening within the community. Parris makes a remark about the weight of Reverend Hale's books. Reverend Hale envies this by stating that they are "weighted by authority". (I.36) Hale acts as an experiment in this situation. He takes advantage of this knowing that they will see him as an outsider, projecting him as an expert. Parris wants to know why the devil wants him when there are a lot of immoral people in Salem. Hale states that if the Devil wants a preeminent type of person, then who is "better than the minister?" » (I.41) Hale acts here with confidence by calling on the devil who is preparing to confront him. This is an attempt to impress Paris and make her feel better about her previous comments. Reverend Hale manages to convince Tituba to confess by twisting her words and "bless her" (I.47) for doing so. Hale reveals his dynamism here. He gets everyone he can to confess, even if it's through bad means. Later, Hale begins to suspect that something is wrong within the community; some events don't add up and seem very fabricated. Hale makes a surprise visit to the Proctors' house and John Proctor asks if he is on a business trip. Hale claims he did not come on business, but came on his own “without permission of the court.” (II.63) Proctor is not as confident as he was when he first arrived in Salem; he feels a little skepticism creeping in. He's a little wary of the rumors spreading around Salem so he decides to investigate first hand..