Disclaimer: My first The Crucible fic. Based on the film. (I rented the movie, 'cause last year (02-03 school year) the older nonfreshman Drama kids kept talking about when they did the Crucible, I wasn't in the Club at the time, and I didn't the play…)

Rev. Hale's thoughts at the end.

~Broadwaypoetess

                                                            Fears

I fear for my faith and the town of Salem. So many lives were lost. The false confessions, and those with so much love for their religion and their families that they would not defile them by saying that they compacted with the Devil.

I've seen so many good people hang, and so many good people imprisoned and brought to tears because of the fear of death. My exorcisms, books, and prayers seem wasted. The slave girl, Tituba… she was no witch. Oh, I see now why she said what she did. She wanted the public beating to stop. She wanted to give herself some dignity. And she revealed what she truly wanted to me when she lied about her "compact." She hates the Reverend Parris. She hates living in Salem. She hates that she must work for people that do not love her. She wants to be equal to the girls here; wear there "pretty dresses." But most of all she wanted to go back to Barbados.

I know not if they are Christian in Barbados. However, I feel as those the Christians here treat her like I believe heathens would, hurting her, and making her weep. Whatever they did in Barbados, dancing, chanting, and other immoral things, they must have shown Tituba great love.

I loathe myself for telling her that I was "going to make it all right." I can still remember her face and how she wanted to bring the Light of Jesus into her soul again. And what has happened? She was beaten and imprisoned.

I fear for the Court. They want to bring Salem back to God, but they are subjecting Salem to the Devil with the deaths of the innocent. We should have never listened to the "child" Abigail. I heard that she told the Court that she was having dreams about my wife tearing out her eyes. I must leave. I quit the Court! And the Court is failing the people!

But, am I doing the right thing? I fear for my soul...

~*~*~*~*~*~

Done, so, R 'n' R!

Remember, this is based on the film, so my version of what I thought Hale to be could be different than the book or the play.