Question

what do you learn in the exposition about hale? what qualifies him to discern witchcraft?

Answer 1

We can assume that Reverent Hale is a nearly forty years old man, intellectual, handsome. Also, we can know that he is not an expert in witchcraft, “He was never, to my knowledge, officially scoffed at for this, the reason being that the university officials, like most of us, are the children of a history which still sucks at the Devil’s teats.”

Answer 2

John Hale is a reverend who is called by Parris in order to examine his daughter Betty. We learn that Hale is an intelelctual, and an eager one at that. He projects an air of great knowledge, and feels very proud of it.

Hale is an especialist in witchcraft. However, we learn that his skills have not been used often. The errand made him extremely excited because he considered himself a specialist on a subject through constant studying, and his services were finally needed. He eventually realizes that he was mistaken in his conclusions, but it is too late.