Elizabeth's arrest was a wake up call for John because now he is alert and aware that the witchcraft accusations must be stopped because innocent people are being put to death. As he reacts to his wife's arrest, he makes a very important decision. It is up to him to protest against the ongoing trials because no one else will. He then discovers that Mary Warren, the family's servant knows much about the trials because of her role as a officer of the court. " You're coming with me, Mary, you will tell it in the court We will slide together into our pit; you will tell the court what you know.'' (80). John discovers that Mary knows that he witchcraft accusations are false. He thin comes to this decision that it is his responsibility, as well as Mary Warren's, to tell the court that the hysteria in Salem is based on lies and false accusations. It is because of a fear for Elizabeth's life that John realizes his individual responsibility to save his wife, as well as to protect other innocent people from being accused and sentenced to death. .
The story shows that frustration can not only cause a person to deny responsibility for an action, but also that it can cause a person to realize his errors and take responsibility to redeem himself as a good person, as Reverend John Hale demonstrates .
in the play. Reverend Hale first enters the play as a person who is called upon the village of Salem to find a cure for the illnesses caused by the witchcraft. He looks at his calling as a "beloved errand for him; on being called here to ascertain witchcraft he felt the pride of the specialist whose unique knowledge has at least seen publicly called for- (33). He takes his calling as a compliment, thinking that the people of Salem look up to him as a savior bearing good gifts of knowledge. Hale's reputation and his need for respect thrives on the knowledge based on his reading. Therefore, he comes to believe that the answers to all problems come from reading books.