Authority is not created by the authority figure, nor given to him by God. Rather, authority is given to him by the people of his society. The abuse of authority can lead to difficult times for those who do not have power. In the town of Salem, authority is vital to virtue. Those who lack authority also lack innocence. During the hysteria of the Salem witch trial, there are three voices of authority, Reverend John Hale, Judge Danforth, and Reverend Parris.
             John Hale is the first voice of authority in the witch trials. Hale's authority does not come from his clerical position, but from his ability to determine who is and who is not a witch. The reader gets an immediate insight into Hale's views on authority when Parris comments on how heavy his books are. Hale replies to Parris's observation, "They must be; they are weighted with authority" (36). This comment shows that the written word is an important authoritative voice in the society of Salem. People should not question the righteousness of the written word, whether it is in a book or written as the law. Hale has a strong belief that the court knows what is best because of the enormous authority it has behind it. When Rebecca Nurse has been arrested for witchcraft, Hale, believing that the court is completely righteous, tells Mr. Nurse to "rest upon the justice of the court; the court will send her (Rebecca Nurse) home, I know it" (71). Hale does not understand that just because the court has the power of the law does not mean it will act justly. This is something that he finds out when he realizes that the "afflicted" girls are nothing but a group of liars. This realization brings him to a complete reversal of his prior beliefs on authority of the court. Hale has complete trust in John Proctor's claim of adultery and begs the court to stop the murders of all these innocent people. "Excellency, it is a natural lie to tell; I ...