Hale is a fair individual who honestly attempts to administer justice. He remains uninvolved in the petty rivalries and power plays of the inhabitants of Salem. Several issues disturb Hale and make him suspicious of the Proctors. These include Proctor's poor church attendance, the fact that one of the Proctor children remains unbaptized, and Proctor's inability to recite all of the Ten Commandments. He comes to the Proctor home on his own in order to test the Proctors and give them fair warning of Elizabeth's possible arrest.
The fact that Hale gives Proctor the opportunity to explain each of the incriminating items is an important testament to Hale's fairness and directly contrasts with what happened in Act I, Scene 5. In Act I, Scene 5, the inhabitants of Salem provide a list of evidence that Hale takes at face value and fails to analyze individually. As a result, Hale declares witchcraft without attempting to examine any of the evidence. Here, however, Hale allows Proctor to explain his actions. Although Hale disapproves of Proctor's actions — particularly his refusal to baptize his son because of feelings toward Parris — Hale realizes that Proctor is not an evil man.
Tension also arises in Scene 3 between the Proctors and Hale over issues of faith. Both Elizabeth and Proctor refuse to believe that Rebecca could be involved with witchcraft, and the accusation horrifies them both. Although Hale is hesitant to believe that Rebecca could be guilty, he will not dismiss the possibility.
