Reverend Hale has returned to Salem primarily because he feels a profound sense of responsibility and guilt over the role he played in the witch trials. At the beginning of the trials, he was a staunch supporter of the accusations and the judicial proceedings, believing that he was doing God’s work by rooting out witchcraft. However, as the trials progressed, he came to realize that the prosecutions were unjust and that innocent people were being condemned.
Now, upon returning, Hale aims to advocate for those who have been falsely accused and to try to correct the wrongs that have been done. His character undergoes a significant transformation throughout the play; he shifts from a confident expert on witchcraft to a desperate man seeking redemption. Hale’s return symbolizes the moral struggle and the quest for justice in a time of hysteria and corruption.