How are Samuel Parris, Thomas Putnam, John Hale, and Rebecca Nurse linked with the idea of authority in Act One of "The Crucible?"

Each character features a different relationship to
authority in the play.  For example, Parris and Putnam represent the desire to
consolidate authority into hunting for witches and diverting from their own conditions. 
Putnam advocates the witchhunt aspect of Salem's authority because it will profit his
business and also detract criticism from his practices, while Parris is more interested
in hunting for witches so as to not allow for reflection on his own shortcoming as a
parent and community member.  Rebecca Nurse emerges as one of the voices that rises
against the authority's propensity to engage in a witchhunt.  While not as antagonistic
as Proctor, she is one who believes that the witchhunt approach to which authority is
leaning is not necessary and that to do so would actually be a greater proliferation of
sin than the presence of witches.  Hale's presence as the "outside expert" is one that
possesses some level of sincerity in his role as an authority figure, but one that also
reflects its ability to be corrupted by the desire to consolidate political figure.  In
this light, Hale can be seen as an example of the futility of good intentions when
authority is driven to malevolent ends.