After Abigail says that Betty's illness and her own strange behaviors (laughing during prayer or in church, waking at night to find herself standing up and wearing no clothes) are the result of Tituba's witchcraft, Parris and Putnam immediately turn on the slave. Parris threatens to beat her until she confesses, and Putnam wants her to be hanged.
However, Hale, on the other hand, speaks "kindly" to her, and he "takes her hand. She is surprised." He says that they will bless her for confessing and returning to God, and he tells her that she is God's special instrument to help them cleanse the village; she has a special purpose. In this way, she seems to be confused (and somewhat touched) by his gentle treatment of her because she is used to being spoken to the way Parris speaks to her. Obviously, being struck seems to be pretty common in his house since he leaps so quickly to it as a punishment.
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