Compare And Contrast Dimmesdale And John Proctor

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Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale from The Scarlet Letter and John Proctor from The Crucible seem like they have nothing in common. Not only are they from different novels, but they also are regarded differently in their societies, have different perspectives on their shared Puritan faith, and the societies that they live in differ in their perception of sin. Despite these differences, however, when you further analyze these characters, you will find that they both share one fatal similarity; ultimately, their committing of the sin of adultery leads to their deaths. Reverend Dimmesdale and John Proctor are regarded quite differently in their societies. Reverend Dimmesdale is a noble minister, and is well-respected throughout his town. People look …show more content…

The Puritan society of The Scarlet Letter is adamant about punishing others for their sins, essentially to distract themselves from their own misdemeanors. The Puritan society of The Crucible, however, is so obsessed with witchcraft that they forget about condemning others for sins that they once deemed as crimes punishable by law. For instance, in The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is found to have committed adultery when she has a baby while her husband is out of town, and is jailed, condemned to wearing a bold scarlet letter "A" on her clothes (which stands out against the gray and dull clothes the Puritans wear), and subject to being scorned by others in her community. However, in The Crucible, John Proctor confesses to committing adultery while in a courthouse during a trial, and yet, the townsfolk completely gloss over his confession and condemn him as a witch. This is mind-boggling, considering the fact that adultery originally was punishable by death under Puritan law, though Hester was spared of this fate due to her husband being away and her attractiveness (making her easily susceptible to the

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