The Scarlet Letter

432 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Critical analysis over the scarlet letter

"The Scarlet Letter"

Roger Chillinworth was once a good puritan who lived a good puritan life and he was married to Hester Prynne. Then he went to travel. When he came, instead of getting a good and warm welcome from his beloved wife he saw her standing on the town scaffold with a letter of shame on her chest. He stood there, completely wrecked and knew that his life as he knew it so far was all lost.
Ever since Roger Chillingworth's heart was broken and his life destroyed by Hester, he has deticated his life to revenge her and her adulterer, Dimmesdale. Being unable to return to his normal and good life practically destroyed and as he revenged them he becomes a devil (Chillingworth: 'I have already told thee what I am! A fiend! Who made me so?'; 'It was myself'; cried Hester, shuddering.). That revenge is what made him try to prevent Dimmesdale from confessing in the last scaffold scene.
The scarlet letter had hurt Hester every day and every moment a lot, so Chillingworth let it do the avenge work alone without interfering (Hester: 'Why hast thou not avenged thyself on me?'; 'I have left thee to the scarlet letter';replied Roger Chillingworth.). But for Dimmesdale he had a whole different plan. He came back to town as a different person with a different name. Now he was Roger Chillingworth (We don't know his name before the first scaffold incident), a well-appreciated and educated physician. He came to help Dimmesdale, who was very sick. He became his close physician and they became very close friends.
But the truth was that Chillingworth was constantly investigating Dimmesdale and reaching to the depth of his heart and prying his secrets and by that constantly hurting him. Dimmesdale was hurt because he lived a life of lies. To the world he was clergyman Dimmesdale - a wise man who was considered a saint, but in his heart he knew a different image of himself, as a sinner who is afraid to confess. Throughout the story it is hinted that if he had confessed he would have been relieved a long time ago and would not have been so sick.

Show More
Related

  • Scarlet Letter

    434 Words  | 1 Pages

    The fact that revenge destroys both the victim and the seeker is another theme presented in the Scarlet Letter. Dimmesdale is the victim of Chillingworth’s revenge upon Hester and whoever her lover happened to be. Dimmesdale, beside his self-inflicted harm was also not helped by the fact Chillingworth enjoyed watching him waste away. However, Chillingworth is also subject to this destiny as evidence by his change in the novel. Chillingworth was considered wise and aged in the beginning of the novel, although, later he is seen as being dusky and evil.

    Read More

  • Dimmesdale’s Metamorphosis in The Scarlet Letter

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...espite of what they thought. Dimmesdale confession would prove him to be a man of humbleness and honesty, a man who ratifies his errors of the past and completes his duty as a minister, father, husband, and son of God. Moreover, Dimmesdale has the ability to set himself free from Chillingworth’s bondage instead of bearing more of Chillingworth’s psychological torture. The temptations the minister faced would give him the strength to overcome his fears and to become a devoted man.

    Read More

  • Chillingworth's Internal Conflict In The Scarlet Letter

    506 Words  | 2 Pages

    Roger Chillingworth’s main internal conflict was his personal revenge towards Arthur Dimmesdale. Roger is a dynamic character who changes from being a caring and mindful doctor to a dark creature enveloped in retaliation. His character possesses a clear example of the result when a person chooses sin by letting his vengeance get the better of him. For example, Roger constantly asks Hester to tell him who has caused her punishment. As Roger visits Hester at the prison, he is determined to find out who Hester’s lover was, “...few things hidden from the man, who devotes himself earnestly and unreservedly to the solution of mystery” (64).

    Read More

  • The Minister Who Commits Adultery in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...rets committing adultery with Hester. In The Scarlet Letter, Arthur Dimmesdale’s appearance, actions, and speech change from the beginning to the end of the novel, making him a dynamic character. Dimmesdale is a young clergyman in the beginning of the novel. He later turns into someone who is emaciated and full of guilt. Furthermore, he treats himself very harshly by whipping and starving himself. Dimmesdale does not trust Roger Chillingworth, but is a good friend to Hester. Even though he feels completely deceived when she tells him that Chillingworth is her husband, they have an honest relationship. He does not think that Hester and he commit the worst sin; he believes that Chillingworth does. Moreover, Chillingworth wants complete revenge on Dimmesdale. The novel ends with Arthur Dimmesdale dying on the scaffold and leaving the whole community in shock.

    Read More

  • Chillingworth's Demonic Actions

    1381 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a respected physician, Chillingworth was “a man of skill in all Christian modes of physical science, and li... ... middle of paper ... ... powerful grip over him, dies peacefully, and Chillingworth dies soon after. To plot revenge in any situation is harmful. Chillingworth’s plot of revenge brings the downfall of Dimmesdale, as well as his own.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of The Hero's Journey In The Scarlet Journey

    982 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dimmesdale, the novel’s hero, was described as an esteemed minister in Puritan era Boston. The next two steps are the call to adventure and refusal of the call. Dimmesdale’s call came from Hester Prynne on the scaffold in the first scene, but he would not join her there, thus refusing the call. The final step in the ordinary world is meeting the mentor. This is the first point where The Scarlet Letter diverges from Campbell’s outline. Whereas Campbell calls the mentor an aide and guide to the hero, Dimmesdale’s mentor was Roger Chillingworth, an evil doctor who had no intent to aide or guide

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Letter

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne has introduced a character that has been judged harshly. Because, she has been misinformed of her husband’s death; therefore, she was greave and had sought comfort resulting in a baby from the lover whom gave her comfort. When her secret had been discovered she was isolated for committing a treacherous crime of adultery, as one of her punishments she was forced to wear an A on her chest. The novel presents a structure of a society, using symbolism and diction to give underline meaning to the themes, portraying religious tendencies ruled by the philosophy of good and evil.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby

    1937 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a known piece of classic literature. It is often referred to as a “Great American Novel” by many people. And following closely in its path, only the way to becoming a classic, is the novel Atonement, by Ian McEwan. To become a real classic piece of literature there are some criteria a novel must meet. A novel must use effective language. It must also have a universal appeal. Finally a classic novel must be timeless. These are all criteria that I will use to argue why the novel Atonement, by McEwan, is a classic just like The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald.

    Read More

  • Chillingworth's Revenge Quotes

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “The Scarlet Letter,” the main character Hester get punished for adultery. In the beginning, she thought that her husband has died so she fell in love with Dimmesdale. However, her husband did not die and came back. Her husband, Chillingworth, later finds out that Hester has a secret lover. Therefore tried to find out who he is. At first Chillingworth does not reveal himself as Hester’s husband because she was being punished for adultery and he did not want to be ashamed. Later he tries to find out Hester’s secret lover by asking her but she will not tell him which makes him for desperate and angry. When he finds out that the secret lover is Dimmesdale, he finds out a secret about Dimmesdale.

    Read More

  • Wicked Behavior In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    764 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since he possesses the title of “reverend,” he is expected to act as some sort of a saint. Dimmesdale was responsible for the act of adultery done with Prynne. Even though he is a reverend, he is also a man. Although Dimmesdale was aware of Hester’s marriage but not who her husband was, he understood the predicament in which she was in; he recognized her solitude. In Chapter 17, Hester made the revelation to Dimmesdale that Roger Chillingworth was her husband. Dimmesdale did not respond in a positive manner as stated, “Never was there a blacker or a fiercer frown than Hester now encountered.” (Hawthorne 149). Dimmesdale is the most innocent from the trio since he was constantly repented his sin, but was also a single man. He lived with this guilt inside of him day-by-day and physically hurt himself, intending to lose the

    Read More

  • Scarlet Letter

    622 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nathaniel Hawthorne was not a Puritan. But Hawthrone’s forefathers were Puritans, so he had an understanding of their belief system and their basis behind it. He stated that he hoped the sins of his forefathers had been forgiven. Hoping to expose those ideas which he understood, yet despised, Hawthorne purposely presented many important Puritan beliefs as import aspects to the Scarlet Letter. In the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne addresses three main Puritan beliefs: providence, predestination, and the strict code of ethics that the settlers of New Englanders lived by.

    Read More

  • Dimmesdale's Guilt and Internal Struggle in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    When the reader first meets Roger Chillingworth standing watching Hester on the scaffold, he says that he wishes the father could be on the scaffold with her. “‘It irks me, nevertheless, that the partner of her iniquity should not, at least, stand on the scaffold by her side” (46). At this point, Chillingworth wishes that Mr. Dimmesdale was also receiving the sort of shame Hester is being put through. Throughout the first few chapters of the novel, however, Chillingworth’s motives become more and more malicious. By the time Chillingworth meets Hester in her prison cell, he has decided to go after Mr. Dimmesdale’s soul. Chillingworth turns to this goal because Mr. Dimmesdale did not endure Hester’s shame on the scaffold. Had Mr. Dimmesdale chosen to reveal himself at the time of Hester’s shame, he would not have had to endure the pain of Roger Chillingworth’s tortures of his soul.

    Read More

  • Free Essays - To Kill a Mockingbird - What is a Classic?

    808 Words  | 2 Pages

    What is a classic?  One definition given by the dictionary is: having lasting significance or worth; enduring.  When examined closely we can discover what makes the novel unique and memorable.  There are many important messages in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, which make it memorable to the reader.  The main message in this novel is about racism, how people around you, not just parents have a strong influence on you when you are growing up, and how rumors and misjudging can make a person look bad.  Judging other people without knowledge of the facts is also a common occurrence.

    Read More

  • Morally Ambiguous Characters in The Scarlet Letter

    742 Words  | 2 Pages

    Roger Chillingworth utilizes his deceptiveness in a number of occasions throughout the novel. For example, in chapter three, Roger Chillingworth innocently approaches Hester Prynne, acting as if he has never once seen her. Roger Chillingworth even interrogates a local townsman about Hester Prynne and her committed sins. This shows that Roger Chillingworth purposely intends to concept a deceptive knowledge of his character in order to disconcert one who may read The Scarlet Letter. Although Roger Chllingworth is the foremost antagonist of the novel, his deceptiveness empowers him to withhold an excessive amount of moral ambiguity. With this moral ambiguity, Roger Chillingworth is able to surreptitiously accomplish a various amount of things, including the death of Arthur Dimmesdale himself.

    Read More

  • Essay On Literary Masterpieces

    2066 Words  | 5 Pages

    Stories are a wonderful way to convey ideas while entertaining the reader. Literary masterpieces are one of the most important devices in practice that mirrors society. The complex topics from previous generations are still relevant today. Spiritual, intellectual, and political themes make the reader identify with the characters’ trials within the literary masterpieces. When the author uses characters, the reader can explore his or her own questions of society. A masterpiece is not used to answer questions, but to inspire the reader to delve into their own problems. Masterpieces are used to make the reader think and not just accept the popularly held beliefs. According to Santayana (1980), “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it “ (p. 104). This statement holds true for literary masterpieces, as well.

    Read More

More about The Scarlet Letter

Open Document