Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale And The Scarlet Letter

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and the Scarlet Letter As the loved pastor whose undisclosed guilt destroyed him and the secret lover of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale is an interesting character in The Scarlet Letter and plays an important role throughout the book. Dimmesdale is a â€Å"Reverend† and pastor at the church. His interactions with the other main characters in the book such as Roger Chillingworth, Hester Prynne, and Pearl are secretive and painful, and display his inner pain. Hester had committed adultery, against her husband with one that she would not name! The scarlet letter would burn forever on her chest and secretly, on his, as the guilt sears him and kills him slowly. First of all, Dimmesdale was known as an excellent pastor throughout his life, only increasing in performance as he aged, even though he was really breaking inside. In Characters in ‘The Scarlet Letter’ by Edward Wagenknecht, Wagenknecht says that Dimmesdale â€Å"know the Puritan theology as [Hester] does not know it, and has a far firmer grasp upon the Puritan faith†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Wagenknecht 5). In the beginning of the book, when we first encounter Dimmesdale, he is somewhat of an apprentice to Reverend Wilson. Hester is brought to the scaffold, after she has walked the streets in shame, and now Dimmesdale stands before her. The Reverend asks Dimmesdale to ask Hester who her fellow adulterer is. Even after multiple requests to Hester, she still refuses, and Dimmesdale nearly resorts to begging. â€Å"...Take heedShow MoreRelated Guilt and Shame in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter1098 Words   |  5 Pagesall three of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter, but how they each handle their sin will change their lives forever. Hester Prynne’s guilt is publicly exploited. 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Main Characters: Hester Prynne - The character of Hester is labeled as an adulteress, and is condemned to wear the scarlet letter for the rest of her daysRead MoreComparing The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthrone and The Crucible by Arthur Miller1394 Words   |  6 Pagesliterature that display both aspects of this society very accurately are The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel   Hawthorne, and The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. The Scarlet Letter displays a society that treats two people very differently who commit the sin of adultery together. The woman, Hester Prynne, admits her sin, is forced to always wear a scarlet letter A on her bosom, and is ostracized from society. The man, Reverend Dimmesdale, hides his sin from the world, is almost worshipped by the townspeople,Read MoreA Selfish and Lazy Society: The Scarlett Letter Essay513 Words   |  3 Pagesbetter results. This is shown in The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale takes the easy way out and does not tell the community that he is the one that committed adultery with Hester Prynne, which led to more pain than he saved. Him and Hester Prynne committed adultery together and as a result of that, they have a daughter, Pearl. Hester is sentenced to the scarlet letter, which is an â€Å"A† upon her chest