Essay on Morally Ambiguous Characters in The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a study of the effects of sin on the hearts and minds of the main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Sin strengthens Hester, humanizes Dimmesdale, and turns Chillingworth into a demon.

Altered by sin in The Scarlet Letter, evil, obsessive, and manipulative are what describe Roger Chillingworth. From the beginning, Roger is an enigmatic yet intriguing character, knowledgeable in medicine from his time in captivity, as well as - unbeknownst to others except for the audience - the wife of Hester Prynne. Becoming eviler as the story goes on, Roger’s complexion is only matched by the devil himself, with his only goal being to pursue Dimmesdale for his (and Hester’s) act of sin. Roger stays for seven years, becoming obsessed about Dimmesdale’s suffering and pain, like a leech. His dependency proves to be his downfall, as when Dimmesdale accepts his sin to be a part of him, Roger’s life is now without purpose. These chain of events leads to the idea that Roger Chillingworth’s act of sin (revenge), as well as Hester and Dimmesdale’s act of sin (passion) influence his character development and outcome greatly in The Scarlet Letter, as he becomes psychologically more manipulative, evil, and obsessive, and physically more sinister looking. In Puritan society, it proves someone else’s sin can make another one twisted and evil, as

The character of Roger Chillingworth in Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter is one of many different faces. Hawthorne changes the character of Chillingworth during different periods of the novel. As Chillingworth's actions and his motives change, so in turn does the reader's opinion of him, which ranges from compassion to antipathy. Hawthorne keeps the character of Chillingworth an enigma, and Hawthorne uses his narrative to shed light on the true feelings of Chillingworth, as well through the good doctor's interaction with other characters, especially Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale. As we watch the plot evolve, and the reader observes Chillingworth's actions,

Roger Chillingworth’s character shows evil in many ways, one of those ways is through his thoughts. From the moment he sees Hester on the scaffold he begins to plot revenge on whoever the father of Pearl is. The first meeting Hester and Chillingworth have Hester says, “Why dost thou smile so at me? [...] Art thou like the Black Man that haunts the forest round about us? Hast thou enticed me into a bond that will prove the ruin of my soul?”, then Chillingworth says, “Not thy soul, [...] No, not thine!” (Hawthorne 45). In this exchange between the once husband and wife the reader witnesses the first evil spark in Chillingworth. Every evil thought Chillingworth has stems from this moment in the story and everyone knows that thoughts generally lead to actions.

Roger Chillingworth arrives in Salem just in time to see Hester Prynne, his wife, with a baby on the town scaffold. He is, at first, a victim of adultery, but puts himself unnecessarily in the situation of being the villain of the story. The first time we see Chillingworth he is described as having “a remarkable intelligence in his features(56)” but “slightly deformed, with the left shoulder a trifle higher than the right(55)”. As the need for revenge takes over Chillingworth we see a transformation in his demeanor, by the end of

Roger Chillingworth’s sin, however, was not in an instant. His was calculated, drawn out, and committed with malice towards both Dimmesdale and Hester for years on end. He tormented Dimmesdale psychologically for years, and drained what little life Dimmesdale had in him out slowly and intentionally.He felt no guilt for these sins, nor was he ever punished for them in life.

Roger Chillingworth’s soul is immediately taken captive by revenge as soon as he finds out about Hester’s infedelity (I would go w infidelity). He is transformed into a devilish figure overcome by a passion to torture Hester’s partner in crime, Arthur Dimmesdale. Hawthorne shows Chillingworth’s evil intentions, “The intellect of Roger Chillingworth had now a sufficiently plain path before it…which led him to imagine a more intimate revenge than any mortal had ever wreaked upon an enemy” (Hawthorne 127). In The Scarlet Letter,

He was Hester's husband and he never returned to her, which was shamed in the Puritan society. He didn't want anyone knowing his true identity, so he assumed the name Roger Chillingworth. Chillingworth is known as the greatest doctor in their town, and in many of the surrounding towns. He lives this life kind of to forget his previous sins and to keep others from finding out. Roger Chillingworth wanted to keep this secret forever and the name he had before "should never more be spoken."(Hawthorn 237). He also disclosed to Hester that he was trying to kill the priest. He described him as being a "miserable priest" (Hawthorn 343) and he tells Hester that he was dying "in the sight of his worst enemy." Hawthorn (344). He is angered that Hester had an affair and had Pearl with Dimmesdale and he seeks the worst revenge possible. These issues progress the piece because they make the it more complicated and the characters, as well. Freud states that people's actions are "influenced by their unconscious" and this is especially true in the Scarlet Letter.

Knowing Roger Chillingworth's background, his role in the book as a symbol, and his obsession of torturing

Roger Chillingworth has been cast in bad light ever since his very first appearance, in which “A writhing horror twisted itself across his features, like a snake gliding swiftly over them” (Hawthorne 42). Use of the biblical snake metaphor and of inhuman imagery lets the reader know that Chillingworth’s soul has been corrupted and that, by becoming vengeful, he has lost the fundamental humanity that might salvage it. Chillingworth is a one-dimensional character. He is so deeply obsessed with exacting his revenge over his wife’s lover that it subsumes him completely. By refusing to end his quest for revenge—either by exposing Dimmesdale or letting him go—he denies himself the opportunity for catharsis and remains firmly entrenched in the past, unable to move on, grow, or do anything but carry his plot to term.

Roger Chillingworth and Arthur Dimmesdale both are The Scarlet Letter’s characters. They are both scholars. Even though they are opposite poles, both men tend to feel attracted for the same woman; Hester Prynne. Both of them have a deep relationship with her.

Roger Chillingworth is a man of mystery. A man whose intentions are questionable. Through his undeniable knowledge and his unclear motives, one doesn’t know if they can trust Mr. Chillingworth. When Roger takes in Mr. Dimmesdale as his project to cure him of his illness, the reader inquires why he wants to treat him. Does he think Arthur is the father? Is he seeking revenge on him for that reason? Roger Chillingworth’s hidden motives are seen when the narrator says “This diabolical agent (Roger Chillingworth) had the Divine permission, for a season, to burrow into the clergyman’s intimacy and plot against his soul” (Hawthorne, 124). The reader gets a sense of his motives and how he is seeking answers from Mr. Dimmesdale and to see if Arthur

The three main characters in the novel are Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale. Hester is an adulteress and has a baby named pearl and she is convicted and her punishment is to wear a scarlet letter “a” upon her chest and to wear it until her death where it will be marked upon her grave as well. Her husband who she cheated on was Roger Chillingworth, which was his alias in the new world. He discovers Hester’s ignominy and is set on finding her partner in the “crime” they committed against him. Dimmesdale is the man who Hester had an affair, although he is the minister and that is a huge scandal for the preacher who speaks against infidelity. Hawthorne makes the relationship acceptable by showing that Hester and Dimmesdale actually love each other opposed to Chillingworth and Hester’s fake love.Chillingworth convinced Hester into marrying him which she never wanted to do in the first place, he only wished to own someone not love them. Chillingworth can be associated to evil because of his wish for revenge and torture to Dimmesdale which are considered the worst kind of sins. Chillingworth is also referred to as a leech which is what

Roger Chillingworth is the antagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter, because of his vengeance against Hester, his cruel treatment of Arthur Dimmesdale, and his evil behavior upon confirmation of the affair.

Roger Chillingworth had a desire for revenge against Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne.The revenge that Chillingworth obtained, developed his mind into a psychopath and he became symbolic to Satan. The author claims that Chillingworth was “Calm, gentle, passionless, as he appeared, there was yet, we fear, a quiet depth of malice, hitherto latent, but active now, in this unfortunate old man”(Hawthorne 127). This quote is interpreting that Chillingworth has now become someone he is not. The author also states that “...which led him to imagine a more intimate