Sin, Knowledge, and the Human Condition

A reader may label Dimmesdale the purest of the sinners. Adultery, in the Christian world, is the one of the greatest sins a man can commit, second only to premeditated murder. In a Puritan society, it must be close to the same. Dimmesdale tries to purge himself of this evil sin by scourging and self-denial. However, he shies away from public confession, rationalizing the good he can instill in other men and women with his sermons. We find this illogical reasoning on page He endures Chillingworth's revenge and hatred while trying to preach what he doesn't practice. At his weakest point, Hester tempts him to cave in to the sin and do it all over again. Out of desperation to flee from the torture, he crumbles

This fact is demonstrated as she casts off her letter and her stigma in society, as in the wilderness no judgment is held against her, and thus, she is more pure and noble. Dimmesdale is able to cast aside societal standards as well, showing affection for Hester in the forest: “‘Do I feel joy again?’ cried he, wondering at himself. ‘Methought the germ of it was dead in me! Oh, Hester, thou art my better angel! I seem to have flung myself— sick, sin-stained, and sorrow-blackened—down upon these forest leaves, and to have risen up all made anew”. Dimmesdale is no longer being held in guilt by those surrounding him and isn’t being slowly driven to insanity hourly by Chillingworth. The Puritan society, with such high respect for the reverend, showed to how high of a standard he had to conform to. Remaining in the Puritan lifestyle caused him to become ill by the day, as his guilt crept up slowly but powerfully upon him, and Chillingworth, a symbol for his guilt, slowly tortures Dimmesdale morally. The forest sets the reverend free from his guilt and sin, absolving and rebirthing him such that he can feel joy once again, a noble man again, plagued by no illness, and feels once again sane and real, lest he return to society and back to the

He finds out it was Dimmesdale and then set out to torture him. “[Chillingworth] never set him free again until he has done all it’s bidding. He now dug into the poor clergyman’s heart” (Hawthorne 117). Hester tells Chillingworth to stop, but Chillingworth does not. He wants to get revenge on Dimmesdale. Because of this revenge, he loses Hester forever. Chillingworth tortures him in his own best interest. He is selfish. He wants Hester, even though Hester no longer loves him. Even after he has the chance to learn his lesson, Chillingworth still acts in his own interest. He learns that Dimmesdale and Hester are going to leave on a boat, and he books a ticket on the same boat, causing more problems for Hester and Dimmesdale. Chillingworth wants only what was in his own best interest, not what is better for others.

Throughout the story Roger Chillingworth slowly transforms and is comparable to the devil. There are phases to this transformation. The fact we learn Chillingworth trapped Hester in a marriage that she did not want be in shows that his evil transformation starts when we are first introduced to him. Later in this next phase, he uses his hatred and devotion to bring pain on Dimmesdale for seven years. Over the seven years, Chillingworth devotes his time to torment Dimmesdale with no remorse or compassion. While Dimmesdale and Hester had committed a high sin in Puritan life, Chillingworth’s conduct proves to be the greater evil. Hester and the “A” transition in the opposite direction. She was branded a

In Chapter 9, Chillingworth 's evil nature starts to show. As Dimmesdale suffers with the guilt of being Pearl 's father, Chillingworth acts as a physician who seems to be taking the life out of Dimmesdale even more. The townspeople are beginning to notice that there is"something ugly and evil starting in his face" (Hawthorne, 124). In chapter 10, this theme of evil continues with Chillingworth, for he continues to get worse. In this chapter, it is clear that Chillingworth 's goal of revenge is to increase Dimmesdale’s inner pain. Hawthorne describes Chillingworth as a "thief entering a chamber where a man lies only half asleep" (Hawthorne, 126) as a way to further symbolize his evilness. Chillingworth harasses Dimmesdale constantly about his secrets asking, "why not reveal them here?" (Hawthorne, 128). But even with all the nagging, Dimmesdale refuses to reveal what 's been making him sick on the inside. In chapter 11, Dimmesdale 's suffering only increases. His sermons hint at his sinful nature, but everyone is being mislead by them for they seem to think that Dimmesdale is even more holy. Dimmesdale is "tortured by some black trouble of the soul"(Hawthorne, 137) and yet, his hidden public confessions are misunderstood. However, Dimmesdale is aware of this, for "the minister well knew- subtle, but remorseful hypocrite- that he was"(Hawthorne, 141). In chapter 12, during the night, Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold, in which it can clearly be seen that

Reverend Dimmesdale is thin and sickly and always clutches at his chest so Chillingworth becomes his hope for getting better. Though Dimmesdale doesn’t believe medicine can heal him, he caves and agrees to let Chillingworth help him. The two men spend time together and Chillingworth believes that he should analyze the reverend spiritually, physically, and mentally in order to cure him. Over time, they think it is a good idea for them ot temporarily move in together, being that Dimmesdale wasn’t married. Some of the townspeople think it is wise but others start thinking Chillingworth has “ugly and evil in his face” and that he has changed. Chillingowrth is dedicated to finding out who committed adultery with Hester. I think this shows shis darker side that he would do anything to reveal whom his wife cheated on him with.

Another effect on Dimmesdale, seen as his guilt slowly wears him down, is how he compares his actions to those of Roger Chillingworth. This is clearly seen when Dimmesdale claims to Hester, "We are not, Hester, the worst sinners in the world. There is one worse than even the polluted priest! That old man 's revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart. Thou and I, Hester, never did so!” (Hawthorne 185). Even in the privacy of the forest, he did not want to accept the full reality of his actions. This is a step forward for him, however, because he chooses to actually say aloud that what he did was wrong, just not as wrong as Chillingworth’s terrorizing of him. Eventually, Dimmesdale is able to confess to the public his sin, and this is due to his longing to escape the torture Chillingworth has been putting him through. Dimmesdale is no longer affected by the guilt that his actions brought about, so Chillingworth has no reason to aggravate him anymore. Sadly for the reverend, the shame

In contrast to Dimmesdale, there was Chillingworth, the legal husband of the woman Dimmesdale sinned with. Disguised as a healer, Chillingworth waits and observes, trying to discover the identity of the father of Pearl, the child of Hester. When he discovers that Dimmesdale was the lover, he moves in with Dimmesdale to torture him. Chillingworth uses his position as a healer to do the opposite of his occupation, to hurt Dimmesdale’s mind, tormenting him psychologically, and ultimately poisoning his mind. He tortured Dimmesdale throughout the whole novel and not once showed remorse for his horrible sin. He was never confused about his sin; he never questioned if it was right or wrong. This was a result of his religious views; he wasn 't religious at all in fact, he was referenced as the Devil.

Although Chillingworth doesn’t know if Dimmesdale is the one who committed the sin with Hester, he still interviews Dimmesdale as if he is a suspect for this sin:“It is as well to have made this step,” said Roger Chillingworth to himself, looking after the minister with a grave smile. “There is nothing lost. We shall be friends again anon. But see, now, how passion takes hold upon this man, and hurrieth out of himself! As with one passion, so with another! He hath done a wild thing ere now, this pious Master Dimmesdale, in the hot passion of his heart!”(125). Earlier in the book when Chillingworth is talking to Hester, Hawthorne describes a smile that the physician has that makes Hester wonder if he is like the Black Man. This smile is displayed again when Dimmesdale rushes out of the room. Chillingworth’s smiles seem to emulate his obsession. Everytime he is trying to find out who committed this sin, or even thinks about it, he smiles. This smile is described as grave, which means, giving cause for alarm. Chillingworth has said that he wants to ruin the soul of whoever committed the sin with Hester. The description of this smile was not meaningless; Chillingworth could already be suspecting Dimmesdale of this sin, and even plotting his revenge. Chillingworth also talks about passion, which is interesting because passion has been talked about when Hester is in the picture.

Context- in this excerpt from the chapter 10 Chillingworth has decided to help Dimmesdale with his “illness” which is supposedly being caused because Dimmesdale wont tell the public that he was the adulter in the case of Hester. This stress is overrunning him and making him weak. So he needed a doctor to make him better but they are no official doctors in the town since it is a new town in the new world. The closest thing to a doctor is Chillingworth, Chillingworth agree to help and the two move into together. Chillingworth Slowly finds out the the thing that is really make Dimmesdale sick is his guilt and he speculates that it has something to do with Hester. I believe that he comes to this conclusion based on his infatuation with the missing

Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester Prynne, and Roger Chillingworth all committed sins that needed forgiveness. However, only Hester found what they were all searching for. They also were needing to bring it upon themselves to forgive themselves and others. That forgiveness was life or death to Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. They ended up in the grave.

Chillingworth was the husband of Hester. He didn't want to be labeled as nor known to be the husband of a woman so shameful because of her sin. It affected him so much that it got to the point where he began to stalk people so that he could try and figure out who was the father of Pearl. Once he figured out it was Dimmesdale he moved in pretending to be his care physician. Instead of using his skills to heal Dimmesdale he destroyed him.

Attempting to hide his past relationship with Hester Chillingworth changed his name. Dimmesdale is ill which is affecting his heart greatly. Chillingworth suggests that Dimmesdale lives with the doctor. The men live in a home near a cemetery previously owned by a widow. As time passes the citizens begin to get a satanic feel given off by Chillingworth. Chillingworth brings back a weed that Dimmesdale questions. Chillingworth states he found it upon someone's grave. Pearl pulls her mother away saying the black man has gotten the minister. Dimmesdale has a mark on his chest that makes the doctor happy. Chillingworth continues play tricks with Dimmesdale’s mind. Dimmesdale begins to have dreams which keep him awake. Dimmesdale blames himself because

            Later on during the story while Hester and Chillingworth are in the woods talking about Dimmesdale, Hester shouts at Chillingworth, "You search his thoughts. You burrow and rankle in his heart! Your clutch is on his life and you cause him to die daily a living death!" (Pg. 156) Hester knows Chillingworth has more evil in his blood than ever before in his life; he feeds off the pain he causes Dimmesdale and enjoys every minute of it. Chillingworth doesn't realize in the slightest how much more evil flows through his veins now, than did before in his life. It

When Chillingworth enters town, Dimmesdale’s reputation begins to change because the people believe that Dimmesdale is associating with the ‘black man’- Chillingworth. The community has seen that Dimmesdale’s association with Chillingworth has had a negative impact, and that causes his reputation to suffer. From the point in time when Chillingworth entered the town, the people have seen Dimmesdale become thinner and more nervous and darkness consume Chillingworth, leading to this change in reputation. Dimmesdale has also started holding his hand over his heart frequently, leading to the communal belief that the A was having more of an effect, especially through its effect on Chillingworth and Dimmesdale: “To sum up the matter, it grew to be a widely diffused opinion, that the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, like many other personages of especial sanctity, in all ages of the Christian world, was haunted either by Satan himself, or Satan’s emissary, in the guide of old Roger Chillingworth” (112). By the end of the novel, Dimmesdale’s reputation was at it’s lowest point due to the revelation that he was Hester’s co-adulterer. The people were shocked when this was revealed, as “the multitude, silent till then, broke out in a strange, deep voice of awe and wonder, which could not as yet find utterance, save in this murmur that rolled so heavily after the departed spirit” (222). The conclusion to the novel discussed the repercussions of Dimmesdale’s