The Character Of Roger Chillingworth And Arthur Dimmesdale

Chapter 11: Chillingworth goes full force with his revenge on Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale has now reached the point of where he sees visions of what an easier life could

wanted Dimmesdale to suffer from guilt is when the author, Hawthorne, explains Chillingworth’s motives in becoming Dimmesdale’s physician. Hawthorne says that Chillingworth, being a man of skill, dove into the intellect of Dimmesdale looking for secrets and precious thoughts that might help him in the magnification of Dimmesdale’s guilt (114). The passage on 114 says nothing about Chillingworth wanting to kill Dimmesdale. Another part in the novel again suggests that Chillingworth had no intentions of poisoning Dimmesdale. During the last scaffold scene when Dimmesdale finally resolves to let his guilt be known to the town, Chillingworth says, “There was no one place so secret… where thou couldst have escaped me, --save on this very scaffold';(Hawthorne 230-231)! If Chillingworth were in fact slowly poisoning Dimmesdale to death, there would have truly been no place in the world where Dimmesdale could have escaped from Chillingworth not even on the scaffold.

This passage is found on the second page of Chapter 11 titled “The Interior of the Heart.” After Chillingworth has delved into the soul of Dimmesdale, he finds something that isn’t conveyed to the reader, creating a sense of mystery which is carried over into chapter 11. Chillingworth became a “chief actor, in the poor minister’s interior world.” This shows the total power and control held by Chillingworth over Dimmesdale. The idea of Dimmesdale as an actor demonstrates Chillingworth knowledge of Dimmesdale at such a profound level that he recognizes his greatest fears and weakness. He knows it is not death that Dimmesdale fears, but instead, staying alive through the pain and mockery of anyone finding out his secret. This total control is

Hurt, betrayal, guilt, and anger are all negative emotions that fuel revenge. While Hester stepped above the rays of revenge, the men of the novel were not so lucky. Chillingworth, blinded by his hurt and unknowing what to do, channelled all his energy into his vengeance on Dimmesdale. This not only changed him from a gentle scholar into the devil’s assistant, but lead to his death shortly after the Reverend's. Dimmesdale, the product of Chillingworth’s revenge and his own, fared far worse physically and mentally than Hester and Chillingworth combined. While Chillingworth’s revenge was mental, Dimmesdale inflicted punishment on himself to deal with his guilt. This sapped his life, but allowed him to connect better as a minister with his parishioners. Revenge led to the demoralization and death of both male characters, while Hester’s inner strength and independence allowed her to avoid such conclusions almost

Chillingworth wanted to psychologically torture Dimmesdale. He always reminded Dimmesdale of all of the bad betrayal and also the negative energy that he brought onto to himself. Chillingworth would not give him any space to think about what he has done, he just would constantly point out how bad it was to keep secrets to yourself and to commit sins. Chillingworth didn’t necessarily torture Dimmesdale, but he might as well have since he tortured him mentally. In the novel there isn’t peace between them two.

            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

Dimmesdale unfortunately is Chillingworth’s object of revenge, after Chillingworth hears about Hester’s sin, he endlessly tortures Dimmesdale to the point of mental and physical breakdown. Dimmesdale at last realizes that the only way that he can escape Chillingworth is by forgiving himself. The scene that Dimmesdale forgives himself takes place in the third scaffold scene in chapter 23 which contains the resolution of many conflicts and the last major development of the theme vengeance and forgiveness. Hawthorn utilizes various strategies to assist in developing the theme in that scene, primarily through the employment of repetition in quotes and desperate

Chillingworth offers his help in diagnosing the “bodily disease” that has taken over Dimmesdale’s health, although he already suspects it is due to Dimmesdale’s hidden sin. With this in mind, Chillingworth constantly fills Dimmesdale’s conscience with more feelings of guilt and self-hate for his own revenge. Chillingworth regularly questions Dimmesdale along the lines of, “wouldst thou have me to believe…that a false show can be better…than God’s own truth?” (129). Chillingworth plays a defining factor in the deterioration of Dimmesdale’s mind by blatantly pointing out Dimmesdale’s wrongdoings.

The insanity with Chillingworth trying to get revenge on Dimmesdale is relatable to insanity because his obsession with finding the truth is driving him mad. He pretends to take care of him and become close to him but he’s trying to find out more about him and Hester’s relationship. Chillingworth plans a ridiculously twisted campaign to hurt the minister as much as possible. And Dimmesdale is yet to figure out that his only friend and his doctor is his biggest enemy. When you really think about it Chillingworth is cruel because his revenge plan seems to have kept him alive but Dimmesdale’s life is now a living hell.

Chillingworth taking on Dimmesdale as his patient for the next seven years is a parallel to the method of punishment the Puritans used at the time, namely with the scarlet letter. Both use a slow, indirect punishment to make the guilty punish themselves. As Chillingworth aids Dimmesdale with medicines, he also prods Dimmesdale to remind him of his crime. By dragging this process along, Chillingworth becomes a scarlet letter to Dimmesdale much in the way Pearl was to Hester.

Every main character has an affair that changes them and for Roger Chillingworth it is discovering out his wife Hester Prynne had a child with another man. Finding this out changes him and put the book in place by Roger Chillingworth wanting to extract his revenge on Dimmesdale. Every decision and action Roger Chillingworth does is to get back at Dimmesdale and when Dimmesdale is deceased Roger withers away "Nothing was more remarkable than the change which took place, almost immediately after Mr. Dimmesdale's death, in the appearance and demeanor of the old man known as Roger Chillingworth. He positively withered up, and shriveled away, "( Hawthorne 270). In Chillingworth's unconscious mind he is driven by hatred for Dimmesdale and the fact he still loves/cares for Hester Prynne his wife "Mine was the first wrong... I seek no vengeance, plot no evil against thee,"( Hawthorne 78). His repression establishes the conflict between him and Dimmesdale of revenge/ driving Dimmesdale mad. This conflict becomes a considerable plot point in The Scarlet Letter and furthers the story of both Chillingworth and Dimmesdale.

He knew that he was going to commit a sin but he did not know what the repercussions would be. “In a word, Old Roger Chillingworth was a striking evidence of man’s faculty of transforming himself into a devil, if he will only, for a reasonable space of time, undertake a devil’s office.” (Pg 140). Chillingworth gets a great deal of pleasure from torturing Dimmesdale. The narrator of the novel goes as far as to say that he is transforming himself into a devil. He feels this is the only thing that makes him happy. Similar to the devil, inflicting pain on others is the only way he feels happy. “After Mr. Dimmesdale’s death, a remarkable change took place in the appearance and personality of the old man known as Roger Chillingworth. All his strength and energy, all his physical and intellectual force, seemed to leave him at once. He withered up, shriveled away, and almost vanished from human sight, like an uprooted weed that wilts in the sun. This sad man had made the pursuit of revenge the one mission in his life.” (citation) Chillingworth spent a majority of his life torturing and getting revenge on Dimmesdale. Once Dimmesdale was gone, the purpose of his life was gone. Chillingworth had been living his life for this and as soon as it went away he deteriorated. The sin was the sole purpose of his life and it ultimately lead to his demise.

Both Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are something from the other. Chillingworth is the only one prodding. Dimmesdale is completely on the defensive. While Chillingworth has a motive to prod, to find Pearl’s father. But because of theses secrets and Chillingworth’s motive, their appearances change. They both are starting to look a little more deformed and sunken. Only Chillingworth, however, is starting to look evil.

To begin with Chillingworth is a sinner who refuses to repent to reach his redemption bringing about his ultimate moral destruction. Chillingworth’s first sin begins when he takes advantage of Hester, but it is his revenge on Dimmesdale which creates his moral consequence. Revenge becomes the main purpose in his life. By revolving his life around getting revenge Chillingworth’s morals become less important. His obsession with vengeance and evil renders him unable to find peace in forgiveness. Chillingworth never confesses either of his sins and choose to be seen as a victim. He believes that since Dimmesdale hurt him, he deserves revenge. Chillingworth does not take the path of forgiveness enabling him from being redeemed.

The beginning of the novel highlights the rationale for Hester’s physical isolation from the community; at the same time, the community recognizes Dimmesdale’s good character. Hester and Dimmesdale are complete opposites. Hester is the holder of the scarlet letter and publically shamed, while Dimmesdale is a clergyman who is looked up to by the