Analysis Of Unregenerate: Hawthorne's Definition Of An Antagonist

Unforgiving, Unregenerate: Hawthorne’s Definition of an Antagonist
Standing hopelessly alone on the platform that will decide her fate, Hester Prynne assumes to be the antagonist of the novel with the reader’s first glance. The novel starts suggesting so by the way others respond and act towards her as well as the crimes committed. However, are the townspeople correct in whom they precede as being the villain? Roger Chillingworth takes part in evil, selfish actions often cause tremendous pain on others. In addition, Arthur Dimmesdale never has the courage to stand up and confess to his sins until his fateful judgment day. These characters seem to be committing as much, if not more, sin that this single mother has in her lifetime. As time passes

The inability to stand upon the stage where he so rightfully belongs and showing a lack of courage creates a reasonable interpretation for the reader to presume. However, while the reverend inflicts tremendous pain upon his self, no one suffers mentally or physically because of the priest in the seven-year period. Hence, becoming the antagonist of his inner being, rather, makes him no more than a villain to himself. To specify, he spends countless nights beating himself and gives powerful vigils that nearly push him to insanity (Hawthorne 100). The wretched reverend drowns himself with guilt and ultimately regrets his actions. This, as a result, proves this ill stricken minister not to be an antagonist to anyone other than mainly

However, this is to mark the end of this doctor’s charitable and caring behavior. Day by day, this revenge-seeking husband is slowly losing patience and taking it upon himself to punish the cleric that has wrongfully betrayed him in the past. In chapter thirteen, Hester meets her aging husband in disguise and notices, “what a change had been wrought upon him within the past seven years” (Hawthorne 116). It seems that something sinister has taken over the man; the physician takes on no guilt for the actions he has done towards the preacher and even displays a prideful outlook on the nefarious situation he has created. Also, he pushes the blame to everyone else except himself; the doctor calls upon his past wife for his patient’s sudden decrease of health as well as the cause of his personal unhappiness when everything is, in actuality, his fault (Hawthorne 118). Cruel and unjust, Chillingworth is the novel’s antagonist due to his actions toward his wife and the town’s well-respected minister and to the fact that he refuses to admit his sins and instead blames them on