King Arthur Dimmesdale In Scarlet Letter

Unbeknownst to many literature readers, Nathaniel Hawthorne shares a relationship with one of the judges of the infamous Salem witch trials. Hawthorne, as a result, changed his name to distance himself from the awful reputation. Later in his life, he decided to write a book set near his hometown of Salem: The Scarlet Letter. Puritan people fill the pages of The Scarlet Letter. T The strict orthodox community that comes with Puritan society has many rules and guidelines that the townspeople have to follow; if people do not follow the rules they receive severe punishments. During The Scarlet Letter many characters break the Puritan code, which ends up affecting not only themselves, but the community as a whole. Arthur Dimmesdale, resident minister,

Furthermore, cowardly acts makeup Dimmesdale’s flaw; this prevents him from being an effective minister in the town. Dimmesdale’s flaw and almost every other fatal flaw brings destruction to the one that they control. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows how Dimmesdale fills his life with cowardice; Dimmesdale’s flaw allows him to employ logos, leading him to negatively impact the community, and, gradually, his flaw led him to his demise.

Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale suffers from the fatal flaw of cowardice. After Hester’s refusal to confess, Dimmesdale’s relief showed: “‘She will not speak!’ murmured Mr. Dimmesdale, who, leaning over the balcony, with his hand upon his heart, had awaited the

Although many people have fatal flaws in The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale’s flaw negatively impacts the community the most. During the scaffold scene, Dimmesdale commanded that “‘Heaven hath granted thee an open ignominy, that thereby thou mayest work out an open triumph over the evil within thee and the sorrow without. Take heed how thou deniest to him—who, perchance, hath not the courage to grasp it for himself—the bitter, but wholesome, cup that is now presented to thy lips!’” (Hawthorne 63). Dimmesdale said that the sinner receives triumph over evil if they confess. He wanted Hester to say the name because the wrongdoer might not have courage to confess himself. Although it may appear to the community that Dimmesdale does the right thing by trying to make Hester confess, he uses her as an excuse to not reveal himself and ends up lying to the whole town because of it. Many people terrorized Hester for the father’s identity because Dimmesdale did not confess: “‘Woman, transgress not beyond the limits of Heaven 's mercy!’ cried the Reverend Mr. Wilson, more harshly than before. ‘That little babe hath been gifted with a voice, to second and confirm the counsel which thou hast heard. Speak out the name! That, and thy repentance, may avail to take the scarlet letter off thy breast.’” (Hawthorne 64). In Reverend Wilson’s speech he implores Hester to speak the name of the father. Wilson used Pearl against Hester to try and get her to confess, consequently Hester would not give a