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Romeo And Juliet Vs The Scarlet Letter

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Which Will Win? Not all battle wounds are fatal, as some of the fights are fought internally without weapons, but with words and actions; comparatively, conflicts between society and an individual and religion against love. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne exhibits a central theme of appearance versus reality as an individual faces society in solidarity. To compare the mood of The Scarlet Letter to The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare both implicates main figures with forbidden love stories. These forbidden love stories, portray the wars of finding love as political authority, society, and religion go against the lovers’ wants. Rooted in the allegories, the couples discover that to face their battles they must meet …show more content…

For instance, “While this passed, Hester Prynne had been standing on her pedestal...all other objects in the visible world seemed to vanish” (Hawthorne 56). Puritan society strives to implement the religious codes in the town by isolating an individual due to their actions of affection to another town member. By isolating a single person in the public arena of the town, the individual becomes a symbol of who the citizens do not want to be. Additionally, “In all her intercourse with society, however, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it” (Hawthorne 70). Society obtains a high appraisal for each individual, and as one makes a mistake, it asserts the power to notify civilization of the wrongdoing. Hester Prynne is treated as an object in the Puritan town instead of a human being containing emotions and values. Isolation allows the mind to wander away from society’s views and the individuals are able to develop clearer consciences, building oppositions of values between the …show more content…

For example, “Better to fast and pray upon it; and still better, it may be, to leave the mystery as we find it” (Hawthorne 105). As the novel revolves around the Puritan religion, love is challenged, which is illustrated between Hester and Dimmesdale, leaving their love to be a mystery in the town. Hester and Dimmesdale omit their love for each other, as a result of the Puritan religion. The couple’s love is forbidden in the religion because Hester is a married woman, and she conducted herself in an affair with Dimmesdale. Moreover, “Love, whether newly born or aroused from a deathlike slumber, must always create sunshine, filling the hearts so full of radiance, that it overflows upon the outward world” (Hawthorne 197). What provokes the intriguing love story in the novel is Hester’s character carries a secret sin, the love affair with Dimmesdale, as she is married to Chillingworth. This secret sin is publicly displayed in the town, yet the town is missing part of the puzzle piece, which is who Hester had the affair with. Conflict then begins between the mind and heart of Hester, as she attempts to gain a new identity, violating the codes, and creates her own religion and rules of nature. Although the Puritan religion is extremely strict and the society attempts to separate Hester from Dimmesdale, they do not fail. Love conquers

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