Theme Of Adultery In The Crucible

Adultery and lustful sin is an apparent theme in both The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Crucible by Arthur Miller. In The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale was beloved by the community as a man of God, but was an adulterer in his private life; he had fathered a child out of wedlock and lived a life riddled with guilt. In The Crucible, John Proctor was a farmer who had admitted to his wife that he had sinned, and was paying the price in their personal life. By comparing these two, it can be seen how differently they let their sin and its repercussions affect them, as well as the similarities in their circumstances. Reverend Dimmesdale was a notable preacher in his town who committed adultery with Hester Prynne, conceived a child, and suffered greatly from secret guilt. He kept his sin hidden from the community, knowing that staining his reputation will ruin his life as the moral leader of the town. He instead suffered quietly to himself, knowing that God is aware of his wrongdoing and will punish him justly. He felt such shame in his heart that he drove himself to the point of physical sickness. Dimmesdale ultimately died after revealing his sin to the townspeople many years later. John Proctor, similarly, was also a respected member of the community who committed adultery. He

However, many contrasts can be drawn as well. Dimmesdale was a man of God; he was committed to his congregation and was truly passionate about doing God’s will. Proctor, however, was not such a Godly man. He was religious to some extent, but did not attend Church regularly, and had not baptized all of his children. He blames this on not liking the town minister, but in comparison, Dimmesdale would not have let that affect