Chillingworth's Downfall
In the Scarlet Letter, a novel full of sin and sorrow, one character stands out as being the most sinister. He is the one who has committed the worst sin in the eyes of both the characters and even Nathaniel Hawthorne himself. This character of course is the “fiend,” Roger Chillingworth. According to the novel, Chillingworth committed the worse sin of all. Dimmesdale said, “That old man's revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart. Thou and I, Hester, never did so!” (Hawthorne 215) Now Chillingworth was not always this fiendish character and in fact his name was not even Roger Chillingworth. “Chillingworth appears to have genuinely loved Hester.” (Matus Character Analysis of Roger Chillingworth)
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She meets with Chillingworth and confesses that she will tell Dimmesdale of Chillingworth’s secret. “‘I must reveal the secret,’ answered Hester, firmly. ‘He must discern thee in thy true character.’” (Hawthorne 190) She seeks Dimmesdale out in the forest and tells him that Chillingworth was her husband and that he was never killed by Native Americans. Dimmesdale is upset at Hester and says that he may not be able to forgive her but he eventually does. The two then plan to run from the town and want to flee to England. They reserve a cabin on a ship that is leaving soon but first, they have to survive through Election …show more content…
He shows how a quiet old man became some sort of fiend seeking revenge, his evilness so strong he merely resembled the Devil to most people of the town. His lust for vengeance became so strong that once Dimmesdale had died, so had he. His lust for revenge had gone away and that was all that he had. He was finally Roger Prynne again so he sought redemption as he had given his estate to Pearl. This is an important detail to finish off the character’s story as he goes from a fiend to caring for Pearl’s future. It truly emphasizes that all of the main characters in the Scarlet Letter went through a change through the
She meets with Chillingworth and confesses that she will tell Dimmesdale of Chillingworth’s secret. “‘I must reveal the secret,’ answered Hester, firmly. ‘He must discern thee in thy true character.’” (Hawthorne 190) She seeks Dimmesdale out in the forest and tells him that Chillingworth was her husband and that he was never killed by Native Americans. Dimmesdale is upset at Hester and says that he may not be able to forgive her but he eventually does. The two then plan to run from the town and want to flee to England. They reserve a cabin on a ship that is leaving soon but first, they have to survive through Election …show more content…
He shows how a quiet old man became some sort of fiend seeking revenge, his evilness so strong he merely resembled the Devil to most people of the town. His lust for vengeance became so strong that once Dimmesdale had died, so had he. His lust for revenge had gone away and that was all that he had. He was finally Roger Prynne again so he sought redemption as he had given his estate to Pearl. This is an important detail to finish off the character’s story as he goes from a fiend to caring for Pearl’s future. It truly emphasizes that all of the main characters in the Scarlet Letter went through a change through the