"At first, his expression had been calm, meditative, scholar-like. Now, there was something ugly and evil in his face which they had not previously noticed, and which grew still the more obvious to sight, the oftener they looked upon him" (p124). This passage, taken from the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, shows the effect that evil has on the antagonist of the novel. The antagonist, Chillingworth, is the novel's villain, due to his numerous displays of evil throughout the course of the novel. Chillingworth's villainy is mainly derived from the anger he has toward his wife for having an affair with Dimmesdale, the Reverend of the town. His villainy also enhances meaning in the novel in several ways.
First, Chillingworth's main villainy is ignited by his desire for revenge. He longs for revenge because of the affair between his wife and Dimmesdale, the protagonist of the novel. Even though the relationship between Chillingworth and Hester isn't very passionate, Chillingworth is still deeply offended by Hester's affair. "And so, Hester, I drew thee into my heart, into its innermost chamber, and sought to warm thee by the warmth which thy presence made there!" (p72). Hester betrayed Chillingworth and in return he wants revenge on Dimmesdale. He does this by draining the soul of the Reverend and afflicting guilt upon him. Chillingworth's villainy also develops from his quest to discover his wife's lover. He lets his quest for knowledge over take him and turn him into the evil character that is described in the opening quote. Chillingworth gets so involved in finding out Hester's lover that he loses his Puritan principles and devotes his life to "burrow into the clergyman's intimacy and plot against his soul" (p124). The Puritan law also contributes to Chillingworth's villainy. He cannot forgive Dimmesdale because in the 1600's the Puritans were extremely strict and unforgiving.
