... of committing adultery. At the beginning of the novel, Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter, A, on her dress as a sign of her guilt. She steadfastly refuses to reveal the identity of her adulterous partner. However, her husband eventually realizes who her lover is and takes revenge on him. Eventually, her dying lover publicly admits his part in the adultery. Primarily ... ...
... , capable, but not necessarily extraordinary woman. It is the extraordinary circumstances shaping her that make her such an important figure. Dimmesdale - Arthur Dimmesdale, like Hester Prynne, is an individual whose identity owes more to external circumstances than to his innate nature. The reader is told that Dimmesdale was a scholar of some renown at Oxford University. His past suggests that he is ... ...
... he never arrived in Boston. While waiting for her husband, Hester has apparently had an affair, as she has given birth to a child and she will not reveal her lover's identity, which is actually the beloved and eloquent priest Arthur Dimmesdale. The account of Dimmesdale begins with the first scaffold scene. This is where the public castigates Hester. Arthur takes the ... ...
