The Scarlet Letter

Hester is also a victim of fate. She has no way of knowing if Chillingworth is dead or alive when the Indians capture him after he arrived in North America. She still goes against the strict Puritan rules, and breaks Commandment 7, which was often punished by death. .
             Arthur Dimmesdale is a strong pillar of the community and a very devoted Puritan. What could he do that is worse than young Hester Prynne's appalling act of adultery? Well he goes a little further into the same sin. First of all, he commits adultery with the abandoned Hester. Then instead of admitting his sin to the public, he keeps his dark secret in his heart, knowing it will eat at him for the rest of his life until he reveals it. The only thing worse in the Puritans" eyes than committing a terrible sin is failing to admit to it. They believed it darkened the soul, and it did; it almost turned Dimmesdale into an evil shell of a man. .
             The Puritans also wanted the sinning people of the congregation to admit their sin, so that they could punish that person, almost as if they were playing God. Dimmesdale did get punished, but it was in private. He first punishes himself by whipping himself. In addition he allows Chillingworth to torment him with comments that make him feel guilty until the point of going crazy. .
             Dimmesdale is also an evil man because he is a man of God, but he cannot find the strength to admit openly that he has had an affair with Hester. His weakness is the reason he is more evil than Hester. Dimmesdale does not want to admit that he sinned against God because he is a great servant of him through the ministery. Dimmesdale strives to be perfect, but because of the sinful act of passion that he has committed, his "record for God" has been tarnished forever. After seven long years of struggle, Dimmesdale does triumph over his weakness at the day he predicted, judgment day, the day he would die.