Roger Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
In the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a character by the name of Roger Chillingworth had committed the worst sin of all; he basically killed another character, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Everyone has been in a position where they have had the chance of blackmailing or plotting revenge on someone. Chillingworth did exactly that and ended torturing Dimmesdale to his death. Dimmesdale was not the single one affected by Chillingworth's devilish doings. Chillingworth had a wife, but no one knew of their relationship. Her name was Hester Prynne and she had an tactless child named Pearl. The Reverend Dimmesdale had an affair with Hester, and he is the real father of Pearl. Throughout the novel the people of Boston were withheld this information, along with the information of Hester's real husband.
Chillingworth was a physician, or back in those days a doctor was called a leech. Dimmesdale started to feel ill, that was the beginning of the end for him. Dimmesdale became more than just a patient of Chillingworth, but a roommate as well. Being in such close contact with Dimmesdale, Chillingworth came to know the minister's most private emotions, and began to suspect that Dimmesdale's illness was the result of a deep secret that at no time had been confessed to another. In a conversation with Hester, Chillingworth made a vow to discover the real father of Pearl, and let everyone know about him.
In a conversation with Dimmesdale, Chillingworth brings up the question of why anyone would be willing to carry "secret sins" to his grave instead of confessing them during his lifetime. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth exchanged thoughts. Chillingworth's said, "Wouldst thou have me to believe, O wise and pious friend, that a false show can be better--can be more for God's glory, or man's welfare-than God's own truth? Trust me, such men deceive themselves!"(129) After hearing this Dimmesdale felt uneasy and changed the subject. This act caused Chillingworth to become suspicious. A few days later, Chillingworth found Dimmesdale asleep in a chair. Chillingworth silently moved in on Dimmesdale. Once Chillingworth had reached Dimmesdale's body, he swiftly removed Dimmesdale's church robe and saw the scarlet letter on the chest before him, which ended Chillingworth's search for the father of Pearl.
Now that Chillingworth knew Hester and Dimmesdale's secret, his change to evil was complete. Chillingworth had gone from a caring individual to a devil.
Dimmesdale. At first his expression had been calm, meditative, and scholar-like. "Now, there was something ugly and evil in his face, which they [people of the town] had not previously noticed, and which grew still the more obvious to sight the oftener they looked upon him.'; (Chpt. 9, p. 155) While pretending to be Dimmesdale's trusted confidant and physician, Chillingworth is actually slaying him by means of medicine and mental torture.
Also Chillingworth tries very hard to find out who her secret lover is and even tries asking Hester. “‘ Thou wilt not reveal his name? Not the less he is mine,’ resumed he , with a look of confidence , as if destiny were at one with him” ( Hawthorne 70). This quote says that Chillingworth tries to ask Hester who her secret lover is and even though she refuses to answer him, he feels confident that he will find out. This means that Chillingworth is going to harm her secret lover after he finds him. Therefore he will do whatever he can to torture him and get his
I believe that we can see throughout the entire story that Dimmesdale battles with regretting his actions but yet wanting to claim Pearl as his own because of his love for her and Hester. It is not a matter of education that makes these two men different, but rather attitude. Unlike Dimmesdale, Chillingworth expresses no remorse whatsoever. Both men are well educated as a pastor and the other as a doctor. These men seem to resemble both sides of the human society. The lack of faith is that Dimmesdale is a pastor and therefore must believe that God is in control and that his heavenly riches are better than anything else that can be offered to him. Instead of humbling himself in front of everyone in the beginning, he chooses his pride and his position of power over God’s merciful
[having] a wild look of wonder, joy, and horror? (135) at the same time. Hawthorne goes further beyond this description by comparing this sudden outburst of emotion to Satan?s ecstasy by saying that the only factor which ?distinguished [Chillingworth?s] ecstasy from Satan?s was the trait of wonder in it? (135). As the reader delves deeper into the book, we come to the conclusion that Dimmesdale is indeed the father of Pearl, the product of the horrendous sin consummated through Dimmesdale?s and Hester?s illicit affair. This point brings us back to Chillingworth?s reaction to realizing this earlier at the end of chapter ten. Although this shocking news explains why Chillingworth might have been angry or horrified, it does not clarify why Chillingworth did not attempt to murder or poison Dimmesdale whilst he had the chance, especially since the reader knows from a point made by Chillingworth earlier in the book, that after Chillingworth had sought out the man who had an affair with his Hester, he would have his long sought-after revenge (73).
Chillingworth is trying to convince Dimmesdale not to confess he’s Hester’s lover because he’s afraid of losing his source of power. Once Dimmesdale refuses Chillingworth and confesses to everyone, “Old Roger Chillingworth knelt down beside him, with a blank, dull countenance, out of which the life seemed to have deported.” (Hawthorne p. 251) Chillingworth feels worthless and becomes lifeless once Dimmesdale confesses. It’s as if Chillingworth’s soul (or whatever was left of it) left his body and he became nothing. Chillingworth allowed his obsession to consume him so much that once he lost that source, he lost his life. After Dimmesdale’s death, Chillingworth shrivelled away because he no longer felt a need to stay. He’s described as, “This unhappy man [who] had made the very principle of his life to consist in the pursuit and systematic exercise of revenge, and when… there was no more devil’s work on earth for him to do, it only remained for the unhumanized mortal to betake himself whither his Master would find him tasks enough…” (Hawthorne p. 254) Chillingworth was wrapped in a cloak of corruption, and once his revenge was finished, he felt unfulfilled and empty. He allowed his obsession to become his only aspect in
(FS) Pearl is getting revenge on Dimmesdale for not owning up to his wrong activities. Despite the fact that he was enduring within, it appears that Pearl truly needed him to come out with the truth as her mother had to on a daily basis. She declines to tell Dimmesdale who Chillingworth truly is on account of she realizes that it will torment him much more. This method for torment may make
The novel The Scarlet letter was written in 1850 by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The author refers Roger Chillingworth as evil, Devil-like, and a fallen man who lost everything in society. Even though Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale is Pearl’s legitimate parents, Roger Chillingworth is the best guardian for Pearl because; he looks at Pearl like his own child, he was not intending to hurt Pearl from the beginning, and gave Pearl all his properties when he died therefore Pearl could have a better life.
...om doing what is right. Chillingworth is actually attempting to keep his essence. He is ruined without his revenge. Defeated, purposeless, Chillingworth soon dies after Dimmesdale's confession. Chillingworth's source of happiness, Hester, has been taken away along with his chance at reprisal.
Chillingworth lets his vengeance for Pearls father take control of his life. When he finds out that Dimmesdale is Pearls father he slowly attaches himself to him like a leech. In conclusion Chillingworth lets vengeance kill his soul.
is tormented by Chillingworth. As a result, Dimmesdale suffers from failing health as well as from his guilt. He tries to confess and cannot find the courage to do it. He even mounts the scaffold one night and calls Hester and Pearl to his side -- but it is under the cover of darkness. Unfortunately, Chillingworth watches this second scaffold scene in the darkness. He now has his final proof that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl. His revenge intensifies.
Chillingworth continually lies and portrays himself as a doctor, when, in fact, he is just the opposite. Chillingworth comes to the town as a doctor and infiltrates Dimmesdale’s life through his sly use of lies and deceit. He is the spotlight of hypocrisy in this novel due to his direct use of his fake role as a healer to harm Dimmesdale. At one point Chillingworth realizes how evil he has become and “lift[s] his hands with a look of horror” (Hawthorne 155), but continues jis torture of Dimmesdale anyways. Chillingworth finally sees the atrocity in his actions, but ignores his own conscious and continues his evil-doings. He is a hypocrite to himself in that hr vhooses to be something he isn’t or shouldn’t be. This choice consumes him; this being a point the book is trying to make. When Dimmesdale reveals his secret, Chillingworth yells “there was no place… - Where thou couldst escaped me, -save on this very scaffold!” (Hawthorne 226). Chillingworth shows his hypocrisy again through his berating Dimmesdale for keeping his secret with Hester when he has his own dark secret that he wouldn’t dare tell. He wants Dimmesdale to have told him his secret, but he has absolutely no intention of revealing his
Chillingworth hides his true identity throughout the book, equivalent to the way Dimmesdale hides his guilt from the town. Evidence is given in chapter four that suggests he is Hester's husband. “You have kept your lover’s secret. Keep mine, too! No one knows me here. Don’t tell a soul that you ever called me husband!” Chillingworth proclaims to his wife Hester. (Sparknotes). Chillingworth’s hidden identity is a symbol for Dimmesdale’s guilt because in both cases the truth is kept from everyone except Hester. Dimmesdale is full of guilt from the time Hester stands on the scaffold. His guilt is so strong it causes him to feel sick, and become weak in his body. The town recognizes Dimmesdale’s sickness, however they have no clue it is caused by his abundant amount of guilt. This is also symbolized by Chillingworth’s
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, a main character in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, proves to be a sinner against man, against God and most importantly against himself because he has committed adultery with Hester Prynne, resulting in an illegitimate child, Pearl. His sinning against himself, for which he ultimately paid the
Chillingworth is openly confessing his motives and actions of vengeance against Dimmesdale and is so wrapped up in his sin that there is no hope of Chillingworth forgiving Dimmesdale.
As the novel progressed, Chillingworth fits the profile of ‘vengeance destroys the avenger’. When Roger Chillingworth is first introduced to the reader, we see a kind old man, who just has planted the seeds for revenge. Although he did speak of getting his revenge, when Hester first met her husband in her jail cell, she did not see any evil in him. Because Hester would not tell him who she had slept with, Chillingworth vowed that he would spend the rest of his life having his revenge and that he would eventually suck the soul out of the man, whom she had the affair with. “There is a sympathy that will make me conscious of him. I shall see him tremble. I shall feel myself shudder, suddenly and unawares” (Hawthorne, 101) As the novel develops, Roger Chillingworth has centered himself on Arthur Dimmesdale, but he cannot prove that he is the “one.” Chillingworth has become friends with Dimmesdale, because he has a “strange disease,” that needed to be cured; Chillingworth suspects something and begins to drill Dimmesdale. “… The disorder is a strange one…hath all the operation of this disorder been fairly laid open to me and recounted to me” (Hawthorne, 156).