Compare And Contrast Dimmesdale And John Proctor

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale from The Scarlet Letter and John Proctor from The Crucible seem like they have nothing in common. Not only are they from different novels, but they also are regarded differently in their societies, have different perspectives on their shared Puritan faith, and the societies that they live in differ in their perception of sin. Despite these differences, however, when you further analyze these characters, you will find that they both share one fatal similarity; ultimately, their committing of the sin of adultery leads to their deaths.

Reverend Dimmesdale and John Proctor are regarded quite differently in their societies. Reverend Dimmesdale is a noble minister, and is well-respected throughout his town. People look

up to the reverend as one who is untouchable, one who could do no wrong. For example, when Dimmesdale is standing on the scaffold in the middle of the night with Hester and Pearl, he leaves his glove there. The sexton finds it the next morning, and as he returns it to the reverend, claims, “Satan dropped it there, I take it, intending a scurrilous jest against your reverence. But, indeed, he was blind and foolish, as he ever and always is. A pure hand needs no glove to cover it!” (Hawthorne 145) We can also see how much he values this reputation he holds in his unwillingness to confess to what he has done, leaving Hester to take all of the blame. In contrast, John Proctor is feared by many people in Salem, due to his temper, strength, and defiance of coming to Sunday services. For instance, when his servant, Mary Warren, tells Proctor of her new duty as “an official of the court” (Miller 59) and how “the Devil’s loose in Salem” (Miller 59) Proctor quickly is infuriated, and threatens, “I’ll whip the Devil out of you!” (Miller 59).
Dimmesdale and Proctor also have different opinions on their mutual Puritan faith. Proctor often skips the Sunday service, for he does not like the reverend of Salem, Reverend Parris. We can see this in an interaction between Proctor and Reverend Parris, when the reverend claims to have knowledge of a group of people in his church plotting against him. To this, Proctor replies, “Why, then I must find it and join it.” (Miller 275) It is also implied that Proctor does not agree with some of the ideals of the Puritan faith, especially the importance placed on the preaching of Hell. In the same confrontation between Paris and Proctor mentioned above, Proctor asks the reverend, “Can you speak one minute without we land in Hell again? I am sick of Hell!” (Miller 275) In contrast, Dimmesdale is a minister of the faith, and values the importance of the Sunday service and preaching of the dangers of sin and the risk of Hell. Dimmesdale also thinks that being punished for one’s wrongdoings is paramount, for though he will not publicly admit to his misdeed, Dimmesdale tortures himself, physically and mentally, in retribution. Proctor, however, does not punish himself in any way for his committing of adultery, though he still feels guilt for it.
Though Reverend Dimmesdale and John Proctor both live in Puritan societies, their societies differ in their perception of sin.

The Puritan society of The Scarlet Letter is adamant about punishing others for their sins, essentially to distract themselves from their own misdemeanors. The Puritan society of The Crucible, however, is so obsessed with witchcraft that they forget about condemning others for sins that they once deemed as crimes punishable by law. For instance, in The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is found to have committed adultery when she has a baby while her husband is out of town, and is jailed, condemned to wearing a bold scarlet letter "A" on her clothes (which stands out against the gray and dull clothes the Puritans wear), and subject to being scorned by others in her community. However, in The Crucible, John Proctor confesses to committing adultery while in a courthouse during a trial, and yet, the townsfolk completely gloss over his confession and condemn him as a witch. This is mind-boggling, considering the fact that adultery originally was punishable by death under Puritan law, though Hester was spared of this fate due to her husband being away and her attractiveness (making her easily susceptible to the

crime).
Despite all of these differences, Dimmesdale and Proctor share one fatal similarity. Ultimately, their committing of the sin of adultery leads to both of their deaths. Proctor’s committing of the sin of adultery with Abigail Williams primarily caused the catastrophic events of The Crucible, resulting in over fifteen people, John Proctor being one of them, accused of witchcraft and hung because of it. If Proctor would have never committed adultery, the witch trials may have never even occurred, and Proctor may have lived a much longer life. Similarly, Dimmesdale’s refusal to confess to committing of the sin of adultery with Hester Prynne causes him so much guilt, that he gradually deteriorates over the course of the novel, leaving him weak, distraught, and insane towards the story’s conclusion. When he does finally confess to his sin, he dies, presumably due to all of his suffering. If Dimmesdale would not have committed adultery, he would not have profusely tortured himself, and may also have lived a longer life. In spite of their devastating endings, we can use these stories as a lesson; we must beware of temptation, for sometimes giving in to it can have drastic consequences.