How Does Chillingworth's Character Change Throughout The Novel

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Experiences that characters go through bring about different changes. Whether physical or mental, these changes are evident in literature. A prime example of a character in literature who changes both physically and mentally is Roger Chillingworth. In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Chillingworth transitions from being a frail looking, soft spoken and reserved old man, to an evil minded, deformed old man fueled by revenge. Mentally, Chillingworth begins the novel as a very intelligent and wise man, when with the Indians. He learns a lot from them and accepts their differences in medical practices. It is stated in the novel that “he had gained much knowledge of the properties of native herbs and roots...had quite as large …show more content…

Also, when Chillingworth changes mentally it causes his physical appearance to change. As the novel progresses, when Chillingworth first sees his wife Hester with a baby that is not his, he begins to become evil. He tells Hester “few things hidden from the man who devotes himself earnestly and unreservedly to the solution of a mystery…shall see him tremble. I shall feel myself shudder, suddenly and unawares. Sooner or later, he must needs be mine!” expressing how he is going to set out for revenge and will not not stop until the man that Hester had a baby with suffers. He wants to commit evil when seeking for his revenge. Chillingworth changes mentally from calm and intelligent to angry and ruthless. The revenge that Chillingworth seeks and the mental change that occurs causes …show more content…

Hawthorne writes about Chillingworth “This unhappy person had effected such a transformation by devoting himself, for seven years, to the constant analysis of a heart full of torture...which analysed and gloated over” which shows how Chillingworth has been torturing Dimmesdale and enjoying it (p.302). Chillingworth did the evil of slowly torturing Dimmesdale. When he becomes fully evil he also changes physically. He looks completely evil too and “But the former aspect of an intellectual and studious man...had vanished, and been succeeded by an eager, almost fierce, yet carefully guarded look” displaying how he went from intelligent looking man to a fierce and scary looking man

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