Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter illustrates Roger Chillingworth, Hester
Prynne’s husband, as the antagonist. Throughout the story, Chillingworth is depicted with a pernicious tone that give readers the idea that he is sinister and inimical. The author clarifies that Chillingworth strives for revenge against Hester and her lover, supported with various hostile events. Chillingworth is an icon of jealousy that was driven by love, and grief for a girl that betrayed and humiliated him with the act of adultery.
Roger Chillingworth is perceived as malevolent because of the author’s delivery of
words. The reactions of characters also display distress towards Chillingworth, “...a gaze that made her heart shrink and shudder, so familiar,
…show more content…
and get so strange and cold” (67 Hawthorne). Hester’s reaction when she saw Chillingworth for the first time in the book illustrated fear, with diction that consisted of “heart shrink”, “shudder”, “strange” and “cold”. These words showcase an austere tone, allowing readers to deduce that Chillingworth is the antagonist of the story. The appearance of Chillingworth also renders enmity as Hawthorne states, “His form grew emaciated; his voice, though still rich and sweet, had a certain melancholy prophecy decay in it” (9). The author uses metaphors as figurative language, stating that Chillingworth’s voice is “rich and “sweet” but then incorporates irony as he uses “decay” to also describe his voice. Hawthorne uses this to point out that Roger Chillingworth’s appearance to the townsfolk is innocent, a doctor who wants to tend to the sick, although his Camero 2 true intentions are vile with revenge and hatred. This also shows that Chillingworth, who was once a husband and in love, is now dissolving away with no humanity because of his pain of being betrayed. The development of Roger Chillingworth increases from a suffering distraught husband to the personification of evil.
Hawthorne describes Chillingworth as a “forlorn creature” and “wretched” (128). These descriptions depict the character to be more sinister, especially the description of “creature” which does not even claim Chillingworth to be human because of his level of evil. Chapter eleven of The Scarlet Letter focuses on Chillingworth torturing Dimmesdale, Prynne’s lover, and how Chillingworth takes great pleasure in it. The portrayal of Chillingworth in chapter eleven is distinct from the beginning of the chapter because his absurdity is immensely elevated. Hawthorne states, “Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask Satan comports himself when a precious human is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom” (126). Chillingworth is completely enthralled into evil and is no longer a companion of God but instead Satan. The author also describes Chillingworth as the “devil” and “unhappy” (153). Suffering and pain can lead to loss of hope, leading into dark paths when faith in God is tested, which is how Hawthorne depicts …show more content…
Chillingworth. Throughout the book, Chillingworth’s character comes to life in actions and descriptions, rather than dialogue. Hawthorne does this because of his purpose of maintaining “actions speaks louder than words” characterization for Chillingworth. On page 153, Hawthorne uses the words “fire” and “heart” to describe Chillingworth’s heart now belongs to the devil. The author also explains how Chillingworth tortures Dimmesdale by taunting him with his adultery, and poisoning him, which shows his evil actions. Other characters also Camero 3 contribute disgust toward Chillingworth, which shows that the author’s attitude toward the character to be unfavorable, considering that many of the main characters have sinned but Chillingworth is depicted to be the most evil. Hester describes Chillingworth’s appearance to be “deform” and “ugly” (158-159). This gives a harsh tone and attitude toward Chillingworth, and gives readers an image of someone hideous. The point of this would be to show readers that the way someone thinks will eventually affect your appearance. At the end of the story, Chillingworth’s character evolves into someone more peaceful.
He admits to Hester about his wrong doings, which Hawthorne’s form of confession in a Catholic Church, and is the start of the downfall of his character’s sinisterness.
Hawthorne merges religion into The Scarlet Letter greatly because it takes place in the Puritan era, and sin plays a large role in the story’s theme. Chillingworth dies after Dimmesdale and leaves his inheritance to Pearl, Prynne’s and Dimmesdale’s daughter, which indicates the victory of God, since Catholics believe that He triumphs over all things, even the devil.
Hawthorne believes that Chillingworth is the most lowest sinner of all because he let
the devil take over him rather than God. Hester accepts her mistake and consequences and lives her life giving to charity and taking care of her child that is the result of her mistake. Dimmesdale keeps his sin a secret but is eaten away with guilt from his conscience. Chillingworth, on the other hand, did not feel remorse for his actions or intentions. Hawthorne lets Chillingworth wither away at the end as a form of self destruction. Chillingworth’s obsession with revenge for Hester and Dimmesdale lead him to his death because once Dimmesdale passed away Chillingworth was so corrupt he found no reason to live anymore. Hawthorne uses Chillingworth to support his theme that turning the other cheek over
crimes Camero 4 made against you is the right thing to do, because Hester did that and she was able to over forward with her life, while Chillingworth became too invested and made him miserable. Hawthorne uses Chillingworth as a symbol of unforgiveness. Although the crimes were made against him, the author points out that it is the duty of the person to find God within themselves in order to achieve true happiness again.
In the second part of Hawthornes four part structure of the Scarlet Letter, in Chapters 9-12, we see Chillingworth
Years ago, Hester promised Chillingworth to keep his identity a secret, thus allowing him to do evil to Dimmesdale. Chillingworth believes that it was his fate to change from a kind man to a vengeful fiend. He believes that it’s his destiny to take revenge and thus would not stop until he does so.
Roger Chillingworth is alone in his pursuit of revenge. He is generally seen stooping and collecting herbs in the forest, or at the fires in his laboratory cooking up potions and such. Isolation seems to be the curse that keeps troubling the main characters in The Scarlet Letter. This is not the first time that Hawthorne has used isolation as means for a main theme in character or a story, “...The characters in The Scarlet Letter are reminiscent of a number of Hawthorne’s shorter works. Dimmesdale bears similarities to Young Goodman Brown who, having once glimpsed the darker nature of humankind, must forevermore view humanity as corrupt and hypocritical. There are also resemblances between Dimmesdale and Parson Hooper in “The Minister’s Black Veil,” who continues to perform the duties of his calling with eloquence and compassion but is permanently separated from the company of men by the veil that he wears as a symbol of secret sin. Chillingworth shows resemblances to Ethan Brand, the limeburner who finds the unpardonable sin in his own heart: “The sin of an intellect that triumphed over the sense of brotherhood with man and reverence for God, and sacrificed everything to its mighty claims!”” (Mazzeno) This quote is evidence that it is not farfetched that Hawthorne made this a theme in many of his works because
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne constantly attributes the qualities of a thief to the mysteriously shady character, Roger Chillingworth. Throughout the novel, we see that regardless of who he is around, or where he is, he is repeatedly referred to countless of times as ?the old Black Man? (131). This nickname that he is given displays quite evidently that Hawthorne had no doubt intended for Chillingworth to assume the role of a cold, and shadowy personage akin to that of a lowly thief. As thieves are well known for and need to be, they are usually silent, stealthy, and more often than not, baffling, in the sense that no one else knows their cunningness and what they really are thinking of when they commit their crimes. These attributes match up directly to Roger?s personality, and throughout the novel, we see that he gradually grows to become the exact impersonation of a thief. The below examples serve to demonstrate these similarities. In the first few chapters, all the way to the tenth chapter, the reader suspects that Chillingworth has a hidden motive in tagging along as Arthur Dimmesdale?s physician. However, toward the end of chapter eleven, we realize that the mysterious Chillingworth was not simply following Dimmesdale around to hear in on other people?s confessions but also to spy on the reverend minister and his activities! After a period of time, the physician digs up something from Dimmesdale?s past that we are not aware of just yet. However, the reaction which we see upon Chillingworth?s face after his discovery is curious indeed, with him ?
Chillingworth contributes to those of guilt and alienation. For example, Chillingworth expresses his own guilt through the ironic searching of Dimmesdale’s. “He had begun an investigation… with the severe and equal integrity of a judge, desirous of truth… instead of human passions and wrongs inflicted upon himself,” (Hawthorne 121). It is conspicuous that Chillingworth, being engrossed in finding the truth of Dimmesdale and his adultery, which he observed through victimizing him, inflicted his own sin upon himself. However, Chillingworth does not only inflict guilt upon himself, but on Dimmesdale as well. The observable effects are “his inward trouble [which] drove him to practices more in accordance with the old, corrupted faith of Rome than with the better light of the church in which he had been born and bred,” (Hawthorne 136). These effects, which Dimmesdale puts blame on his inward trouble, or sin, is caused in part by the victimization of Chillingworth towards him. Hence, Chillingworth has altered Dimmesdale’s original, clergy-like practices to those that are a derivative of sin and guilt. A testament of inflicted alienation upon Dimmesdale is seen in evidence brought up prior, on page 128 of The Scarlet Letter, “… a bodily disease, which we look upon as a whole and entire within itself, may, after all, be
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter many aspects of evil and sin are reflected through the characters Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth made their own choice of being a sinner and being evil. Therefore, that is what Hawthorne believed to be the definition of evil and sin; an individual chooses to do an action that is considered sinful. Although Dimmesdale and Chillingworth both portray evil and sin they portray it in two completely different forms. Dimmesdale is shown as being a secret sinner throughout the novel, but with the evil torturing that he receives from Chillingworth and himself it drives him to the point where he then becomes a public sinner. It is better for an individual to confess their sin than to bury it deep down.
Secondly, Chillingworth’s actions were motivated by hate and a lust for revenge that overpowered him in the end. Therefore an awful change must have taken place in the doctor since “human nature loves more readily than it hates” (156). The actions of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth were all motivated by a deep passion for one thing or another. However, the difference in their actions was that the adulteress and the minister acted out of love for each other while her husband acted out of anger and jealousy. Also, the physician underwent such a change that “there came a glare of red light out of his eyes; as if the old man’s soul were on fire, and kept smoldering duskily within his breast” (166). Eventually Chillingworth’s heart became so twisted and contorted that there were very noticeable differences in his personality.
This strategy exemplifies Hawthorne’s theme that sin must be taken responsibility for because being dishonest will only lead to more temptation. Chillingworth does admit to one of his blames of leaving Hester behind, but choosing his temptation over redemption has formed his obsession to making Hester lover’s suffer miserably with guilt, which fuels Roger’s vengeance. Secondly, Chillingworth’s internal conflict was illustrated through the changing of his appearance. Roger was once a kind, well respected, man of science; However, his vengeance has transformed his physical character into a devilish creature. When Hester and Pearl were visiting Governor’s Bellingham’s house, Hester notices the change over Roger’s features, “how much uglier they were, how his dark complexion seemed to have grown duskier, and his figure misshapen” (93).
Nathaniel Hawthorne crammed The Scarlet Letter with religious symbolism. One of the most interesting symbols is that of Chillingworth as the devil. All through the novel there are numerous indications and relations that verify the fact that Chillingworth is a delegate for the king of darkness.
Chillingworth saw Hester, after emerging from a great period of solitude, as a symbol of life. He regarded her as almost a savior. ...
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the reader is able to observe how one sin devastates three lives. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth are all guilty of succumbing to temptation, anger, and desire, causing all to fit the definition of a sinner. Yet, Chillingworth's iniquities raise him up above Hester and Dimmesdale on the level of diabolic acts.
The Scarlet Letter illustrates that the illumination of self-deception gapes open after one like the very jaws of hell. This is apparent through all the main characters of the novel. Although Hawthorne's work has several imperfect people as the main characters, including Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth, the worst sinner is Roger Chillingworth. Chillingworth commits the greater sin because of his failure to forgive; he has an insatiable appetite for revenge; he receives extreme pleasure in torturing Dimmesdale. Hester Prynne, however, has committed sins of almost the same magnitude.
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).
Hawthorne's statement through Chillingworth offers insight into Dimmesdale and Chillingworth along with a representation of Hawthorne's disapproval of the Puritan values. This disapproval is the driving force of the novel, and it underlies the relationship between Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and the prevailing greater justice of God. The contrast of the Puritans' justice and God's makes the message of the story greater than a love story or a story of a sin. With this theme, The Scarlet Letter becomes a comparison of the flawed justice of humans and the divine justice of God.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a study of the effects of sin on the hearts and minds of the main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Sin strengthens Hester, humanizes Dimmesdale, and turns Chillingworth into a demon.