Adultery, in almost any society is viewed in a negative manner that results in specific penalties in relation to the culture in which it is committed. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the punishments in accordance with adultery in a Puritan Society are portrayed in a less-accurate, fictional context. However, if the character of Hester Prynne, or any puritan woman, was placed in Iran, her consequences for the sin would differ. In both a 17th century Puritan society in Massachusetts and in Iran, the act of adultery has varied, yet firm consequences meant to penalize women who commit the offense.
In 17th century Massachusetts, adultery was viewed as a sinful act that was reprimanded differently in real life and in The Scarlet Letter. In a Puritan Society, Adultery was viewed as an act disobeying God. It was an act punishable by public whipping, extensive fines, jail time, and in certain cases, the husband could file for divorce, which would result in financial and custody losses for the woman (Clark 1). However, in The Scarlet Letter, Hester suffered a much different punishment. She endured 9 months of jail time, but instead of being fined or whipped, she was coerced into public humiliation. She was branded by the letter “A”, meaning adultery, which was adorned to the breast of her clothing. This letter caused the public to ostracize her, which made her reflect on the sin she committed and the consequences she had to face at all times. The “A” brought about a lot of public scorn, which is demonstrated when it is said, “Meagre, indeed, and cold, was the sympathy that a transgressor might look for, from such bystanders at the scaffold. On the other hand, a penalty which, in our days, would infer a degree of mocking in...
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... "Iran Amends Law on Stoning for Adultery." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 30 May 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2014. .
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Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. American Literature. Vol. 1. New York: Penguin Academics, 2004. 592-778. Print.
Mostafaei, Mohammad. "Crime of Adultery and Stoning Punishment in Iran's New Criminal Code." Universal Tolerance Organization. N.p., 1 June 2013. Web. 16 Jan. 2014. .
In Stephen Chapman’s essay, “The Prisoner’s Dilemma”, he questions whether the Western world’s idea of punishment for criminals is as humane as its citizens would like to believe or would Westerners be better off adopting the Eastern Islamic laws for crime and punishment. The author believes that the current prison systems in the Western world are not working for many reasons and introduces the idea of following the Koranic laws. Chapman’s “The Prisoner’s Dilemma” is persuasive because of his supporting evidence on the negative inhumane impact from the Western form of criminal punishment and his strong influential testament to the actions used by Eastern Islamic societies for crimes committed.
McKeating, Henry. “Sanctions Against Adultery in Ancient Israelite Society with Some Reflection on Methodology in the Study of Old Testament Ethics.” Journal for the Study of the OldTestament. Vol. XVII (Mar. 1979).
Baym, Nina. Introduction. The Scarlet Letter. By Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York City: Penguin Books USA, Inc. 1986.
sodomy with man or beast, he shall be punished with death by the sentence of a Court
In summary, Charlotte Temple’s actions are used to directly teach the theme as Rowson wishes.Nathaniel Hawthorne uses his main character in a completely different way. It is common for a reader of The Scarlet Letter to determine that the theme of the story is that adultery is bad, but that is not the case. Hawthorne is not promoting adultery; that is true: As Darrel Abel states in his essay, “Hawthorne’s Hester,” “Although we are expected to love and pity Hester, we are not invited to condone her fault or to construe it as a virtue.”1 Hester Prynne and her lecherous sin are Hawthorne’s means of conveying a different message; Hawthorne is more interested in uncovering the flaws of puritan society and the hypocrisy of their reactions to Hester. The character of Hester Prynne is created as to exploit these flaws indirectly.The Puritan culture is one that recognizes Protestantism, a sect of Christianity. Though a staple of Christianity is forgiveness for one’s sins, this has long been forgotten amongst the women of Boston: “Morally, as well as materially, there was a coarser fibre in those wives and maidens of old English birth and breeding, than in their fair decendants.”2 When Hester is first brought out of her prison cell, the gossiping goodwives recommend much harsher punishments, from a brand on her forehead to death. Hester, who had done little wrong prior to this sin of adultery, is no longer seen as a human being, but merely as a symbol of evil and shame upon the town.
Andrei recalled that in his teens he wrestled with his little sister’s friend, and as she struggles beneath him, Andrei ejaculated. Being impotent, the sexual satisfaction associated with violence and struggling was a part of the Seduction of Crime. Both the act of committing a crime and of the struggle itself was pleasurable for Andrei. Andrei Chikatilo was sentenced to death by firing squad. At the hearing, crowds of family members of the victims cried out for him to be put to death. This Just Deserts model of sentencing is placed on Andrei’s case in the mindset that his crimes deserve a death
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "The Scarlet Letter." Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tales. Ed. James McIntosh. New York: Norton, 1987.
In The Crucible, John Proctor commits adultery with Abigail Williams. John does not confess of this until later in the play when his wife is accused of witchcraft. John Proctor confesses to the court by saying, “I have known her, sir. I have know her.”(pg 1206, line 21). In The Scarlet Letter, Hester commits adultery with Reverend Dimmesdale. In this book, the people punish Hester once her pregnancy becomes clear and her husband has been back in Europe. The people punish her by making her wear a scarlet letter A on her chest. The book says, “Throughout them all, giving up her individuality, she would become the general symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point, and in which they might vivify and embody their images of woman's frailty and sinful passion. Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast.”As said by Janet Mulroney Clark, “Puritans were known for their strict standards of morality regarding all affairs of life, but especially in the realm of sexuality. Any woman who cheated on her husband would be punished by the community; the punishment would be swift, harsh and sometimes deadly.” In this case, Hester’s punishment was not deadly, but it was
In the Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne commits adultery, a disgraceful sin, and she is severely punished. Yet although her sin was not a good choice, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author, attempts to justify her actions. His writing indicates that he does not accept of her behavior but that it was not completely her fault. Being a Puritan, Hester was forced into one way of life, the only acceptable way in the eyes of her community. This pressure to adhere to numerous strict rules was metaphorically compared to a difficult journey down a narrow, winding road in the forest with little light. The Puritanical way of life curbed deviant behavior and is a justification for Hester's sin because every so often, everyone strays from the path but it the reaction to the wrongdoings that should be defining and Hester remained strong and took the consequences.
Travelling around the world, this paper presents the various religious perspectives evidenced in recent actions taken regarding the death penalty.
For adultery is a serious offense in an era where religion and law are interchangeable and is a crime judged more harshly on women because society dictates that women be held to a higher moral standard than men. This double standard for men and women is evident in how the women regard Hester for her crime, as one of the wives standing about the prison door expresses “Good wives … What think ye … If the hussy [Hester] stood up for judgment before us five … [W]ould she come off with such a sentence as the worshipful magistrates have awarded? Marry, I trow not!” (478,479). This clearly portrays the disdain the people (and especially the women) have for Hester due to her actions and the anger they feel at the law (the magistrates) for not following the traditional Puritan tribunal, which as another wife from the crowd states should customarily kill Hester for her sin as she asserts “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there no law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statue-book”
Consequentialism may be the primary moral reason for the justification of stoning perceived in “The Lottery”, yet categorical imperative dominates moral reason depicted in the stoning that occurs in Iran. Sandel's lecture, “The Moral Side of Murder”, exploits the fundamentals of the categorial moral reasoning for murder as he states, “Categorical moral reasoning locates morality in certain absolute moral requirements, in certain categorical duties, and rights regardless of the consequences” (Sandel). The words “regardless of the consequences” are pivotal when considering the way an individual or group of people handle a certain situation that questions traditional morals. When a brutal law becomes part of tradition, a person may assume the
Sewall, Richard B. "The Scarlet Letter: Criticism." Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 319-27.
The Scarlet Letter, a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, features a woman named Hester Prynne living in a puritan society in Boston, Massachusetts who has committed adultery. A puritan society is a group of protestants that demand the simplification of doctrine and worship, and greater strictness in religious discipline (Dictionary.com). This society views adultery as a sin, thus, Hester Prynne as a sinner that must be punished. Her punishment entails being forced to wear a scarlet “A” on her chest to signify her adultery and then to bare that letter while standing on a scaffold, holding her baby, in the middle town for a few hours for all to see.
Sheikh, Danish. “The Road to Decriminalization: Litigating India's Anti-Sodomy Law.” Yale Human Rights and Development Journal. 16.1 (2014): 104-132. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. .