Irony in Dimmesdale’s Speech In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, a woman named Hester Prynne committed adultery, resulting in a child in her Puritan community in the mid seventeenth century. Hester persistently denied the townspeople the name of the man who shares her guilt. This man, named Arthur Dimmesdale, given the hypocritical task to convince Hester to speak his very name often speaks ironically, with many double meanings. As a Priest, Arthur Dimmesdale has a status that places him above the ordinary townsperson. Coming from, “one of the great English universities,” (Hawthorne 61) he has an excellent education to use in his preaching, placing him on a social pedestal, above everybody else, including Hester. As he speaks to …show more content…
The townspeople believe that Dimmesdale is doing God’s work with his determination to reveal the identity of this sinner so he can, “stand beside [Hester], on [her] pedestal of shame,” (62), but the only person who truly understands the meaning of Dimmesdale’s words is Hester, as she is the only person who knows he is the fellow adulterer. He reveals the information that he, “hath not the courage,” (62) to reveal himself, so he asks Hester to do it for him, so he can, “step down from [his] high place,” (62) to have his own public shaming; to relieve his guilt. Following Dimmesdale’s speech, Hester alludes to the fact that he is the father of her child with her words. She claims that her child will, “ never know an earthly [father],” , but only, “seek a heavenly father,” (63). Hester’s words are meant to be taken literally because of the community’s strong beliefs regarding religion, and that is how the townspeople interperate them, but they are also meant to refer to Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale, being a priest, is a man of God, therefore, in a way, being the “heavenly father,” and “earthly one,” (63) that Hester speaks about. As a priest with a high position who engaged in sin with one of the women of the congregation, Arthur Dimmesdale speaks ironically when he attempts to convince her to reveal the name of the man she committed this sin
In the novel The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the protagonist is found guilty of adultery after spending time prison her only other punishment is to wear the letter A for the rest of her life and stand on a raised platform for three hours. Hester is out in the open, in front of society standing there on the platform. For that three hours many fingers were pointed and many whispers filled the air. In that time Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale delivers a sermon convincing Hester Prynne to speak the name of her lover. Dimmesdale uses rhetorical devices to help him get the name out of her such as rhetorical question, where he questions what good does keeping the name from the public get her; pathos, arousing her
First of all, the townspeople believe that Dimmesdale is unquestionably sublime. Everything he declares appears to make them revere him greater than before, and nothing he says changes their mind. Even when Dimmesdale announces that he is “the greatest sinner among you,” the townspeople suppose he is acting humble. Also, keeping a secret from the townspeople leaves him feeling more guilty with every passing day. He admits that there remains a “contrast between what I seem and what I am.”
Consequently, Arthur Dimmesdale is the cause of Hester Prynne's shame for he is the man whom Hester loves. No one knows he is the father of Pearl, Hester won't say and he isn't strong enough to speak up. He struggles with this knowledge that Hester is being punished and not him. The only truth that continued to give Mr. Dimmesdale a real existence on this earth was the anguish in his inmost soul, and the undissembled expression of it in his aspect, (Hawthorne 142). Being a minister of God the citizens look up to him, and he feels guilty about his hidden sin.
Dimmesdale’s True Colors Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, also the father of Hester’s child, showed prominent parts of his character throughout the story. The first trait the reader becomes aware of is Dimmesdale’s cowardice. He has no intentions of revealing his sin to the public, due to how highly he is seen in the community’s eyes. Remorse, or guilt, is another term that can be associated with Dimmesdale, growing increasingly more prominent as the novel goes on. Cowardice, a lacking of bravery when facing danger, was a trait that Dimmesdale carried.
His guilt and shame destroy him, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Hawthorne describes Dimmesdale as a prominent and brilliant reverend when giving sermons because he understands living with sin. Dimmesdale’s successes with his sermons are inspired by his own sins and he can connect with the people more. A young women carrying her child speaks to Hester saying, “Ah but let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will always be in her heart” (206). The women holding the child shows compassion towards Hester, stating that she wants her child to be strong like her.
The result of pride leading to the downfall of a well-respected man is also present in the character of Arthur Dimmesdale. Unlike John Proctor, Dimmesdale wants to confess to his sins. Unfortunately, due to his high ranking position, he cannot bring himself to blacken his own name, slowly torturing himself with the unknowing help of Roger Chillingworth. In the Student’s Encyclopedia of Great American Writers, further elaboration on Dimmesdale's pride is discussed, stating that: “[...] the tormented preacher cannot make himself admit his affair with Hester publicly” (Student’s Encyclopedia of Great American Writers 271).
He comes close to uncover Arthur Dimmesdale participation in Hester’s sin but never fully succeeds. The gilt stricken pastor tries to find forgiveness for his sins, but in the end dies, after confessing his love to Hester. Hawthorne’s novel is about sin, repentance, dignity, and
Erin Joel Mrs. Janosy English 2H P 5 22 October 2015 Quote Explication Dimmesdale is trying to overcome a conflict within his own soul, defying his own religion, and choosing to do wrong by keeping his sin to himself. In a theocracy type community like Dimmesdale's, God is known as the supreme civil ruler, and a crime would be known as a sin. On the other hand, Hester’s sin was made known to the public, receiving the public shame and ridicule she deserved. During the duration of time when the public knew Dimmesdale was hiding his sin, “the agony with which this public tortured him” (Hawthorne 119).
Reverend Dimmesdale’s physical condition diminishes the longer he keeps his sin a secret. He feels so guilty, he tortures himself by fasting and whipping in addition to feeling like a hypocrite when his gives sermons. Reverend Dimmesdale expresses, “Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!” (Hawthorne 107).
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, one of the protagonists of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, stands as a highly conflicted character. The source of his divide stems from the consequences of private sins, and is prevalent within the first paragraphs of Chapter 12, “The Minister’s Vigil,” where the narration chronicles Dimmesdale’s surroundings as he dream walks through the town in a state of limbo. He is portrayed as a model citizen who lacks moral imperfections to the general public yet suffers privately from the juxtaposition of his sins to his position within the community. In this specific passage, Hawthorne uses somber diction and imagery to illustrate Dimmesdale’s strife, while portraying his internal conflict through the formation
A man named Chillingworth, who claimed to be a doctor, made Dimmesdale feel worse about his secret, Dimmesdale let him get in his head. Reverend Dimmesdale was very weak for being a priest and putting no faith into his God. Reverend Dimmesdale is afraid of his town and his people finding out about his sin. As a priest he wants to seem holy and sinless like the people think him to be, so he hides the fact he and Hester committed adultery. When Hester is on the scaffold, Dimmesdale is asked to try and get Hester to confess who the father is, “If thou feelest it to be for thy soul’s peace, and that thy earthly punishment will be made more
In the short story “The Minister’s Black Veil” and the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the stories of two men who keep their sins secret and are hurt deeply. In The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Dimmesdale does not reveal his sin to the community and experiences far more pain than Hester, whose sin is revealed. Years after the original sin, Hester has healed and is accepted by the community, while Dimmesdale still feels guilty, as can be seen when he mounts the scaffold. Dimmesdale’s experience is similar to that of Reverend Hooper, who covers his face after a secret sin and is eschewed by the community. When we refuse to admit our faults, we will feel guilty
Dimmesdale sinned with Hester Prynne by committing adultery. Although this was terrible and looked down upon, his crime was self inflicting and done out of passion. After Hester was punished for the crime, Dimmesdale was overwhelmed with guilt and sadness. This showed that Dimmesdale was a good person
Reverend Dimmesdale committed the sin of adultery and in doing so, he fell victim to the moral consequences that resulted. Pearl observed that “. . . the minister keeps his hand over his heart. . .” (Hawthorne 163). Overtime, he began to appear pale and sickly.
Because of the effects that Dimmesdale’s sin has on Chillingworth, the town suffers as well. The betrayal of their pastor leads them to refuse to see the truth when he pleads for the public to see his guilt at the end of the novel, and his secrecy from the people that adore him is one of the slyest and vile parts of his sin. The blind faith that the public has in their reverend is mislead by his deceit, which causes his sin to grow to a scale that Hester’s never did. Dimmesdale also harmed Pearl, by not standing with her and Hester on the day they were condemned. When she is grown, she asks, “Doth