What Is Dimmesdale's Reason In The Scarlet Letter

6. Chillingworth does not want Dimmesdale to confess to his sin for a very simple reason – it ruins his opprtunity for revenge. This is because he knew that if Dimmesdale confessed, his guilt would be free (although he would still remember his past), and thus the townspeople wouldn’t be living with a man whom is hiding something from them. Chillingworth wanted his own opportunity for revenge on Dimmesdale. He wanted the man to suffer, because he would always know someone is ‘on his back’ and could strike revenge at any time. Dimmesdale escapes Chillingworth when he turns to the scaffold after leaving his sermon, bringing Hester and Pearl along with him. We hear him say, “[Hester] come hither now, and twine thy strength about me!” (Hawthorne 263). He pretends that he …show more content…
I believe that Dimmesdale’s sin is the worst. This has nothing to do with his personality, because if that was the reason, I would have given that ‘award’ to Chillingworth. And even though Hester and Dimmesdale committed the same sin (with each other), I believe Dimmesdale’s sin is the worst primarily because of his position in the town. The Puritan’s were very string with their culture, morals, and beliefs, and completely went against the Church of England. With a faction like this in New England, you can’t blame the town’s sin for casting off Hester from society, because we have the previous knowledge of the stric Puritan society. Being that Dimmesdale is a Reverend, or minister, he carries one of the highest positions in the town. He is the peoples’ spiritual leader, role model, and someone they can receive advice from on how to live their lives. And yet, he committed adultery. We know that it has affected him too, as we read, “..little strength wherewith I have crept hitherword” (Hawthorne 265), proving this whole ordeal has taken its toll on him. Dimmesdale’s actions are something a man of this stringent Christian faction should never do, and that is why his sin is the