Hypocrisy is described as a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne; Hawthorne shows cases of hypocrisy through the lives of Hester, Dimmesdale and society as a whole.
Hester Prynne was an example of hypocrisy in the way that she wouldn’t reveal the identity of her lovers, Dimmesdale and her husband Chillingsworth. Dimmesdale says, “ Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness fro him, for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so than to hide a guilty heart through …show more content…
At the beginning of the novel, Dimmesdale knows that his sins he will endure privately will be extensive but he is too week to admit up to his own actions. Hypocrisy is shown through his love for his community, he loves his community enough to preach to it, but his preaching is harboring a deeper sin inside himself, making his spiritual guidance in the community inept. ““ Doth he love us?’ said Pearl, looking up with acute intelligence into her mother’s face. “Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into the town?””(178) Dimmesdale shows that he wont be seen with his child but in private he loves her. His love for Pearl and Hester is hypocritical because in public, he acts as if they mean nothing to him but behind closed doors they become the most important thing to him. “” Not now, dear child,” answered Hester. “But in days to come he will walk hand in hand with us. We will have a home and fireside of our own; and thou shalt sit upon the knee; and he will teach thee many things, and love dearly. Thou wilt love him; wilt thou not.”” (178) After Hester and Dimmesdale decide to move away from the town in search of happiness and love, Pearl points out that running away from their problems will not diminish Dimmesdale’s hypocrisy. It will just bury his hypocrisy under more
Hester Prynne was an example of hypocrisy in the way that she wouldn’t reveal the identity of her lovers, Dimmesdale and her husband Chillingsworth. Dimmesdale says, “ Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness fro him, for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so than to hide a guilty heart through …show more content…
At the beginning of the novel, Dimmesdale knows that his sins he will endure privately will be extensive but he is too week to admit up to his own actions. Hypocrisy is shown through his love for his community, he loves his community enough to preach to it, but his preaching is harboring a deeper sin inside himself, making his spiritual guidance in the community inept. ““ Doth he love us?’ said Pearl, looking up with acute intelligence into her mother’s face. “Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into the town?””(178) Dimmesdale shows that he wont be seen with his child but in private he loves her. His love for Pearl and Hester is hypocritical because in public, he acts as if they mean nothing to him but behind closed doors they become the most important thing to him. “” Not now, dear child,” answered Hester. “But in days to come he will walk hand in hand with us. We will have a home and fireside of our own; and thou shalt sit upon the knee; and he will teach thee many things, and love dearly. Thou wilt love him; wilt thou not.”” (178) After Hester and Dimmesdale decide to move away from the town in search of happiness and love, Pearl points out that running away from their problems will not diminish Dimmesdale’s hypocrisy. It will just bury his hypocrisy under more