The Sin Of Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter

Sin, to some, encompasses many wrong or vile actions. To others it 's limited to the most extreme of evils. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, many characters have different moral beliefs and standpoints of where the line of sin is drawn. The Scarlet Letter’s Dimmesdale is not sinless, as he has committed sinful acts even out of passion and protection. In the novel, Dimmesdale describes sin as concealment, hypocrisy, and adultery. He does so not through words themselves, but through his actions and reactions to these sins. In the Christian faith, committing adultery would break one of the ten commandments. Dimmesdale continually breaks them to hide his sin. In the beginning of the novel it is find out that the minister, Dimmesdale, sinned when he committed this act of adultery with Hester, a married woman. When Dimmesdale committed this sin he didn’t do it to sin, "But this had been a sin of passion, not of principle, nor even purpose" (Hawthorne 29). Even though many would argue Dimmesdale did sin one can always see how adultery is a sin. Though Dimmesdale sinned in an act …show more content…
As a minister he is held more accountable by God. This is a clear example of hypocrisy as Dimmsdale has sinned on multiple accounts, being deceitful, lying, and adulterous. Dimmesdale acknowledgement of his sin makes it worse as he doesn’t cease it. Dimmesdale reflects on his actions in this quote, “None-save the freedom of a broken law,” answered Mr. Dimmesdale, in a quiet way, as if he had been discussing the point within himself. “Whether capable of good, I know not.” (Hawthorne 120). Dimmesdale seems to question whether the laws he had broken through sin make him incapable of doing good. Dimmesdale has finally accepted that he has sinned and has continued to do so to his friends and congregation. Dimmesdale has found himself to be a