Arthur Dimmesdale's Guilt Quotes

Arthur Dimmesdale is the pastor of this small puritan town, who has a secret affair with this girl named Hester Prynne. Hester gets pregnant and is publicly shamed in front of everyone in the town. Dimmesdale decides not to come out and tell everyone that he is her lover, by not doing this Dimmesdale causes himself great emotional pain. Most people just inferred that Dimmesdale would never do anything like this and didn't even think to question him. Unlike Ms. Prynne who confronts her guilt and shame early on in the story, Dimmesdale holds onto his guilt secretly until he finally goes through a process of, at first blaming Hester, then realizing that it wasn't all her fault, to having such strong guilt that he starts hurting himself, to doubting that he will ever get better, after which he comes out and shows everyone his scarlet letter, this
He is also the person who damns her because she wouldn't say who her lover was when really it was him. Thats when the secret guilt inside of Dimmesdale started. It got so bad to where he started to scourge himself with wips. He eventually becomes very ill because of this overwhelming guilt that he has and breaks down to Hester and tells her that he can’t go one the way he is. Eventually Dimmesdale reveals to everyone the truth about him and Hester and their secret affair. Most people just inferred that Dimmesdale would never do anything like this and didn't even think to question him. Unlike Ms. Prynne who confronts her guilt and shame early on in the story, Dimmesdale holds onto his guilt secretly until he finally goes through a process of, at first blaming Hester, then realizing that it wasn't all her fault, to having such strong guilt that he starts hurting himself, to doubting that he will ever get better, after which he comes out and shows everyone his scarlet letter, this process frees him to come to peace with what he did and accept his guilt and