Reverend Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter

In the Scarlet Letter two of the primary characters are provided by the author to show us a kind of foil. The one character, Reverend Dimmesdale, seems as if he is kind, but he has been living with a terrible burden, hindering him everywhere he goes. Chillingworth is his opposite, you would assume him to be nice when really he is quite evil. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth bring out each other's characteristics and bring out the characteristics of other characters around them. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth but heads in every aspect of their lives especially when it comes to Hester, who just so happens to be the only thing they have in common. Dimmesdale is a kind person who just wants to do the right thing but doesn't have the courage to confess
There is absolutely no remorse in him as he tortures Dimmesdale for his own personal vendetta. In chapter 10, this is stated about Chillingworth, "The physician advanced directly in front of his patient, laid his hand upon his bosom, and thrust aside the vestment that hitherto had always covered it even from the professional eye." When this happens in the book we see a change in Chillingworth. Before we felt bad for him because his wife had betrayed his trust and he was alone. "Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven and won into his kingdom."(Chap. 10) Chillingworth's mental and physical self changed that night during this moment. Chillingworth was transformed from his former self into a person full of hatred as if he was marked by satan himself. Though they are opposites Dimmesdale and Chillingworth have one thing in common, they both care deeply for Hester, which is what causes the conflict between them in the first place. Chillingworth seems to care for Hester because he once loved her and still does. The only problem is she betrayed him and now he is out for revenge. Dimmesdale has always loved Hester even if he is not able to admit it until the end of the book. He is somewhat of a coward and that makes people weary of how much he actually
Dimmesdale represents the good in the novel and Chillingworth is the bad. Chillingworth in a sense is the scarlet letter and Dimmesdale is the cause of the scarlet letter. It is thought that Dimmesdale might be the scarlet letter because he is the one that committed the act of adultery when in fact the scarlet letter can be seen in Chillingworth. Dimmesdale is the cause and he feels the pain and suffering that come along with the letter, but he is remorseful and sorry for his actions. The scarlet letter represents evil and sin which is represented by Chillingworth. Hester and Dimmesdale wear the scarlet letters that in turn hinder them and we see the one hurting them is in fact Chillingworth. These two characters represent the two aspects of nature and everything in the world, good and