The Scarlet Letter: What’s Really Displayed on the Scaffold?
The three scaffold scenes in Hawthorne’s novel are widely viewed as the structural
device upon which the tension of the novel is established, rises, and is resolved. A
closer look at these three important scenes will enable us to examine the novel’s
conflict more fully.
1. Chapters 2-3, “The Market-Place” and “The Recognition”
2. Chapter 12, “The Minister’s Vigil”
3. Chapter 23, “The Revelation”
You have been assigned ONE scene to analyze (see list below for format options).
Your final product should address ALL or MOST of the following questions:
 Who is present (or makes an entrance) in your scaffold scene?
 What are the four main characters doing?
 What are the four main characters feeling or thinking?
 How are the characters interacting with each other? Consider body language
and facial expressions.
 What is motivating each of the main characters in his or her actions?
 How would you describe the behavior of anyone witnessing the scene on the
scaffold?
 How would you describe the setting? Consider time of day, atmosphere,
presence or absence of Puritan citizens.
 To what extent does the scene show a conflict between individualism and
societal expectations?
You may answer these questions in a format of your choice. Here are some
suggestions:
 A sketch/picture with labels and captions
 A comic panel with narration and dialogue or thought bubbles
 Director’s Notes or Stage Directions for a dramatized version of your
scene (You might consider sound effects or music). This option does not
require you to write a script, but rather provides the background
information needed for the actors and others.
Your analysis is due Tuesday, September 14. This assignment is worth 40 points
and will be evaluated according to the English Department Assignment Rubric.