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Sallie Student
Mrs. Goss
American Literature 1
1 November 2009
Two Different Villains Permeate The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter can be perceived as a tale of passionate love or the tragedy of hidden
sin. The reader can perceive contrasting perspectives in the characters’ roles. The author leaves
much interpretation to the reader while at the same time giving hints throughout the book as to
which characters are true villains. In The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, two
characters can be considered villains: Chillingworth, due to his vengeful nature, and
Dimmesdale, due to his persistent cowardice.
The element that makes Chillingworth the most obvious villain is his use of ambiguous
implications to mask his true motivation. When he indirectly tells Hester that he will seek
revenge on the man who fathered the baby, he displays his ability to hide his true intentions.
After their discussion in which she promises not to reveal her husband’s identity to the
community, Hester asks, “Art thou like the Black Man, that haunts the forest round about us?
Hast thou enticed me into a bond that will prove the ruin of my soul?” and Chillingworth’s reply,
“Not thy soul. No, not thine!” conveys the message that he is intent on ruining someone’s soul,
though he does not state directly who his intended victim is to be (Hawthorne 72). The reader
comes to understand that his plan is to emotionally wear Dimmesdale down; however, he does
not tell Hester of his plan though she feels that something is amiss. This and similar occurrences
contribute to the reader’s deduction that Chillingworth is indeed a sneaky character. This
attribute enables Chillingworth to progress toward his goals, which remain consistent and
malevolent. The main goal he craves is a private confession of sin from Dimmesdale. John Reiss
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suggests that Chillingworth does not want Dimmesdale to repent but to become more sinful and
hypocritical as proof of his deserved damnation (1). Because of his hidden agenda, Chillingworth
succeeds in making Dimmesdale feel more sinful and hypocritical, but he wants more from his
victim. He desires a private confession from Dimmesdale believing that this admission will send
the preacher directly to hell; whereas, a public confession might bring Dimmesdale the
forgiveness from the community that he cannot give himself. Chillingworth describes himself as
“[p]itiless” and “[u]nforgiving,” so by his own admission his evil intentions are evident
(Hawthorne 127). This secret of covert torture makes Chillinworth the worst of villains.
While Chillingworth’s villainous ways may be somewhat transparent, Dimmesdale is
another sort of villain. His characteristics are different than Chillingworth’s, mainly because he
is not seeking revenge. He is running away from confrontation, not seeking it like Chillingworth.
Dimmesdale’s traits that make him seem like the antagonist involve his lack of accountability for
his actions. Because of his unpardonable sin, Dimmesdale deserves his own letter, a ‘C’ for
cowardice (Delaney 9). He does not take ownership of his sin or acknowledge how his actions
affect those around him because he is too scared to do so. These torments consume him and
physically and emotionally. Hawthorne notes, “The only truth that continued to give Mr.
Dimmesdale a real existence on this earth was the anguish in his inmost soul, and the
undissembled expression of it in his aspect” (133). Dimmesdale’s existence is his guilt, and
because he is not brave enough to confess, he denies any opportunity to rid himself of his guilt.
His fear is founded in the belief that if he confesses his sin and the townspeople react badly, not
only will he lose his power as a minister, but he may actually have to face the consequences of
his mistake, something that he avoids at all costs. He is afraid of the conflict that will result from
his mistake. This cowardice makes him a villain.
Student
Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are two different types of villains. Chillingworth is
considered a villain because of his devious plots against Dimmesdale. His persistent attempts to
drive Dimmesdale to a private confession are sinful because of the pain and guilt that
Dimmesdale suffers as a result. Dimmesdale is considered a villain because of his cowardice
throughout the book. He punishes himself for his mistake in every way possible, except for a
confession, which in reality would be the only true release from his pain. Though Dimmesdale
and Chillingworth possess different malevolent qualities, they both display behavior that is
consistent with literary villains.
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Student
Works Cited
Delaney, Bill. “The Scarlet Letter Magill’s Survey of American Literature.” Literary Research
Center. Salem Press: 2007. Print.
Evanoff, Alexander. “Some Principal Themes in The Scarlet Letter.” Exploring Novels.
270-77. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center – Gold. Web. 17
November 2009.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Austin: Reinhart and Winston, 1850. Print.
Reiss, John. "Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter." The Explicator. Literature Resource Center
Summer 1995:p. 200.Web. November 2009.
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