Revenge in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay - 901 Words

The Scarlet Letter:nbsp; Revenge nbsp; Revenge is the act of retaliating in order to get even with someone for the wrongs they have done. In the novel â€Å"The Scarlet Letter,† the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, uses Roger Chillingworth to reap revenge on Arthur Dimmesdale for his affair with his wife, Hester Prynne. Chillingworth becomes so devoted to revenge that is all his life revolves around. Chillingworth then devotes the rest of his life to taking revenge on Dimmesdale. As the novel progressed, Chillingworth fits the profile of ‘vengeance destroys the avenger’. When Roger Chillingworth is first introduced to the reader, we see a kind old man, who just has planted the seeds for revenge. Although he did speak of getting his†¦show more content†¦He,(Dimmesdale), is â€Å"a rare case†¦I must search this matter to the bottom† (Hawthorne, 158). When Chillingworth overheard Dimmesdale having a bad dream, he entered his quarters and â€Å"laid his hand upon his bosom, and thrust aside the vestment, that, †¦ had always covered it even from the professional eye† (Hawthorne, 159). What Chillingworth saw there, no one knows, but we know that he saw Dimmesdale’s sin on his chest. â€Å"†¦ With a wild look of wonder, joy, and horror †¦ (with) the extravagant gestures with which he threw up his arms towards the ceiling, and stamped his foot upon the floor† (Hawthorne, 159). When Chillingworth be comes the Devil, he is doing many strange things. Chillingworth is keeping himself secluded, and is seen lurking around town in a creepy manner. Roger secluded himself from everyday life to keep his plot for revenge focused. His plot is working too, Dimmesdale’s â€Å"†¦ soul shivers †¦ at the sight of the man† (Hawthorne, 240). Chillingworth is also spending a great deal of time in the â€Å"forest trees †¦ searching for roots and twigs, for his strange medicines† (Hawthorne, 145). The townspeople even see that Roger Chillingworth is pure evil. When the town first meets Chillingworth, they think he is a kind old doctor that would not harm a soul. â€Å" At first, his expression had been meditative, scholar like† (Hawthorne,Show MoreRelatedQuestions On Hester s Scarlet Letter985 Words   |  4 PagesHester’s wearing of the scarlet letter differs from Dimmesdale’s struggling? In The Scarlet Letter, Hester wears the scarlet letter as a sign of shame for committing adultery when her husband was lost at sea. By wearing the scarlet letter, Hester shows that she accepts the sin that she has committed. Even after Chillingworth allows Hester to remove the scarlet letter, Hester still wears the scarlet letter. By continuing to wear the scarlet letter, Hester accepts the scarlet letter as her reminder of herRead MoreWhat Is the Moral of the Scarlet Letter? Essay952 Words   |  4 Pages Nathaniel Hawthorne is famous for his long fictional work the scarlet letter in 1850, which is still considered as the most important work of him. The scarlet letter involves the presence of facts and figures to support the text and also includes the fictional work in the text. Hawthorne was actually inspired from the manuscripts he got in the custom house in Salem while he was working as an executive officer or the surveyor in custom house where the taxes are pai d, their he foundRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1631 Words   |  7 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s personal isolation originated in his early childhood and later developed the theme for his most renowned literary novel, The Scarlet Letter. 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Hester is publicly punishedRead MoreA Brief Biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne856 Words   |  3 Pagesstatement describes Hawthorne’s personality and life in a way that no other quote could. Nathaniel Hawthorne was an Anti-Transcendentalist writer meaning that he had a negative view of all humans. Th e Anti-Transcendentalist movement was a pessimistic branch of Romanticism and it began in mid 1800s and lasted until late 1800s. Nathaniel Hawthorne was influenced greatly by his childhood, which is what caused him to be an anti-transcendentalist, yet in his novel The Scarlet Letter there was a bridgeRead More The Effects of Sin Essay824 Words   |  4 PagesThe Effects of Sin â€Å"But a lie is never good, even though death threatens on the other side† (The Scarlet Letter). Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, is a story that illustrates intricate pieces of the Puritan lifestyle. Lying of course was considered a tremendous sin in the eyes of the Puritans. Centered first on a sin committed by Hester Prynne and her secret lover before the story ever begins the novel details how sin affects the lives of the people involved. For Hester, the sin forcesRead MoreThe Great Author Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay1261 Words   |  6 Pagespicture. His mind often turned to matters associated with human judgments on mortality, with guilt and its consequences (Turner). In the novel Hawthorne’s short stories he has a series of stories that have to do with things like suffering, honor, and religion. One good novel that deals with all of these things as well is The Scarlet Letter including loneliness, revenge, shame, and betrayal. Hawthorne is also known to strongly show Puritan beliefs. Hawthorne would search out moral implications, and whether