Dimmesdale's Deterioration in The Scarlet Letter Essay

Dimmesdales Deterioration

Every novel has a character that has potential for greatness but is doomed to fail. This character is called the tragic hero of the story. A tragic hero is trapped in multiple situations where he cannot win. This character also has some sort of a tragic flaw which causes him to fall from greatness. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Dimmesdale, the towns minister, possesses the same characteristics a tragic hero does. Arthur Dimmesdale has an elevated position in society, has sin as a tragic flaw, has a reversal of fortune, and the audience feels a dramatic irony towards him. Arthur Dimmesdales physical and emotional characteristics seem to deteriorate throughout the seven years after committing his sin; these characteristics help him become the tragic hero of the novel.

The first scene of the scaffold took place in the beginning of the novel when Reverend Dimmesdale was quiet a great man. He was worshipped and adored by the townspeople. In Chapter 3, the reverends voice was described as the young pastors voice was tremulously sweet, rich, deep, and broken. The feeling that it so evidently manifested, rather than the direct purport of the words, caused it to vibrate within all hearts, and brought the listeners into one accord of sympathy, (52). It seems that during the first scaffold scene, even if he had stress and anguish, Reverend Dimmesdale preached to the people of Salem with all of his heart and might. He was an honorable man filled with a preachers faith. You could see that even in the first scaffold scene, his dishonesty is starting to cause him some pain. In Chapter 3, he is described as ..but into the deep and troubled eyes of the younger clergymen. (54) In addition, it seems that the habit of clasping his hand upon his chest has been there since the first scaffold scene. In chapter 3, Mr. Dimmesdale, who, leaning over the balcony, with his hand upon his heart, has awaited the result of his appeal. (54) Even through this agony, he seems to have a high self-esteem who is trusted by many people, as their moral and religious leader.

The second scaffold scene took place seven years after the initial scene. Dimmesdales agony and dishonesty has been killing him slowly. He has been keeping his sin within him making him feel extremely guilty and not functioning to his full potential. Reverend Dimmesdale wants to tell the townspeople that he also deserves to wear the letter A; he has been isolating himself from the rest of society eating away his feelings. Even though he kept his secret within himself, somebody close to him found out what was wrong with him. Roger Chillingsworths torment and torture made Dimmesdale physically and emotionally unstable. Chillingsworth ended up making Dimmesdale fall in deep depression. Dimmesdale becomes weaker physically due to his moral torment. As stated in Chapter 12, in such case, it could only be the symptom of a highly disordered mental state, when a man, rendered morbidly self-contemplative by long, intense, and secret pain (138). It seems that his chest pains and mental state are getting worst by this scene. When Dimmesdale was standing on the scaffold all alone, it states the minister, unawares, and to his own infinite alarm burst into a great peal of laughter.(141) Dimmesdale is becoming insane. He can not longer store all this secrets inside. The tragic hero characteristics begin to show here. Dimmesdale shows that he is still elevated in society and that the townspeople love him. In addition, this scene begins to show a reversal of fortune and the audience is beginning to feel a dramatic irony toward him.

During the third scaffold scene, Dimmesdale already knows the truth about Chillingsworth and Prynnes relationship. Hester had a conversation with Dimmesdale and this helped him regain some of the power he had lost; consequently he decided to confess. This conversation was a turning point in Dimmesdales change throughout the story. Hester becomes his strength, courage and hope. He seems to be clear mentally, but he is physically sick during this last scene. The third scene takes place on Election Day, the day Hester and Dimmesdale were suppose to sail away back to Europe. While Dimmesdale was giving a sermon, he sees Hester, who gives him the strength to confess. He could not hold the pain within himself so he confessed saying that he had sinned worst than anybody in the town. By confessing, Dimmesdale redeems himself in front of his own moral suffering. Right after confessing, as stated in Chapter 23 of The Scarlet Letter, That final word came forth with the ministers expiring breath this murmur that rolled so heavily after the departed spirit (229) Dimmesdale died in the hands of Hester Prynne. Dimmesdale shows a characteristic of tragic hero by dying. This death was unwarranted and the audience fell pity for this irony.

In conclusion, Arthur Dimmesdales physical and emotional characteristics seem to deteriorate throughout the three scaffold scenes. Dimmesdale was a tragic hero of the story possessing a very sinful flaw that consequently caused his death. He was a preacher who followed his religion but had a sinful secret for seven years. Handling this secret caused him pain and anguish and consequently killed himself as well.