Scarlet letter why does dimmesdale die

Before actually confessing, he asks her, "Is this not better than what we dreamed of in the forest? Let me now do the will which He hath made plain before my sight. Given that he is dying, Dimmesdale asks Hester whether confession is better than fleeing. She has lived for seven long years with the torment of her neighbors and the shame of her scarlet letter.

She hurriedly answers him that perhaps the three of them dying together would be preferable, but if Dimmesdale dies alone what will she have? She will have no love, no life other than the loneliness she has already has, and a daughter who will have no father.

Pearl is given the most wonderful gift: a life that is filled with love and happiness. When her father finally publicly acknowledges her, she kisses him and weeps an actual tear. As Hawthorne says, "the spell is broken. Chillingworth loses his victory in two ways. First, he no longer has Dimmesdale to torment, and second, he receives Dimmesdale's blessing. Even as he is dying, the minister manages to retain his reverence and his kindness by asking God's forgiveness for Chillingworth.

As Hester noted in her husband's changed appearance earlier, revenge is never a positive motive and generally consumes its possessor.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter Removing book from your Reading List will also remove any bookmarked pages associated with this title. Are you sure you want to remove bookConfirmation and any corresponding bookmarks? My Preferences My Reading List. The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne. Despite being asked over and over again, and despite having to bear the brunt of her punishment, shame and degradation alone, Hester never reveals that Dimmesdale is the father of her child. She protects his identity fiercely, at great personal loss and sacrifice.

How did Dimmesdale get the A on his chest? He discovers that Dimmesdale, out of the guilt and sadness he feels from what occurs with Hester, has carved a letter "A" on his chest. This act of self-mutilation is essentially his own way to "share" the pain of Hester's humiliation. What does Arthur Dimmesdale represent?

Character Analysis Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale, the personification of "human frailty and sorrow," is young, pale, and physically delicate. He has large, melancholy eyes and a tremulous mouth, suggesting great sensitivity. An ordained Puritan minister, he is well educated, and he has a philosophical turn of mind. What sins did Dimmesdale commit? The biggest sin that Dimmesdale commits, aside from the adultery and fornication he already has committed with Hester, is the fact that he does not own up to what he does and continues to lie to his flock.

He does this while secretly inflicting private punishment upon himself. Is Dimmesdale static or dynamic? A dynamic character is a character that changes or evolves through the course of a story. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth were all dynamic characters. The character that changed the most through the course of the story, though, was Roger Chillingworth.

How does Chillingworth get revenge on Dimmesdale? Yes, Chillingworth is a wronged man who suffers when he learns Hester has been unfaithful. The more Chillingworth seeks revenge, the longer he fixates on it, and the closer he gets to Dimmesdale, the more demonic he becomes.

His soul is consumed by a thirst that will never be satisfied. Dimmesdale slowly begin to change. He holds his hand over his heart as if something there hurts him. He seem to be ailing. Dimmesdale and Dr. Chillingworth strike up a friendship. Chillingworth moves in with Dimmesdale and becomes his personal physician. One night, wandering around, Dimmesdale happens to run into Hester and Pearl.

He sees Chillingworth and does not recognize the man — Chillingworth looks like an evil apparition to Dimmesdale.