Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is a fictional character. He was one of the two protagonists in the 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter. This book was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Dimmesdale is a Puritan minister. Unable to resist the temptation to break his vow of celibacy, Dimmesdale succumbs to the love of a woman. He has a clandestine affair with his lover Hester Prynne, the other protagonist of the novel. She even bears Dimmesdale an illegitimate child.
The Scarlet Letter is the story of Reverend Dimmesdale's dilemma. He has to keep his relationship with Hester a secret and goes through mixed pangs of guilt, redemption, truth and falsehood. He does not confess to having a relationship with Hester as he is overwhelmed by his cowardice, which even hinders his desire to be punished for his transgression. Aware that he has let down the members of the parish due to his act, he begins to punish himself physically and mentally.
This, however, has no effect on the parishioners, who insist that, despite the simple yet paradoxical situation that Dimmesdale finds himself in, this has increased his holiness according to the concepts defined by Puritanism.
The Scarlet Letter is the story of Reverend Dimmesdale's dilemma. He has to keep his relationship with Hester a secret and goes through mixed pangs of guilt, redemption, truth and falsehood. He does not confess to having a relationship with Hester as he is overwhelmed by his cowardice, which even hinders his desire to be punished for his transgression. Aware that he has let down the members of the parish due to his act, he begins to punish himself physically and mentally.
This, however, has no effect on the parishioners, who insist that, despite the simple yet paradoxical situation that Dimmesdale finds himself in, this has increased his holiness according to the concepts defined by Puritanism.