Scarlet Letter

Hypocrisy leads to the corruption of a scruple of institutions, like poison leads to the withering of beings. Throughout The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the theme of hypocrisy is evident in the prominent characters. Two main characters, Roger Chillingworth and Arthur Dimmesdale are hypocritical due to the fact that they are not performing their duties the way they ought to be. Roger Chillingworth is the town doctor but he does not utilize his knowledge of medicine to the best of his ability. Furthermore, Arthur Dimmesdale is a respected minister but he is slowly being eaten away at by the sin he committed. All in all, hypocrisy is displayed in The Scarlet Letter in the actions of Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth.

Arthur Dimmesdale embodies a hypocritical spirit because of his occupation as a minister and his manifesting sin. Ultimately, Dimmesdale is a hypocrite because he is consumed by his sin of adultery yet he is preaching holy words to the Puritan congregation. For one, Dimmesdale states, “There can be, if I forebode aright, no power, short of the Divine mercy, to disclose, whether by uttered words, or by type of emblem, the secrets that may be buried with a human heart” (Hawthorne 117). When he says this, he means that only the power of God has the right to disclose secrets that one may possess. Dimmesdale has the closest connection to God in the community. Because of this, he should be able to exploit his secrets with ease. Thus, he is hypocritical for not doing so. Furthermore, Dimmesdale puts pressure on Hester Prynne to divulge the father of her child. Dimmesdale says, “…I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow –sinner and fellow-sufferer!”(Hawthorne 59). Throughout the novel, Hester is urged by Dimmesdale and other officials to tell the secret that everyone wants to know, the name of Pearl’s father. However, Dimmesdale committed the same sin as Hester did, but he will not divulge that secret to the public though it withers...