The Scarlet Letter #5

"'I found them growing on a grave, which bore no tombstone, nor other memorial of the dead man, save these ugly weeds, that have taken upon themselves to keep him in remembrance. They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him, and which he had done better to confess during his lifetime'" (119)

By now, Chillingworth is just messing with Dimmesdale's mind. It is obvious Chillingworth has found his man, and this may very well be part of his revenge. Dimmesdale is constantly being proposed with situations where he should admit what he has done, and every time he has backed away. Chillingworth does not just point Dimmesdale out and tell of his crimes because that would be way too easy and dissatisfying. Instead, Chillingworth wants to put so much pressure on Dimmesdale that he finally cracks and tells the truth because the truth is Dimmesdale's greatest fear in the story. Chillingworth knows that Dimmesdale telling the truth will bring Dimmesdale the most pain and Chillingworth the sweetest revenge in the end.


"Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom" (126)

At first, I believed that Chillingworth's motives for revenge were purely justified, but now, after seeing the way he has acted, I have second guessed his character. I thought Chillingworth would be the man and go hunt down his target in a cool Rambo sort of way, but now he kind of creeps me out. I imagined Chillingworth being a character similar to the Count of Monte Cristo in that he would devise a clever plan to get back at those who betrayed him while still keeping his honor and dignity. Instead, Chillingworth is closer to Iago. He gets close to his target, befriends them, and attacks them, but not in the noble, heroic methods I imagined. Especially when Chillingworth is the great scholarly man, I would think he would be more logical and not act so evil.