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Chillingworth's Revenge

In his novel The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne uses the changing characterization of

Chillingworth to explore his ideas about revenge. Chillingworth wanted to know who his

wife was having adultery with, but his wife would not tell him anything about the adulterous

man. One day he became the attending physician to Pastor Han. While treating Dimmesdale,

Chillingworth learned the pastor's secret his. Dimmesdale found out that he was a man who

committed adultery with his wife After learning the minister's secret, Chillingworth's

vengeful spirit flared up. Chillingworth tormented Dimmesdale by touching his conscience

and guilt. Bydepicting the changes in Chillingworth over the course of the novel, Hawthorne

established his idea that a desire for vengeance impoverishes one's own and others' bodies

and minds.

In the novel Ch4 Chillingworth said to Hester “It seemed not so wild a dream, old as I

was, and sombre as I was, and misshapen as I was, that the simple bliss”(17-18). that indicate

Chillingworth is old man, sombre and misshapen. This is important qoute because

Chillingworth is much older than his wife and has a deformed body. He's a smart scholar, but

he can't make his wife completely happy. But Dimmesdale was young and handsome. He is a

well-informed minister to all of the villagers.

Another quoute in the Ch4 “I,a man of thought, the book-worm of great libraries, a man

already in decay, having given my best years to feed the hungry dream of knowledge, what

had I to do with youth and beauty like thine own!”(3-5). He said that he had dedicated his life

to reading and studying, had little time to take care of his wife, and he want youth and beauty

like hester. He's very smart and can see inside people, but his looks and age is not similar

with his wife's.

His wife arrived in Boston first and waited, but her husband, Chillingworth, had not been

heard from for several years. His existence alone would not have been able to endure that
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empty time. she don't know if he's alive or dead, he's old and doesn't match himself. In the

novel, Chillingworth wants to make Dimmesdale suffer by touching his conscience and guilt.

Later in the novel, Hester interrupts Chillingworth, but he wants Dimmesdale to suffer and be

devastated. He also hated and was disappointed with Hester and her daughter Pearl. His

revenge devastated his mind and body and drove Dimmesdale to the end. But after he died,

he left his estate to his wife's daughter, Pearl. But after he died, he left his estate to his wife's

daughter, Pearl. The meaning of it is that he forgives Dimmesdale and wife.

Hawthorne highlights Readers were able to learn from Chillingworth's actions that hatred

and vengeance were bad for him and his opponent. Although Chillingworth showed

forgiveness at the last moment, considering the terrible price he paid to get there, he What

remains around Dimmesdale seems to be his fatal mistake. through the changing

characterization of If he hadn't stayed around Dimmesdale, his vengeance and hatred would

have gradually diminished, and it would have been a good choice for him Because he was a

very nice, smart, and excellent scholar in many ways before he knew her crime.