In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Dimmesdale who is a minister acts as a role model to the townspeople. He is the last person who should commit a crime and lie about it.
As the minister of the community, Dimmesdale is held to certain moral standards, and is expected to be the moral measure for his congregation. He attempts to follow the strictures of society, but must hide his sins of adultery and hypocrisy to remain angelic within the community. Dimmesdale weighted with the guilt of what he has done slides deeper into despair without hope of recovery, until he confesses his sin and forgives himself.Dimmesdale is perceived as a sinless, superior and an upstanding man however; the culpability of his sin emerges from the beginning.
As the town is out to witness the punishment of Hester Prynne, the people say, “that the Reverend Master Dimmesdale, her godly pastor, takes it very grievously to heart that such a scandal should have come upon his congregation” (49). The community sees Dimmesdale as a godly man who does not commit sin. The minister senses no anguish and does not feel guilty of his sin yet.As a further matter, the agony begins to take control of Dimmesdale, "Poor, miserable man! what right had infirmity like his to burden itself with crime? Crime is for the iron-nerved, who have their choice either to endure it, or, if it press too hard, to exert their fierce and savage strength for a good purpose, and fling it off at once! (122)" His guilt is growing by the second, and he doesn’t seem to have the emotional or physical ability to bear it. At the same time, the agony of this guilt is his self-punishment.Dimmesdale begins to be taken over by the devil.
He tells Hester, "his spirit lacked the strength that could have borne up, as thine has been, beneath a burden like thy scarlet letter" (141). The minister can preach a good sermon about the consequences of sin, but he can't deal with them himself. Dimmesdale is just too weak and good-natured to handle the kind of blame he is imposing upon himself. The guilt is starting to get in his head, “Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am” (171).
Dimmesdale is trying to convince Hester to reveal the man who has sinned along with her, so the man can be relieved of his guilt, which is ironic because he is the one who has sinned with her. He cannot take it anymore. His mental punishment is not enough for him, so he punishes himself physically. Dimmesdale whips himself at night, punishing himself for the sin because he feels guilty.
He acknowledges that he deserves to be punished, but he doesn't want anyone else to do it for him.He'd rather punish himself. Dimmesdale finally conquers his sin. He escapes the Devil, who was symbolized by Roger Chillingworth, by saying, “Thy power is not what it was! With God’s help, I shall escape thee now! ” (248). Dimmesdale’s confession saves his soul and frees him from the one the Devil.
Next, Dimmesdale tears away the “ministerial band from before his breast”, revealing a scarlet letter on his chest (250). By publicly revealing his sin, he rises above it, forgiving himself and officially asking God and the town for forgiveness, becoming free from the guilt.In the beginning Dimmesdale is seen as a pure and sinless man. However, as the blame builds up, the devil takes control of him making decisions for him. But in the end, this guilt destroys him.
He's a weak man who sins and won't accept his punishment, and the hypocrisy takes him apart. Because he tries to hide his sin, he soon becomes guilty. Recognizing that death is forthcoming, he chooses to purify his soul at the last minute by confessing his sin publicly and revealing the scarlet letter A that has appeared on his chest over his heart.
