Near the end of the novel, Arthur Dimmesdale tells the following to his fellow adulteress Hester concerning Roger Chillingworth: "We are not, Hester, the worst sinners in the world. There

is one worse than even the polluted priest! That old man's revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart." He is referring to Roger Chillingworth's malign behavior towards Hester and, especially, himself. . In his priestly way, he has just made a comparative moral judgment. Although Chillingworth is indeed the one in pain because of being cheated, I feel that his actions are not entirely morally justified. Thus, I agree with Dimmesdale. Although Dimmesdale committed one the seven worst sins and broke one of the ten commandments (all while being a minister and reverend), he still chose to seek repentance and forgiveness (given ample time). He lived ridden with guilt; this, however, could have been avoided had it not been for Chillingworth. He is, in part, an evil type that has a cold heart for observing but n

ot feeling. As a wise man once said, "He is all head, and no heart." Chillingworth's very appearance is villainy with its smoldering eyes and dark, sooty face. Chillingworth's appearance aside, his very singleness of purpose is inhuman. For seven years, he has only one thought: to find and torment the man who has betrayed him. Being a 'wronged' husband, his lust for revenge is therefore not unnatural, but his method of revenge is indeed unacceptable. No sword or poison for Chillingworth. He takes the psychological approach. As far as being cutting with Hester, his kind actions and words later give way to deep and subtle purposes. There is apparently a big difference between what Chillingworth does and what he means. And Chillingworth goes beyond the relief of physical suffering. For one brief moment, he offers Hester a fair measure of understanding. The husband takes it on himself to share the blame for his wife's folly. We are left, instead, with a villainous fiend consumed with hate. All of the demonic imagery connotated with him is a sign of evil intent, for Chillingworth's real purpose is for th

Some common words found in the essay are:
Dimmesdale Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth's, Chillingworth Hester, Arthur Dimmesdale, Chillingworth Near, , chillingworth's appearance,
Approximate Word count = 746
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)