Thursday 22 December 2011

Is there an antagonist in The Scarlet Letter? If there isn't, explain why.

There is
anin . His name is , 's husband. Once he resurfaces after a long period of
absence, Chillingworth finds out about his wife's adultery with . He immediately resolves to
destroy them both, making their lives a misery by whatever means possible.

He
seems to have it in for Dimmesdale in particular. Though a doctor, Chillingworth doesn't use his
medical training to help the man who made him a cuckold. Instead, he abuses his vocation to
torture Dimmesdale psychologically, tormenting him with guilt.

Chillingworth
is so hell-bent on destroying any chance of happiness that Hester and Dimmesdale may have
together; he even takes the extraordinary step of booking a passage aboard the ship that's going
to take them to a new life in Europe. Chillingworth won't rest until Dimmesdale has been
destroyed. And when that finally happens, it's instructive that Chillingworth dies not long
after, as he effectively has nothing left to live for.

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