Chillingworth‘s Vengeful Obsession Consumes His Identity
Roger Chillingworth is the real villain in The Scarlet Letter. While Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale both sin in their adulterous affair, Chillingworth‘s evil quest for revenge proves him the most sinister character with warped morality.
As The Scarlet Letter opens in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Hester Prynne faces judgement for cheating on her husband Roger Chillingworth and bearing a child out of wedlock. Her lover Reverend Dimmesdale remains unaware that her husband Chillingworth is seeking vengeance. Through manipulative actions as Dimmesdale‘s doctor, Chillingworth becomes obsessed with sadistically torturing his rival, demonstrating that his sins are far worse than those committed by Hester and Dimmesdale.
After discovering Hester‘s affair, Chillingworth dedicates himself fully to unmasking her lover and enacting revenge. As one analysis observes, "Chillingworth…allows his resentment to entwine itself around his being and transform him into a creature of evil." While Hester and Dimmesdale‘s temporary passion led them to sin, Chillingworth makes vengeance his life‘s sole purpose.
As critic Neil Heims argues, "Unlike Hester and Dimmesdale, whose sin was rooted in passion, Chillingworth turned evil through calculating choices." This highlights that Chillingworth consciously chose to corrupt his morals and identity for the pleasure of inflicting torture on another human being.
| Character | Sin | Motivation | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hester | Adultery | Passion for Dimmesdale | Public shame |
| Dimmesdale | Adultery | Passion for Hester | Mental anguish |
| Chillingworth | Vengeance | Bitterness about infidelity | Moral corruption |
While Hester and Dimmesdale‘s deed violates marital vows, Chillingworth‘s evil acts serve no purpose beyond harming others. As this analysis indicates, "Chillingworth…is the greatest sinner because he violates human decency for purely malicious purposes."
Chillingworth uses his position as Dimmesdale‘s doctor to psychologically manipulate him through sly allusions to his secret sin. As one critique describes, Chillingworth forms:
A perverse bond with Dimmesdale, playing on the minister‘s frailty like a predator toying with helpless prey…Chillingworth derives pleasure from the control he wields over the minister’s psyche.
Rather than exposing Dimmesdale directly, Chillingworth prefers to slowly torture him by preying on his anxiety and guilt. These calculated acts violate principles of Christian charity and human decency, evidencing Chillingworth‘s evil nature.
Literary scholar Michael Dunne argues that Chillingworth‘s "fiendish delight in tormenting Dimmesdale" makes him more disturbing than if he simply revealed Dimmesdale‘s secret, as "the reader perceives real wickedness in Chillingworth that is not attributable to his being a cuckold." As a doctor sworn to heal, Chillingworth‘s intentional infliction of mental anguish on Dimmesdale clashes with his role.
Chillingworth is frequently depicted as demonic, evil, and corrupt, lacking any redeeming qualities. Hawthorne describes his "ugly" features and grin taking on a "portentous" look of "evil" purpose towards Dimmesdale, highlighting Chillingworth‘s malevolent moral decay (Hawthorne 118). Even Chillingworth admits to Hester, "I have already forgotten that there is such a being as thyself" beyond his fiendish schemes against Dimmesdale, evidence of his depraved state (Hawthorne 170).
To understand Chillingworth‘s exaggerated bitterness stemming from his wife‘s affair, it is important to consider the rigid moral standards of Puritan Boston circa 1642. As religious historian Amanda Porterfield outlines, the real-life Puritans in Boston:
Punished sins harshly and criticized other religious groups for moral laxity. Church membership involved an intense confessional experience of sin that faciliated conformity to the Puritan moral order.
As the table below shows, in such an uncompromising religious environment, Hester‘s adultery would have been seen as a grave moral failure warranting severe discipline:
| Year | Population of Boston | Church Membership |
|---|---|---|
| 1630 | 700 | 0 |
| 1642 | 2000 | 25% of adults |
| 1660 | 3500 | 75% of adults |
Given that Hester‘s identity centered on being a "God-fearing woman" per societal norms, her sudden defiance of moral standards shocked the Puritan community (DeRosa 1). This context offers insight into why Chillingworth became so excessively bitter over his wife‘s perceived betrayal. However, while influenced by his surroundings, Chillingworth alone chose to pursue harmful vengeance rather than living out Christian values of mercy and forgiveness.
In the end, Chillingworth‘s obsession with vengeance ultimately leaves him devoid of meaning after Dimmesdale dies. As one essay concludes, "Chillingworth shows the consequences of basing one‘s life on vengeance—he has no identity aside from his bond with his victim." This again illuminates that Chillingworth‘s core immorality was choosing to base his entire being around inflicting harm on others.
After failing to provide examples of positive qualities Chillingworth exhibits, literary critic [Daniel Walden states]():
We must face the fact that Hawthorne obviously intended the reader to accept Chillingworth as evil incarnate. The unambiguous condemnation is a phenomenon that we had best try to understand.
I agree with Walden‘s perspective. Hawthorne crafts Chillingworth as a representation of pure evil, offering no nuance to his immoral character. While Hester and Dimmesdale show repentance, Chillingworth‘s vindictiveness proves he is the true villain lacking any shred of humanity by the novel‘s end.
In conclusion, The Scarlet Letter‘s plot centers around sin, guilt and vengeance. But Roger Chillingworth‘s consuming malice exposes him as the most malevolent presence, intentionally inflicting harm without remorse. Through Chillingworth‘s downfall, Nathaniel Hawthorne conveys an enduring message about the dangerous effects of vengeance untempered by mercy or inner peace.