What does Dimmesdale do to himself as punishment?
Dimmesdale begins to torture himself physically: he scourges himself with a whip, he fasts, and he holds extended vigils, during which he stays awake throughout the night meditating upon his sin. He decides to hold a vigil on the scaffold where, years before, Hester suffered for her sin.
What Dimmesdale says about himself?
Dimmesdale’s shame evolves from his feelings of guilt because of his tremendous hypocrisy. He, more than any other character, personifies the evil of Puritanism’s refusal to forgive the sinner, causing a greater evil, that of the worm of hypocrisy which eats away at the soul.
What is Dimmesdale’s last words?
Dimmesdale’s very last words are “Praised be his name! His will be done! Farewell!” These words are significant because they were spoken after his confession, and then he died.
What are three ways in which Dimmesdale tortures himself?
The more he asserts his guilt, the more holy he appears to the public. Explain the ways that Dimmesdale tortures himself. He tortures himself physically: scourges himself with a whip, fasts, and hold extended vigils in which he stays awake through the night.
Why does Dimmesdale feel guilty?
“All the dread of public exposure, that had so long been the anguish of his life, had returned upon him.” This line reveals the fear that leads to Dimmesdale being unable to take responsibility for his actions, thus leading to his overwhelming guilt.
Is Dimmesdale a coward?
Even though Dimmesdale’s behavior is false and coward, he is a good man with courage and sense of responsibility in his personality that he finally redeems himself in his confession. However, instead of showing his hypocrisy, what Dimmesdale said reveals his ambivalent thoughts and struggle in his mind.
Where does Dimmesdale feel guilty?
Dimmesdale’s conscience and left him in a self loathing state for his own hypocrisy. Dimmesdale felt excessive guilt in allowing Hester to undergo the entirety of the ridicule and punishment alone while he maintained a positioned of respected and idolized authority, yet could not find it in his heart to expose the sin.
What does Dimmesdale say before death?
Dimmesdale says that God is merciful because he has been allowed to confess his sin, and so now he can make atonement and receive the mercy of God, the forgiveness of his sin. “God is merciful; God will forgive sins is a holdover from the old country; the church of England.
Why does Dimmesdale finally announce his guilt How does he do so what type of language does he use Who does he address and why?
how does he do so – what type of language does he use, who does he address and why? Dimmesdale finally announces his guilt because he felt as though he was dying and that he needed to acknowledge his shame.
Why is Dimmesdale so tortured?
Dimmesdale’s conscience was tortured tremendously when everyone believed he was a saint while he knew how sinful and horrible he was. It tortured him to see people love him. Hester did not have this pressure and conflict within her conscience as Dimmesdale did because she had nothing to hide.
Is Dimmesdale innocent?
When Hester is being exposed to the public on the scaffold for her sin, Dimmesdale doesn’t commit his sin to the public; he pretends to be innocent and makes Hester tell the truth. However, instead of showing his hypocrisy, what Dimmesdale said reveals his ambivalent thoughts and struggle in his mind.
How is Dimmesdale a hypocrite?
Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester’s partner in adultery, is another character who is punished for his hypocrisy. The fact that Dimmesdale hides his own sin while expounding on Hester’s sin, which is actually the same, makes Dimmesdale a hypocrite. Dimmesdale is not only hypocritical to his congregation, but to Hester as well.