Examples Of Adultery In The Scarlet Letter

Various interpretations of adultery have led to speculation as to what it might actually mean: The Old Testament describes adultery in terms of physical pollution, The New Testament states it as mental and physical pollution, and finally Plato defines adultery as socio-political pollution.
The Old Testament states that when a married woman “putteth forth her hand” and “taketh” a man other than her husband “by the secrets” then thou “shalt cut off her hand.” Therefore, according to the Old Testament’s definition of adultery, it is the act of engaging in physical activities between a married and unmarried man or woman. An example of this type of adultery is seen in The Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the novel, a married woman named Hester Prynne commits adultery by having an affair with Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester gives birth to their baby, Pearl, who becomes evidence of her physical pollution. Mary Wollstonecraft provides further evidence to the Old Testament’s definition when she states that a woman’s charms
This hierarchy consisted of the gold class, the rulers, the silver class, the soldiers, and the bronze class, the craftsmen and preservers of the species. The different classes of Plato’s just society were essential to creating happiness throughout society. Plato felt that in order for the society to remain satisfied and just, intercourse should be forbidden between people of different classes to prevent socio-political pollution. This led to Plato’s belief that adultery is socio-political pollution that occurs when people of different social classes engage in sexual intercourse. This form of adultery causes the creation of “alloys” which are detrimental to society because they are weaker than “pure metals.” By keeping intercourse between people of the same class, society remains content, just, and