A person may show his corrupted side externally; despite the fact that it is only as a result of his lonely and loving character that he develops this corrupted side of him. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, Roger Chillingworth, Hester Prynne’s husband, illustrates his conflicting characteristics internally and externally. On the inside, he is sensitive, lonely and loving of Hester. On the outside, he shows the stronger corrupted side of his character through his actions and words. Since he is deeply consumed by his strong love of Hester, his corrupted side becomes even stronger when his love impacts his evil actions. This illustrates how his corrupted nature is more important. Humans use their strong love to do fraudulent actions after being hurt by the one they love.
Chillingworth is a …show more content…
Chillingworth is like a “treasure-seeker in a dark cavern” (113). He knows Dimmsdale’s true identity and how Hester is associated with him so therefore tries so hard to suck every secret or treasure out of Dimmsdale as if he was his patient, a dark cavern. By investigating Dimmsdale, who will not give up his secret, he becomes his physician; Chillingworth is taking advantage of him. When Chillingworth lives with Dimmsdale, it allows him to get closer and see what he is truly hiding. Chillingworth says that a man “burdened with a secret should especially avoid the intimacy of his physician” (113). As a physician, Chillingworth knows all about Dimmsdale; he wants to know as much as he can about him to be vengeful towards Hester and him. Chillingworth causes pain to Dimmsdale when he constantly harps on the fact that Dimmsdale has a secret and that this secret is killing him. Knowing a secret about a man is a way for a person to harm him. By taking advantage of his relationship with Dimmsdale, Chillingworth shows his corrupt