“It was to this latter class of men that Mr. Dimmesdale, by many trait of character, naturally belonged. To the high mountain-peaks of faith and sanctity he would have climbed… whatever it might it might be, of crime or anguish, beneath which it was his doom to totter. It kept him down, on a level with the lowest; him, the man with eternal attributes” (Hawthorn 129).

Beside his crime, Dimmesdale was someone destined for greatness. All his natural traits are those of someone who would be a good priest and the people of Boston were well aware of that. The relationship between Dimmesdale and people was of that of two lovers. Has much the people loved him, Dimmesdale loved them right back. He would not want to do anything to hurt them. Why would he want to hurt people who “fancied him the mouthpiece of Heaven’s messages of wisdom, and rebuke, and love. In their eyes, the very ground on which he trod was sanctified” (130). If these people found out the Dimmesdale had committed one of the greatest sins it would probable hurt them so much that it might even kill them. The love that Dimmesdale felt for the people could be compared to our understanding of God’s love. God love us so much that he is in agony when we sin and turn away from him. To find out the person you revered the most was not perfect could send chock wave throughout the colony, especially in a theocracy. Priests and Dimmesdale in particularly was the closest they will ever be to God on earth. If this happened in today’s society it would be shocking but Dimmesdale could have a chance to influence many people besides his sin some would say he is only human to justify his shortcomings. Today the Christian church offers redemption but they did not in the Puritan theocracies.

“If the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart” (134-135).

When reader go first dive into Dimmesdale’s character, their first impression is that he is a coward and a big hypocrite. The readers just assume that there was a disparity between who put forth as being and who he truly is but they soon discover that Dimmesdale is a good and generous person. When comparing Dimmesdale to someone like Chilingworth who looks like a good physician but he is really conspiring with the devil to destroy someone’s soul. Even, the way the public reacts to them gives us insight in who these men are. For Chilingworth some view him as two things a fantastic person and others the Devil in the flesh. He was able to fool some of these people but no all of them, but when it comes to Arthur Dimmesdale he is loved by all across the board. Because people know that he is a great person. Hawthorn’s audience may have thought they knew that Dimmesdale was nothing more than a hypocritical man and Chilingworth the hero who would unmask him. Nonetheless, it was a mistake on the parts of the readers because he feels horrible for his action. He feels so terrible for his actions that he has the scarlet letter branded on his chest right over his heart as a constant reminder that he is a sinner against the town, Hester and Pearl and himself.