The Significance of the Three Scaffold Scenes in the Scarlet Letter

The scaffold compete an important partition in identifying the characters of the carmine Letter throughout the novel. At all(prenominal) scene, the lector comes to understand something of the main characters and glimpses how that nefariousness represented by the scarlet A has affected them. Hester Prynne, clutching both the living and the impose () of her sin to her breast, is seen atop the scaffold, sternly looked on by all, only without her lover.She stood there in quiet defiance, refusing to weaken to the mint forward her who the father of her child was, and in this the reader sees a picture of a charwoman scorned and fearing for the life of herself and her child, but heading the scrutiny of all with a solace defiance. Nearby, stood Arthur Dimmesdale, asking his secret lover to strike the name of the father of that child. He did not, at that time, have the strength or the pull up stakes to do so himself, and was begging Hester to reveal him for what he was.Among t he crowd, Roger Chillingworth, Hesters wronged husband, adds his voice to the multitude in demanding that Hester reveal her secret. He seems an old, disappoint man, finding that the one he had waited trey historic period to join had, during that time, left him for an different. Thereafter, he would pledge to avenge himself of the man that had partnered in wronging him. Late one night, Dimmesdale could have been seen on the scaffold, looking for some peace from the offense tormenting his mind.His penitence, however, lacked an audience. Here, the reader sees a nearly grisly man, too weak to reveal himself for what he really was, but too virtuous to otherwise ignore it. Hester and collect snatch him there and join him, acknowledging the bond among the three in the first place none other than themselves. Hester comes to realize the poor assert in which Dimmesdale has borne his guilt, and resolves to lend him her strength, which has served to uphold her throughout the years of her public shame. astragal questions the diplomatic minister as to whether he would stand with them there noon the next day, but he refuses. Chillingworth discovers the trio atop the scaffold, and any suspicions he harbored of the identity of Pearls father is all but confirmed. Finally, again atop the scaffold, Hester again stands before the scrutiny of the town of Boston, but this time with her fellow sinner. Dimmesdale confesses before all his part in Hesters sin in a final examination show of strength. There, the minister dies, along with Hesters dreams of throwing of her public shame.Before his death, however, Pearl acknowledges him as her father with a final kiss and gains her tenderity in the sens of the townspeople. His prey having escaped him and lacking other purpose for which to live, Chillingworth shrivels and dies, a mere blast of the man he once was. In each of those scenes revolving around the scaffold, Nathaniel Hawthorne revealed to the reader the state and m entality of the main characters, along with the do of guilt, bitter revenge, and an attempt at human penitence rather than repentance.