Character Analysis of Arthur Dimmesdale
             The Scarlet Letter is a story of characters that have to live and deal with the
             effects of sin in different ways. Of these characters, the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is
             the character portrayed as the most weak and unnoble. Despite this portrayal
             Dimmesdale was a stronger character than given credit for. His unbelievable amount of
             control in his way of handling his burdens displays his great sense of strength and
             We first see Dimmesdale portrayed as a nervous and sensitive individual. Despite
             his outer appearance, inside Dimmesdale is a very stable, strong person. Chapter Three
             states that he showed, ÿnervous sensibility and a vast power of self restraint.ÿ While this
             seems to give Dimmesdale great strength, it is also his largest flaw. His body refuses to
             do what his heart says is right. Dimmesdale instructs Hester to reveal the truth, but when
             she refuses he doesnÿt have the willpower to confess himself. Therefore, his sin becomes
             even larger than hers, because while hers is an exposed sin. He continues to lie to
             himself and his followers by keeping his secret hidden, so his is a concealed sin. Here
             Hawthorne shows us just how strong Dimmesdale actually is, by allowing him to hide his
             sin and bear the weight of it, he creates an extremely interesting and tremendously strong
             The scaffold is the place that Dimmesdale shows the amount of pain and
             self-loathing he is truly capable of concealing. He realizes that he is as much at fault for
             Hesterÿs torment as any common villager, if not even more so. Seven years prior, Hester
             stood in this place and took the punishment for both of them while he quietly stood aside
             and led people to believe that he also condemned her. During those long seven years he
             made no move to lessen her load or his own. Now Dimmesdale has had all that he can
             bear and lets out a yell that draws the atten
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