Of the three main characters (Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingsworth) the character whose sin was the greatest is Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale committed adultery together. Hester Prynne had been punished for her sin and when asked whom the father of the child was she would not tell.
             One who reads The Scarlet Letter may blame Hester Prynne for the reason why Roger Chillingsworth becomes so obsessed with finding the father of the child, and may also blame her for the reason why Arthur Dimmesdale becomes so sick throughout the book. One may believe this because if Hester would have just told who the father of the child was in the first place, none of that would have happened. But it is not Hester Prynne's responsibility to tell who the father of the child was; it is the father, Arthur Dimmesdale's responsibility to confess that he is the father of the child. Arthur Dimmesdale tries to urge her to confess that he is the father, but why should Hester Prynne have to confess? Isn't Dimmesdale old enough to speak for himself and take responsibility for his actions?
             After Hester Prynne denies to speak out the father's name, Dimmesdale says she won't tell, then Dimmesdale says how Hester is very generous for letting him be unknown. How could he stand there and speak these words when in his heart he knows that he is the father, does he really think that this is a generous act, would he really rather be unknown and live in guilt for the rest of his life. Throughout the rest of the book Dimmesdale is definitely known to be a coward; and throughout the rest of the book he still has the nerve to preach at the church, under God, in his hypocritical manor.
             Arthur Dimmesdale chooses to hide his guilt throught the rest of his life. He shows that he does this by putting his hand over his heart throughout the rest of the book. The reason why Dimmesdale ch
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