Arthur Dimmesdale Character Analysis

It is revealed that as soon as he had an affair with Abigail, he confessed to Elizabeth the next day because of the guilt he was carrying around. Also in Act 4, he was highly conflicted over whether or not to confess to working with the devil to escape death. In the end, he decided lying was a sin he did not want to commit and chose to die a honest man rather than survive as a deceptive man. So in the end it is clear to see that John Proctor still is a good man despite his short-lived affair with Abigail. He was an honest, good-hearted man who wished for nothing more than to live a good life with his wife and children.

He knows what is right and wrong but one example has been haunting him in his life. Now in a Puritan society, sin had to have been confessed publicly and they must bear their shame. This however goes against what the Word actually says and this is what created Arthur Dimmesdale as a character. He most likely has already repented to God but his guilt will not leave until he confesses it to his congregation and it leads him to other “ways” of repentance. Being reminded of his guilt 24/7 causes his his health to deteriorate to the point of death, possibly alluding to the fact that the wages of sin are death.

“ Now you can admit you are guilty,” the chief said[...] “We won’t punish you severely provided you write a self-criticism[...] Mr. Chiu cried. “ I won’t write a word because I am innocent.”(Ha 472) Mr. Chiu still believes that his plead of innocence will help him win his freedom. He does not realize that he is not in a place of influence or power to sway their decision. His complaints have no impact on those in charge of him. “If he were able to, he would have razed the entire police station and eliminated all their families.”(Ha 476-477) Mr. Chiu has become a truly changed man.

Proctor 's downfall in the play is caused by human error, which qualifies him to be the tragic hero. John recognized his flaws and tried very hard to correct them and overcome them. Unfortunately fell victim to the consequences of his errors but he preserved his name in the process. His character’s actions captured sympathy from the audience. John had all the qualities that would make him a tragic hero.

He knew that the sin he committed held him down and kept him from living a prosperous life. With this, he sought to fix “earth’s heaviest burden on them” (Hawthorne 195) by finding his true self. Dimmesdale wanted to lose this burden, but needed to find his true self. He, the only one to transform himself, pursued a higher quality existence. Because of “the minister’s own will” (Hawthorne 198), he could escape the torment from his moral maze.

He “hung it because (he) knew in doing so (he) was committing a sin” (Poe 2). In carrying out this action knowing it was a sin shows how the man's mind is unstable and not in good standing. No person in their right mind carries out an action and wanting to sin while doing so. Moreover the short story “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving as well depicts the reoccurring theme of psychological issues. With is wife having been missing, “Tom Walker grew so anxious about the fate of his wife and property he set out to seek them” (Irving 327).

Both Francesca and Ugolino’s judgements resulted from deliberation and thought, and both of their thoughts were greatly influenced by their oppressed state and some biological factors. They were diverted away from the First good, which made them turn toward the apparent goods. The use of free will in the Inferno served as a path to sin for both Francesca and Ugolino. Dante recognizes that Francesca had very weak control over her judgements, and that love overpowered her, but he also made it clear that she deserves to be in hell. As for Ugolino, he also used his free will to resist loving his sons.

“You are free to make whatever choice you want, but you are not free from the consequences of the choice.”-Ezra Taft Benson. This quote by Benson relates to the novel Tangerine by Edward Bloor. The characters in the novel don’t make good life choices and in the end, they pay for the mistake. Paul Fisher’s parents make bad decisions with treating their two sons. In the story, their choices affect Paul by causing him to have low self esteem, fearing his brother and feeling isolated.

The story of The Crucible written by Arthur Miller tells the events of John Proctor and the Salem witch trials. John Proctor is a man who is haunted by his guilt of adultery and doesn’t want his good name to be ruined. Throughout the events of John Proctor which have led to the moment wear he tears up his confession that would of save his life but condemned those who didn’t confess or pled guilty to witchcraft. This act is believable for the character of John Proctor as well of his sense of goodness returning. With the events that happen to John Proctor that led to this final noble act is justify with who he is as a person.

Augustine put it this way, “When sin is committed, we have… preferred… goods of a lower order and neglect the better and the higher good — neglecting you, our Lord God.” At this point Augustine describes what he believed to be the most pervasive sin affecting his life, which will continue to torture him for the rest of his life, lust. “Then bushes of lust grew rank about my head, and there was no hand to root them out.” Augustine then moves away from his home to Carthage to study the art of rhetoric. This time in is life was what he’d describe as the darkest time, when his lust and urge for power guided him. He even described how he did not want any rescuing, but enjoyed being ensnared by sins, “I was in love with loving, and hated security and a smooth way free from snares.” However, slowly his heart changed and he began searching for a creator, which is when he found the Manichees. The Manichees were a group that believed in the dualism of good and evil.