Arthur Dimmesdale: Tragic Hero Or Merely Tragic?
Arthur: Tragic Hero or Merely Tragic?
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's torrid tale of The Scarlet Letter, Arthur Dimmesdale, a main character, is confronted with a number of circumstances, both in and out of his control, that lead to his ultimate demise. While it can be argued that Arthur is a tragic hero, he lacks the underlying goodness and strength essential for him to fulfill this role. Otherwise, it may be demonstrated that Arthur meets all the criteria as a tragic hero, though there are other discrepancies to be noted.
Arthur Dimmesdale, a minister, lives his life under the watchful yet admiring eye of the townspeople of Boston and, as a result, becomes a slave to the public opinion. His sin against Hester and Pearl is that he will not acknowledge them as his wife and daughter in the daylight. He keeps his dreadful secret from all those under his care in the church for seven years for fear that he will lose their love and they will not forgive him. He is too weak to admit his......
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Some Observations About Hawthorne'S Women
... a victim of a benighted Poe hero, walled up ... see more tragedy in, say, Arthur Dimmesdale
than Hester ... sexes are major factors of Hawthorne's "tragic vision." In a ...
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