3.3 Roger Chillingworht
Roger Chillingworht personifies revenge. He is decidedly the villain of the piece. In comparison to Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, he is a greater
sinner. He is an embodiment of revenge. The chief am of the writer in analysing his character is to show “the effect of revenge in diabolizing him who indulges in
it. In the delinetion of his character, the writer thinks that Hawthorne shows great psychological insight. Hawthorne gives the motives which led him to marry a
young girl like Hester Prynne, while he is not worthy of such a girl. He himself is a psychologist. He expresses this sense of wrong to Hester.
I - a man of thought, the book worm of great libraries - a man already in decay having given my best years to feed
the hungry dream of knowledge - what had I to do with and beauty like thine own that intellectual gifts might veil
physical deformity in a young girls fantasy Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1993, p.71
This is an excellent self—analysis. Once he has vowed revenge upon the
man who has diehonoured him, Roger Chillingworth knows no merry. He is a man of undyinghate. Actually there was a time when this man has calm, gentle,
and passionless. But his desire for revenge brings to the surface a deep malice which has for long time remained silent and dormant.
Calm, gentle, passionless as he appeared, there was yet, we fear, a quiet dept of malice, hither to latent, but active
know, in this unfortunate oldman, which led him to image a more intimate revenge than any mortal had ever wreaked
upun an enemy. Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1993, p.136
As his desire for revenge increase, it makes effect on his body as well. All
the blackness of his mind appears in his countance. Frequently “there came a glare
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of red light out of his eyes, as if his soul were fire’ nathaniel Hawthore, 1993, p.166. And the writer observes that Roger Chillingworth is the evidence of mans
faculty of transforming himself into a devil, if he will undertake a devils office. And Chillingworth himself is aware of the transformation. He calls himself a
fiend who has been sent for the special torment of the minister, Arthur Dimmeedale “there was a fiend at his elbow A mortal man, with once a human
hearth, has become a fiend for his especial torment” Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1993, p.168.
Hester takes pity on him “for the hatred that has transformed a wise and just man to a friend Bathaniel Hawthorne, 1993, p.170. When she asks him bo
shoe better behaviour towards the suffering minister, he replies “peace, Hester, peace It is not granted me to pardon have no such power as thou tellest me of”
nathaniel Hawthorne, 1993, p.170. Thus the writer observes him peychologicaly so much obsessed with the
idea of revenge is so strong that the does not want that the minister will make a public confension of his quilt. This will make him free from his clutches. And—
when the minister pays no attention to his words, Chilling- worth sayes “thou hast escaped me Thou hast escaped me Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1993, p.251.
The continioue gratification of his passion for revenge has become so vital for Chillingworth that, once his victim is dead, Chillingworth finds nothing to
interreet him or to keep him alive. The writer here tries to make an observation containing a deep psychological truth. In the following one critic says that this
unhappy man had made the very principle of his life to consist in the persuit and
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systematic exercise of revenge and when by its complete triumph and consummation, that evil principle is left with no further meterial to support it,
when, in short there is no more devile work on earth for him to do, it only remained for the unhurnanized mortal to betake himself his Master would find
him tasks enough, within a year of the death of his principle victim, Arthur Dimmeedale. Ramji Lall, 1992, p.49.
3.4 Pearl
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