Arthur Dimmesdale

Satan

Dimmesdale is tormented by Satan as a manifestation of his hidden guilt and hypocrisy.

Hester Prynne

Former lovers bound by their shared sin and a secret, passionate past.

Pearl

Dimmesdale is Pearl's secret father, though he cannot openly acknowledge her.

Roger Chillingworth

Chillingworth psychologically tortures Dimmesdale as his physician and secret enemy.

John Wilson

Fellow Puritan ministers who share clerical duties and moral authority.

Hester Prynne

Former lovers bound by their shared sin and a secret, passionate past.

Satan

Dimmesdale is tormented by Satan as a manifestation of his hidden guilt and hypocrisy.

Hester Prynne

Former lovers bound by their shared sin and a secret, passionate past.

Pearl

Dimmesdale is Pearl's secret father, though he cannot openly acknowledge her.

Satan

Dimmesdale is tormented by Satan as a manifestation of his hidden guilt and hypocrisy.

Roger Chillingworth

Chillingworth psychologically tortures Dimmesdale as his physician and secret enemy.

John Wilson

Fellow Puritan ministers who share clerical duties and moral authority.

The Scarlet Letter

The young, revered minister who publicly urges Hester to name her partner, though he is the secret father.

II: The Marketplace

Mentioned by a townsman as Hester's pastor who takes the scandal grievously to heart.

The Recognition

Appeals to Hester to speak, but shows inner turmoil and reluctance to force her confession.

The Governor's Hall

Mentioned as one of the 'godly ministers' with the governor at the time of Hester's arrival.

VIII: The Elf-Child and the Minister

Speaks in Hester's defense, arguing that Pearl is both a blessing and a retribution, and that the mother-child bond is sacred.

IX: The Leech

The young minister whose health is failing; he becomes the patient and confidant of Chillingworth, unaware of the physician's true motives.

X: The Leech and His Patient

Suffers from declining health and nervous sensitivity. He is unaware of Chillingworth's true motives and continues to confide in him, while secretly tormented by his hidden sin.

The Interior of a Heart

Dimmesdale is consumed by guilt and self-loathing, yet his public reputation as a holy minister grows. He suffers under Chillingworth's psychological torment and longs to confess his sin.

The Minister's Vigil

Stands on the scaffold in a midnight vigil, shrieks in anguish, and is led home by Chillingworth.

Another View of Hester

Hester observes that Dimmesdale's nerve is destroyed and his moral force abased into childish weakness, though his intellect remains sharp. She recognizes that a 'terrible machinery' is operating against him, referring to Chillingworth's influence.

XVI: A Forest Walk

Approaches through the forest, looking haggard and feeble, with his hand over his heart.

XVII: The Pastor and His Parishioner

Dimmesdale is anguished by the revelation, forgives Hester, but feels trapped by his guilt and duty.

XVIII: A Flood of Sunshine

Resolves to flee with Hester, experiencing a rebirth of hope and joy after years of guilt and suffering.

XIX: The Child at the Brook-Side

Dimmesdale sits with Hester, anxious about meeting Pearl. He expresses fear that Pearl's features might reveal his paternity and is troubled by the child's refusal to approach.

The Minister in a Maze

Returns from the forest meeting with Hester, experiencing a bewildering array of temptations and a sense of moral decay.

XXII: The Procession

Appears in the procession as the revered minister about to deliver the Election Sermon; his secret connection to Hester is hinted at by Mistress Hibbins.

XXIII: The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter

Publicly confesses his sin on the scaffold, reveals the scarlet letter on his chest, and dies after a final kiss from Pearl.

Conclusion

His death on the scaffold is recounted, with various theories about the origin of the scarlet letter on his chest; his grave is near Hester's, but with a space between.