The Scarlett Letter-Character Analysis: Arthur Dimmesdale

• Personal traits

Arthur Dimmesdale was recognized for being a good speaker and for his ability to persuade the people in town and even some of the indians to believe in God.

He had a true commitment towards his beloved Hester Prynne, and even though the circumstances were harsh at times, he remained loyal to her and took care of her needs(directly or indirectly) and waited for a long time until they were both ready to make their love public.

Reverend Dimmesdale was determined to the cause of bringing together the puritans and the indians as two communities that could share a land and their religion (he was translating the Bible into the indian language).

• Relationship with other characters

• Symbols in the movie that identify important moments for the characters

1. Hester Prynne and the "witches": In the dark romanticism, women start to notice the unfairness that they had to stand in comparison to men. In some way, he defended their rights and undestrood their condition.
2. Slavery: Noticeable with the presence of Mituba, who had been given to Hester as a "gift" when buying something at the market. She is important becasue she was the communication medium between Arthur and Hester.
3. Religion: In that time, religion was very important, it ruled the town. It was so extreme, it punished people severely for things we now consider "small facts", like arthur's and Hester's love.

• Surprising revelations

1. The first one is when he finds out that Hester was pregnant. This represents the beginning of a series of events that makes them hide their relatioship because of the consequences it could bring because of the fact that Hester, could still be married by law.
2. The second surprising revelation is when Roger Prynne arrives to the town, becoming a threat to both Arthur and Hester, because he was insisting on finding out who was Pearl's father.

• Sychological traits: Personality characteristics with examples

1. Pacient: He always waited fot Hester to take the lead and declare their love to the world.
2. Kind, humble and helpful: He was always helping everyone he could, like when he made as mediator between indians and the villagers.
3. Romantic: His attitudes towards Hester, his long love letters, his persistence in loving her.
4. Loyal: He waited for Hester to be able to love him freely for a long time, wihtout looking for love in another woman.
5. Devoted: He was a server of God and he was a defender of the Lord's will and was in charge of spreading religious teachings all around the territory including the indian communities.
6. Intellectual: He had read a lot of books and had an excellent education which helped him to be considered an authority in town.

• How do you see the elements of "Dark Romanticism" reflected in the movie?

1. Psychological effects of guilt and sin: Evident in Arthur, who carried the weight of his relationship with Hester and the daughter they both had conceived without being married, this amplified by the fact that he considered himself a liar and a hypocrite because they were hiding their reality from society.
2. Evil under social order: In the movie we can see how sin and evil work together under a mask of virtue that at the end, is as dangerous as an officially sinner town. Some examples are how the reverend maintained extra marital relations with a married woman and the oppresion fo religious extremist authorities.