We are first introduced to the character known as Roger
Chillingworth at Hester’s display of sin outside the courtroom, to which the
whole town had gathered to witness. We first encounter him with the
description, “By the Indians side, and evidently sustaining a companionship
with him, stood a white man, clad in a strange disarray of civilized and savage
costume” (42). Following this cautionary portrayal, there commenced a very
intense interest on Mr. Chillingworth’s part in the woman wearing the scarlet
letter. Upon asking a townsman the identity of the shamed woman, Roger finds it
extremely disconcerting how there has been no attention or quest to put the
second, equal sinner upon the scaffold of shame beside her. Concluding this
very intense and strange scene, is the promise made by Mr. Chillingworth that,
in reference to the man who sinned alongside Hester, “But he will be known! –
he will be known! – he will be known!” (44). The scene is sealed with a knowing
look shared by Hester and Mr. Chillingworth, when upon its ending, we hear
nothing of the man until much later on in the novel.
Mr. Chillingworth returns to us as Hester finds herself in the
midst of the most important and influential men of the settlement, pleading her
case as to why she should retain custody of her daughter Pearl. He speaks up on
Hester’s behalf to his fellow men, attesting to the pain and suffering that the
scarlet letter delivers to the woman. Old Roger Chillingworth had assumed the
position of the beloved Reverend Dimmesdale, whose health was steadily
declining. Presenting himself as one committed to improving the health of the
Reverend, Roger placed himself at an ever-present position at the Reverend’s
side; dining, residing, and spending all hours of the day with the revered Mr.
Dimmesdale. However, amidst the description of the pair’s companionship and
Roger’s investigation into the crevices of the reverends plagued heart comes a depiction
of Mr. Chillingworth in a rather ugly, and cautionary way, “Had a man seen old
Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need
to ask how Satan comports himself, when a precious human soul is lost to
heaven, and won into his kingdom” (95). This dark and suggestive portrayal of
the physician triggers the first of many red flags over the intentions of the
old doctor. Description of Mr. Chillingworth, or at least in regards to his
workings, in such a dark light continues as the novel progresses and the
narrator emphasizes the unknown evil that is reeking its havoc of the poor
minister. This confusing relationship between the two men and the questionable
moral stance of the old physician is finally crystallized within the workings of
Hester’s mind, “It was impossible to doubt, that, whatever painful efficacy
there might be in the secret sting of remorse, a deadlier venom had been
infused into it by the hand that proffered relief. A secret enemy had been
continually by his side, under the semblance of a friend and helper, and had
availed himself of the opportunities thus afforded for tampering with the delicate
springs of Mr. Dimmesdale’s nature” (114). Finally, old Roger Chillingworth’s
intentions are made clear to the reader, that he in-fact has been the one
injecting the facilitating the evil that was plaguing the poor reverend, making
likewise clear his motivations, and his intentions of revenge upon the
reverend. Following this surprising exposure is Hester’s shocking admission, “Hester
Prynne resolved to meet her former husband, and do what might be in her power
for the rescue of the victim on whom he had so evidently set his gripe” (115).
And so the fate of the remaining pages is set forth, Hester and Mr. Dimmesdale
are driven together by the forces of Roger Chillingworth’s revenge. Until, the
truth is revealed as Hester and the Reverend meet in the shadow of the woods,
the good reverend is Hester’s fellow sinner! He is the father of the lovely
Pearl. The weight and guilt of this secret twisted and prodded by the old
physician was the source of the reverend’s demise. Events reach their precipice
at the Election Day ceremonies, at which Mr. Dimmesdale, sensing his time was
nearly through, finally revealed himself and his part in Hester’s infamy. Upon
the conclusion of this confession, the minister’s existence on this earth was
no more. Speculation of the day’s events and related stories revolved for
years. Within the year of the reverend’s passing, old Roger Chillingworth
passed on as well. Upon his death, the old physician left a considerable amount
of property to little Pearl, effectively making her the most well-endowed
mistress and most sought-after wife. Hester and Pearl moved back to Europe
where Pearl was to meet a wealthy man and begin a family of her own. Years
later, Hester was to return to the old cottage by the sea, remaining for the
rest of her days an ever-present ear to the downtrodden and the suffering. And so
it remains that old Roger Chillingworth’s hand in the suffering of the reverend
and his determination to wreak revenge on the minister undoubtedly set in
motion all subsequent events in the story, likewise remains the lesson that the
old physician leaves for the reader: regardless of how tirelessly you work and
how committed you are to the revenge you wish to seek upon someone who did you
wrong, that power does not rest within you. As so perfectly exemplified in the
reverend’s admission to his sin and subsequent passing, the suffering
Chillingworth wished to create and remain with the reverend was all for not. It
is up to you and you alone to accept the wrongs of others done onto you. It is
your responsibility to take responsibility for how they make you feel and
subsequently forgive them regardless of circumstance so that you may be able to
move forward and live your own full life, not the half-life one is destined to
when one only breathes and dreams of revenge.
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