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The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 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. Arthur Dimmesdale, a minister, lives his life for 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 …

…Dimmesdale is not a strong character. His story is tragic of its own accord, but that it brings forth pity for him is questionable. Arthur is aware of his character flaws and does end up destroyed as a man, but that he was ever much of a man to begin with is doubtful. Arthur Dimmesdale cannot, really, be viewed as a tragic hero, for he falls short of the qualifications expected of such a role.