lizabeth is accused of being a witch and John goes to court to prove Abigail is lying. When John does try to prove Abigail is lying, he ends up confessing that he committed adultery with Abigail. Then the judges bring in Elizabeth to tell the truth whether John had an affair or not. When she was asked if John committed adultery she replies, "No, sir". As soon as she replies, John yells, "I have confessed it!". Elizabeth gasps and feels horrible because she has lied even though she knew the truth. But Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale has also felt the burden of knowing the truth and not being unable to speak of it. Arthur Dimmesdale is the minister who commits adultery with Hester in The Scarlet Letter. Though he commits the same sin as Hester, his is the worst for not acknowledging it. This "concealed sin" is the center of his tormented conscience. Instead he speaks to Hester, "..I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow sufferer!, p.73. It is hypocritical of Dimmesdale to tell Hester to speak out the truth when he knows the truth and he is the father of the child she bore. His silence shows how much of a coward he is and how scared he is of the truth. It is also ironic that Dimmesdale, who is supposed to be absolutely pure and urges his congregation to confess and openly repent their sins, is incapable of acknowledging his own sin and repenting. He knows the hypocrisy of his actions, but cannot bring himself to confess and repent his sins publicly. The guilt consumes him and his heart weakens when he sees Hester suffering alone, knowing he committed the same sin.The point Hawthorne is making is that every one of our actions inevitably shapes our lives, no matter how insignificant. Symbols like the scarlet letter shape our perceptions and our understanding. They determine the type of individuals we grow to be. Hawthorne describes the purpose of the novel when he says "Be true! Be true! Be tru...
