Roger Chillingworth Symbolism

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Roger Chillingworth has a one-dimensional character unlike the other main characters in the story as his only purpose in the book is to represent the devil. He is shown to be the typical villain by having a deformed shoulder, wrinkled face, and a taste for vengeance. Right from the gecko, in the first scaffold scene, he chooses the path of revenge onto Dimmesdale. Having only been in Boston for a short while, Chillingworth is only in situations that involve his obsession for revenge on Dimmesdale. During the time when everyone in Boston thought Dimmesdale was dead, the readers learn a lot of him about why he was late on coming to America. His captivity from the Indians prevented him from coming to Hester as quickly as he can, but during his …show more content…
His symbolism with the devil can already be noticed by his name, “Chillingworth”. As with his name, his characteristic lacks any empathy. Even his physical self is distorted with his deformed shoulders making him to be the villain, or antagonist. “A writhing horror twisted across his features, like a snake gliding swiftly over them, and making one little pause with all its wreathed intervolutions in open sight.” (Hawthorne, 42) His appearance is hideous because of the fact that Chillingworth was mixing civilized and “savage” clothes together. At Roger Chillingworth’s first appearance in the book, his symbolism with the devil is apparent. While Hester was on the Scaffold, she notices Chillingworth, in the crowd, dressed up in all black. Hawthorne uses the color black because the color is associated with evil. After being shipwrecked then being held captive by the Indians for a year, he discovers Hester’s sin. The discovery of Hester’s sin drove himself mad as to disguise himself as a physician and to create a false name, Roger Chillingworth. He then goes out to the colony and is able to deceive them. This is similar with how the Devil himself would deceive someone by disguise himself in order to tempt the other person to commit a sin. Chillingworth is also using the Indian’s medicinal practice which is a practice that the Puritans forbid, but the Puritans are not aware of that. All the Puritans know is that he is
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