The Scarlet Letter Characters
HP
Hester Prynne
Protagonist
Resilient
Ostracised
Defiant
Compassionate
Hester Prynne is the protagonist of the story and the wearer of the Scarlet Letter. She bears public shame for her sins yet endures with quiet strength and dignity.
AD
Arthur Dimmesdale
Supporting
Tormented
Hypocritical
Guilt-ridden
Devout
Arthur Dimmesdale is a Puritan minister in Boston. He harbours a secret sin that weighs heavily on his conscience throughout the narrative.
P
Pearl
Symbolic
Spirited
Perceptive
Wild
Innocent
Pearl is the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. She serves as a living symbol of her mother's transgression and embodies both innocence and consequence.
RC
Roger Chillingworth
Antagonist
Also known as: Prynne
Vengeful
Calculating
Obsessive
Deceptive
Roger Chillingworth is Hester's aged husband whose real surname is Prynne. He pursues a secret and relentless vendetta against those who wronged him.
GB
Governor Bellingham
Minor
Authoritative
Rigid
Puritanical
Governor Bellingham is a former governor of Boston. He represents the strict civil and moral authority of the Puritan community.
MH
Mistress Hibbins
Symbolic
Sinister
Mysterious
Malevolent
Supernatural
Mistress Hibbins is the sister of Governor Bellingham and a symbol of evil within the story. She is associated with dark and witchcraft-like forces lurking beneath Puritan society.
JW
John Wilson
Minor
Pious
Authoritative
Traditional
Stern
John Wilson is Boston's elder clergyman and a respected religious figure in the Puritan community. He upholds the moral and spiritual laws of the settlement.