Hawthorn shows sins of several different kinds in numerous people, as well as the consequences and remedies of their sins. Three main characters; Hester Prynne, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth bare the most of these sins. Arthur Dimmesdale, however, bares the most brutal effects of such sin. This is due to several reasons. The most observable reason for his eventual breakdown is the fact that he keeps his sin a secret. Arthur Dimmesdale's sin was the same as Hester's, except he never confessed. "As God"s servant, it is his nature to tell the truth, so the years of pretending...
speech he ascends the scaffold and bears to the entire town the truth behind his sin. After he achieves this great mental feat he collapses and dies. This is a true irony since his death was both his final salvation, and also served as the last effect of his sin.

Arthur Dimmesdale was a praiseworthy character throughout the book, even though his sin brought so much discomfort to him. The internal punishment he caused himself was his eventual downfall. Dimmesdale had such hardships that few will ever know, and had the most brutal effects of sin bestowed upon him.