Guilt is one of the strongest possible feelings a human can have. At times it is enough to even take over one's life and influence every decision made, such is the case with such characters from literature concerning the Puritan era. Each of the four main characters presented in the novel The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, were specifically chosen by Hawthorne in order to portray an idea. One of the most significant characters is the minister Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale begins the story as a relatively "good" character, yet as the novel progresses he is deeply changed both internally and externally through both the effects of his own actions, and those taken by people around him. Dimmesdale can be seen to represent the issues of guilt, responsibility, and the effects of our actions upon others. These issues are clearly seen as the story progresses and the character...