In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Hester, the main character is portrayed as the tragic character. She is openly condemned in her society as an adulterer and has to wear a scarlet "A" for the rest of her life. Her partner in this crime is Reverend Dimmesdale who is not condemned to anything since the public does not know his crime. Thus his sin is a hidden sin unlike the external sin Hester has. Most argue that Hester receives all the consequences and punishments of her crime, while Dimmesdale is a coward for not revealing his sin and accepting the punishment. Although it is true that by not revealing his sin, he did not pay the same dire consequences Hester did. But he was punished for his crimes internally through guilt and self inflicted torture. Dimmesdale's pain is beyond what Hester felt, and more than anybody could imagine...