Arthur Dimmesdale, a character of great reputation, weighed down by guilt, torn by his own wrongdoings, enters the story as a tragic hero whose life becomes a montage of pain and in agony because of his mistakes. The themes that led Dimmesdale to become a tragic hero are his guilt for his sin and his unwillingness to tarnish his reputation in the town. Guilt plays an important role in defining Dimmesdale as a tragic hero. Dimmesdale understood that by not revealing his sin, he condemned himself. This also ties into the constant struggle with Chillingworth. The mysteries of Dimmesdale's guilty heart inspire Chillingworth to delve into his soul and reveal what has been hidden, causing Dimmesdale great pain and suffering. His guilt takes over, leading him to inflict pain on himself while experiencing real and meaningful suffering. Guilt is not the only theme in the novel that helps characterize Dimmesdale as a tragic hero, but reputation and authority in the community also helps characterize him as a tragic hero. Arthur Dimmesdale enjoys great reputation and authority in his community, which furthers his downfall. The respect he had from his community makes them even more hurt when they see his decline. His excessive pride makes him ignorant for the most part, until the end, when everything goes downhill. He also made a life-changing decision: stay and face his guilt, or run from his mistakes. Arthur Dimmesdale, from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is an example of a tragic hero because of the downfall caused by his guilt and the need to maintain his authority in the city. Hawthorne uses dark diction and kinetic imagery to emphasize how Dimmesdale's guilt provokes him. experience ... middle of paper ... unwillingness to surrender, and must ask Hester to do it for him. This guilty language shows his desire for redemption, but how he cannot do it himself. He longs for a chance to right his wrongs, but his pride prevents him. His pride does not allow him to defame himself in the community and Hester must denounce him. Terrence Martin explains this by saying that “he cannot give up an identity that earns him the adulation of his parishioners and the respect and praise of his peers” (Martin 93). Martin explains how Dimmesdale cannot let his reputation in the town be tarnished, and how his pride prevents him from confessing his sin. He cannot bear to lose “the adulation of his parishioners, the respect and praise of his peers”. Dimmesdale's excessive pride in his authority in the town clouds his judgment and makes his downfall even more tragic..