Question

What does dimmesdale’s willingness to stand in judgement of Hester say about his character ?

Answer 1

The fact that Dimmesdale was guilty of his own sins—and, in part, Hester's—is to be noted. You see, in spite of his transgressions, he was willing to stand in public judgement of Hester. Perhaps he felt that doing so would keep any attention away from himself, or maybe he did so out of desire to display the power which his revered position allotted him. Either way, Dimmesdale was parading around as some sort of saint, shaming Hester for her sins, when in reality, he was just as guilty as she was. This display shows that Dimmesdale is not only a hypocrite, but very concerned about other people's opinions—so concerned, in fact, that he is willing to compromise his integrity to earn people's respect. Dimmesdale shows that he is superficial through the choices he has made for acceptance. 

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