Essay Archive - The Scarlet Letter: The Scaffold
The Scarlet Letter: The Scaffold
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is characterized by
three major events that occur on the town scaffold. What takes place on
this platform will determine the path which the three main characters,
Hester Prynne, Mr. Dimmsdale, and their daughter Pearl will follow. The
three scenes mark the beginning, middle, and end of their ignominy.
The scaffold is a platform where criminals are punished before all
the townspeople. In this case, the criminal is Hester Prynne and the crowd
has gathered to witness her shame. The first scene at the ominous platform
is Hester's first public ....
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