Summary The novel opens with Hester, the protagonist, being led to the gallows where she will be publicly shamed for committing adultery. Hester is forced to always wear the letter "A" on her dress. Hester brings Pearl, her daughter, with her. While in public, she recognizes her husband from Amsterdam, Roger Chillingworth, the antagonist. Chillingworth visits Hester after she is returned to prison. He tells her that he will find out who the man was. He then forces her to promise never to reveal her true identity. Hester moves to a cottage on the edge of the woods. She and Pearl live there in solitude. Roger Chillingworth earns a reputation as a good doctor. He uses his reputation to enter the same house as Arthur Dimmesdale, a minister. Chillingworth eventually discovers that Dimmesdale is Pearl's real father, at which point he spends every moment trying to make the minister suffer. Hester realizes that Chillingworth is slowly killing Dimmesdale and that she must help him. A few weeks later Hester sees Chillingworth gathering herbs in the woods. She tells him that she will reveal to Dimmesdale the fact that he is her husband. He tells her that she can do as she sees fit. Hester takes Pearl into the woods where they await Dimmesdale's arrival. He comforts Dimmesdale because he wants to be friends and tells him Chillingworth's true identity. He is angry, but convinces him that they should run away together. Hester finds a ship that will carry all three of them, and learns that the ship is scheduled to sail the day after Dimmesdale delivers his election sermon. However, during the day of the sermon, Chillingworth convinces the ship's captain to agree to take him on board as well. After Dimmesdale delivers his sermon, he unexpectedly approaches the scaffold and stands on it. Dimmesdale calls Hester and Pearl to come to him. Chillingworth tries to stop him, but Dimmesdale laughs and tells him he can't win. Hester and Pearl join Dimmesdale on the scaffold. Dimmesdale then tells the people that he too is a sinner like Hester and that he should have taken his rightful place at her side more than seven years ago. He then tears off his shirt to reveal a scarlet letter on his flesh. Dimmesdale falls to his knees and dies while on the gallows.