Essay Example on The Scarlet Letter Adultery and Punishment of Hester Prynne by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The town recognizes the good of her heart and changes their perspective. Before the town focused on the wrongful sin as opposed to the truth and beauty of the love that Dimmesdale and Hester shared. All the hateful opinions seemed to dissipate with time and Hester was later appreciated. A true case of public humiliation was forced upon a Boston seafaring man who profaned the Sabbath. Captain Kemble publicly kissed his wife when he returned home on a Sunday after being at sea for three years sentencing him to several hours of public humiliation in the stocks Cox.

 Something as small as a missing church and showing affection to a loved one after not seeing him or her for three years earned hours of public humiliation. One of the most prominent crimes in the sixteenth century was witchcraft. Countless women like Miss Hibbins were accused of witchcraft often leading to execution. This witchcraft was especially unacceptable in the Puritan religion due to the very high regards for God. From Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God the minister scolds the Puritans for not being worthy of God's grace. The minister condemned the churchgoers to hell just for action so small as forgetting to pray. Imagine the minister's reaction to the witchcraft that rejected God and promoted black magic. Whether the death be hanging or even burning at the stake the executions were often gruesome. Miss Hibbins often made disturbing comments to many people and also invited them to witch parties in the forest. It was inevitable that she get caught and hung for the witchcraft.