The Scarlet Letter: Character Profiles

Hester Prynne: A woman of great strength and moral resilience, she bears her public shaming with humility and grit after committing adultery in the deeply Puritanical society of 17th-century Boston.
Pearl: Hester’s illegitimate child, Pearl is a living reminder of her sin, a free-spirited and perceptive character, and symbol of transgression whose ignorance about her parents’ sin adds to story’s psychological tension.
Roger Chillingworth: Hester’s husband in disguise, who is a man twisted by revenge and rage against Dimmesdale, the man with whom his wife has had an affair, eventually causing a moral downfall.
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale: A young, renowned preacher tormented by guilt for his part in Hester’s sin, he struggles with his conscience, eventually leading to his public confession and death.
Governor Bellingham: The stern, powerful, and somewhat cold-hearted leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who sometimes lacks deep understanding of people’s emotional life and represents the authority of the political system.
Mistress Hibbins: A widowed sister of Governor Bellingham, notorious for her belief in witchcraft, providing a stark contrast to the Puritan society and an alternate voice of understanding of Hester’s sin.
Reverend Mr John Wilson: The eldest clergyman of Boston, he is a symbol of religious authority and believes in strict adherence to the society’s moral codes, rigorously calling for penitence from sinners.
The Narrator: An unnamed customs officer who discovers Hester’s story and narrates it with a sense of empathy, introspection, and critical commentary on Puritan society, adding a level of distance and analysis to the story.
Minor Characters: Various other characters in the narrative, like the townspeople, play crucial roles in reflecting and enforcing the norms and behaviours of the strict Puritan society.