The choices people are destined to make will not only affect themselves, but could also severely affect those close to them. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne shows the effects of the choices people make and how these can also affect those around you. Hester Prynne, the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter, is considered by many to be a tragic heroine; however, Hester herself is guilty of causing her own downfall, as well as that of Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester's life is changed forever after the choice she makes to break one of the fundamental laws of Puritan society. At that time, there was no separation of church and state in early Puritan society, breaking God's law also meant breaking state law. The law is stated in Exodus 20:14, “You shall not commit adultery,” is the basic law that Hester violates. The punishment as stated in Leviticus 20:10, "And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, the adulterer, and the adulteress shall be put to death," was not instituted due to the fact that Hester had become pregnant because of his adulterous relationship. His punishment was then changed to a scarlet letter "A" which he had to wear for the rest of his life and also stand on a gallows in front of the city for three hours a day. This is the beginning of Hester's downfall. Instead of being put to death, she must live her life in shame and raise a child who was conceived through a sin. On the first day of her punishment, she began a secret life by not revealing her father's name to anyone, not even the father himself. , Hester, even if you should step forward... middle of paper... Roger Chillingworth, I would become a leech to Dimmesdale. Psychologically torturing Dimmesdale for his guilt, Chillingworth attacks Dimmesdale's mind, making him believe that there is no way to escape his sin. After the psychological torture, Dimmesdale reaches his lowest point, being swallowed up by his sin with no escape. Hester's actions and those of her husband cause Dimmesdale's downfall, and the only way to escape Dimmesdale's suffering is death. People do not live as an end in themselves. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester and Dimmesdale's choice to have an adulterous affair is revealed to have far-reaching negative effects on their lives. Hester's life has changed from a normal Puritan woman to being ostracized and raising a child in vain. The effects of this on Dimmesdale brought him an unbearable shame that he could not live in peace until his confession.