Tony Chapter 3 quote

"It behoves him well if he be still in life," responded the townsman. "Now, good Sir, our Massachusetts magistracy, bethinking themselves that this woman is youthful and fair, and doubtless was strongly tempted to her fall, and that, moreover, as is most likely, her husband may be at the bottom of the sea, they have not been bold to put in force the extremity of our righteous law against her. The penalty thereof is death. But in their great mercy and tenderness of heart they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand only a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory, and then and thereafter, for the remainder of her natural life to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom."

Chapter 3, 11th paragraph

This townsman gives his opinion about the severity of Hester Prynne's punishment for the sin she has committed. As we all know, Mistress Prynne got a scarlet letter "A" sewed onto her chest part of her dress to represent "Adultery". According to this townsman, a woman is normally to be executed for such crime, but for Prynne, the punishment seems to be much less severe. Reason being that her husband's whereabout is unknown and speculated as sunken along the ship he was on. Bring understanding that her husband may not exist in this world anymore, the punishment was decreased from death to life time shame. The death sentence for adultery in my opinion is way overboard. I think adultery is a very overrated sin to be made big deal out of. Scarlet letter, a life time shame, for adultery may well be the appropriate punishment for that era.