This whole chapter is a conversation between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale about guilt and confession. They strike up this conversation after seeing the herb growing on the grave. They concluded that this plant was there due to unconfessed sin. Then they talk about if sin should be kept a secret or told so that everyone could know and there was no more guilt. Dimmesdale stands up for people that keep their sins a secret because he knows he is doing the same thing. This is the chapter where Chillingworth finds out Dimmesdale's sin. He removes Dimmesdale's shirt and sees why he keeps his hand on his shirt, we assume this is a scarlet letter.
Passage
"After a brief pause, the physician turned away.
But with what a wild look of wonder, joy, and honor! With what a
ghastly rapture, as it were, too mighty to be expressed only by the eye and
features, and therefore bursting forth through the whole ugliness of his figure,
and making itself even riotously manifest by the extravagant gestures with which
he threw up his arms towards the ceiling, and stamped his foot upon the
floor!"
This is the passage where we see Chillingworth find out what Dimmesdale has done. This passage is talking about the scarlet letter that Dimmesdale wore beneath his clothes. He is owning up to what he has done in private and this shows his guilt.
Passage
"After a brief pause, the physician turned away.
But with what a wild look of wonder, joy, and honor! With what a
ghastly rapture, as it were, too mighty to be expressed only by the eye and
features, and therefore bursting forth through the whole ugliness of his figure,
and making itself even riotously manifest by the extravagant gestures with which
he threw up his arms towards the ceiling, and stamped his foot upon the
floor!"
This is the passage where we see Chillingworth find out what Dimmesdale has done. This passage is talking about the scarlet letter that Dimmesdale wore beneath his clothes. He is owning up to what he has done in private and this shows his guilt.
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