Two classic themes in literature are hidden guilt and confessed guilt and in many cases the reader sees the effects of these on individuals. In the examination and exploration of The Scarlet Letter and Macbeth, the necessary comparison between the two is provided. The guilt in The Scarlet Letter is seen in the minds and outward appearance of each main character, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. In Macbeth, readers see obvious guilt in the main character, Macbeth. When we do wrong, the common reaction is to hide it and pretend it didn't happen. Due to human conscience, it is difficult to completely forget wrongdoing. Through our consciousness, guilt builds and, eventually, this guilt breaks down enough barriers and in turn causes the perpetrator to admit their wrongdoing. Hester Prynne has a rather unconventional approach to her "sin." She is not ashamed of her wrong and therefore does not feel guilt as others do in The Scarlet Letter. She is marked with a capital “A” for her sin of adultery and accepts it by embroidering the letter. "And I never had ...