The Scarlet Letter (Vocab)

Theocracy

a system of government in which priests rule in the name of god

Morality

principles concerning the distinction of right and wrong or good and bad behavior

Shame

a painful emotion characterized by a sense of personal inadequacy, where one feels a deep-seated belief that something is fundamentally wrong with them, often stemming from perceived moral, social, or personal failures

Guilt

a painful emotion from feeling that you have done something wrong or violated a personal standard

Penance

a voluntary act of self-punishment to express regret and atone for a wrongdoing

Penitnece

the internal feeling of sorrow and remorse for a sin

Enigma

something mysterious, puzzling, or inexplicable

Paramour

a lover, especially the illicit partner of a married person.

Irrefragble

impossible to deny or repute

Ignominy

public shame or disgrace

Retrbution

the theme of revenge

Hypoicrite

a person who publicly pretends to have virtues and strict moral beliefs while secretly harboring hidden sins

Icongruities

the qualities of agreement, harmony, and suitability between different things

Zeal/zealous/zealot

overwhelming passion for something (tunnel vision)

Pillory

a wooden framework with holes for a person's head and hands, used to expose them to public scorn and humiliation as a form of punishment

Gothic

a style of fiction characterized by a dark, mysterious, and oppressive atmosphere, heightened psychological torment, and the exploration of themes like sin, guilt, and secrecy

Flagellation

flogging or beating, either as a religious discipline or for sexual gratification

Sumptuary

laws that regulate personal habits on moral or religious grounds

Comdemnation

the public and legal punishment, social shame, and moral judgment imposed by the Puritan community on Hester Prynne for her adultery

indolent

lazy or disinclined to work

efficacious

successful in producing a desired or intended effect; effective

adamant

someone who is unyielding and refuses to change their mind or opinion

vicissitude

change of ones mindnd

sepulchers

a small room or monument, cut in rock or built of stone, in which a dead person is laid or buried

etheralize

make or cause to seem ethereal or otherworldly. (mystical)

trammeled

deprive of freedom of action

countenance

facial expression or the general look of a person's face

superflous

unnecessary, especially through being more than enough. Extra fancy

allegory

a story where characters, objects, and events represent abstract ideas or moral lessons, with a literal plot that also serves a deeper symbolic meaning

parable

a simple moral story that illustrates a deeper truth or spiritual lesson

stigma(-tizing)

a mark of social disgrace or public shame that society, in this case the Puritan community, associates with a behavior or condition

incubi

evil spirits that desnced on a sleeping person

poppet

a doll

gibbet

gallows