Hester wants to ask Chillingworth to tell Dimmesdale his identity as Hester's wife. When she does this it becomes clear to Chillingworth that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl, and clear to Hester that Chillingworth had suspected that.
We notice a change in Chillingworth. He has become the root of all evil, and acts like a madman. He believes he lost his "human heart" and is no longer human at all. If he were to tell Dimmesdale that he and Hester were married, it would make him human again. He would no longer be the Black Man, torturing, and taunting the damned.
It seems that Hester's hardship has been given to Chillingworth as his own fuel of evil. She has changed into a saint, and Chillingworth to total evil. We can relate this back to the 'deal with the devil' they made in the beginning of the book. This is its outcome.
Danny - nice insights here. Hester the sinner becomes saint; Chillingworth the wronged husband becomes devil. One regains their soul, while the other losses it. Is this over the idea of forgiving or over the idea of revenge, or the idea of truth?
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