While grief can be nearly unbearable, it's an emotion that reaffirms humanity. And this fact has not gone unnoticed to authors Nathaniel Hawthorne and Arthur Miller. In both, "The Scarlet Letter" and “The Crucible” there are several characters that suffer from guilt which originates from their respective personal issues. The consequences that are a result of the guilty conscience depends on the severity of conscience and the type of personality the character has. Some can overcome the negativity that their guilt conscience might force them to imply on their lives. However, some might be too hard on them and hurt themselves physically and emotionally. And then there are those who do not express their guilt as much, but deep inside, it is present and sometimes, they end up expressing that with their actions. John Proctor, Hester Prynne, Reverend Dimmesdale and Hale, Elizabeth Proctor and Roger Chillingworth are characters that make guilt an apparent theme in both the books. Guilt is an extremely powerful emotion. Some people let the burden crush them and cease them from making amends yet; there are others who come out even stronger and dignified than before. Hester Prynne and John characters are the two characters who wholly exemplify this. In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is shown as a guilty woman who committed adultery and as a result of that the authoritative figures punished her by giving her a badge with the letter “A” and she was isolated from the community in the hope that the badge would a reminder of her sin. Moreover, that she would feel remorse and guilt upon what she had done. Instead, Hester sees that she has a choice to control the meaning of the scarlet letter. Her refusal to stop wearing the letter proves that she does not feel guilty due to the badge; in fact she transforms the meaning of the scarlet letter from “adultery” to “able” through her good deeds and deserved redemption. “At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead. Madam Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me. But she, the naughty baggage, --little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown! Why, look you, she may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever!” (49, Nathaniel) Thus, Hawthorne describes how bravely Hester took upon the symbol of her sin rather than letting it take her life away from her. Hester does not let her guilt conscious control her life, she tries to rectify her mistake by focusing on making Pearl’s life better and moves on for good. Comparably, Arthur Miller shows some similar actions through John Proctor in “The Crucible”. John Proctor, a married man falls for the young Abigail and commits adultery. However, Proctor approaches his guilt differently, he tells