Who says 'Thou shalt forgive me'?

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This line centers on forgiveness and who is actively seeking it in a moment of moral tension. Hester Prynne, who bears the scarlet letter and the burden of public shame, is shown wrestling with how to repair the rupture her sin caused. She recognizes that real reconciliation will come only if Dimmesdale—whose moral authority and hidden guilt complicate the situation—allows and facilitates a public confession. By addressing him in this way, she signals her willingness to accept the consequences and to move toward redemption through shared confession. The other figures play different roles: Dimmesdale is tormented and carries his own need for forgiveness, Pearl questions and tests moral truth, and Chillingworth pursues vengeance rather than absolution. So the line fits Hester’s stance and situation best, highlighting her agency in seeking forgiveness and a path to communal grace.