All 4 Uses of
martyr
in
The Scarlet Letter
- His son, too, inherited the persecuting spirit, and made himself so conspicuous in the martyrdom of the witches, that their blood may fairly be said to have left a stain upon him.†
Chpt Intr.
- Now, after he had won the crown of martyrdom (though with no longer a head to wear it on), the point might be looked upon as settled.†
Chpt Intr.
- Here, she said to herself had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment; and so, perchance, the torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost: more saint-like, because the result of martyrdom.
Chpt 5martyrdom = someone who suffers to uphold principles
- She was patient—a martyr, indeed but she forebore to pray for enemies, lest, in spite of her forgiving aspirations, the words of the blessing should stubbornly twist themselves into a curse.
Chpt 5 *
Definition:
-
(martyr) someone who dies or suffers to uphold principles -- especially someone killed for refusing to renounce their religion, or someone who commits a suicide death in the name of their religion
or:
someone who suffers a great deal
or (as a verb):
to kill someone or make them suffer in a manner that many would view as unjust