Reverend Dimmesdale wanted to be with Hester Prynne, but he was weak. Reverend Dimmesdale's flaw can be found in the fact that he chooses to value the public view above those of Hester Prynne, his love, and God, his master.
On the first scaffold scene the Reverend Dimmesdale is exhorted to make Hester Prynne tell the gathered crowd who the father is. When she refuses and instead tells him that she will bear his shame as well as her own Reverend Dimmesdale cries out, "She will not speak!" and places his hand, for the first time, over his heart. This gesture will reappear and grow in significance during the course of the novel. However, this is also the same gesture that Hester Prynne makes when remembering the scarlet letter upon her own bosom. Hawthorne brilliantly connects Hester Prynne's openly displayed shame with Reverend Dimmesdale's secret shame by having both characters touch the same spot where the scarlet letter is displayed. We see the same motion of weakness again when he comes forward, with his hand over his heart trying to hide his own scarlet letter which he feels on his breast, when the governor is talking about taking Pearl away form Hester Prynne. Reverend Dimmesdale finally gets into the permanent habit of placing his hand over his heart in pain. Roger Chillingworth as well places his hand over Reverend Dimmesdale's heart and then figures out that he is Pearl's father.
Hawthorne has created a forest to offer a sanctuary from the harshness of Puritan life. In the forest, many pivotal characters can bring forth hidden emotions and thoughts. The forest trail leads characters away from the Puritan settlement, and out into the dense and dark forest. This seems to be the only escape for the Puritans in the novel. This is the only place where the people can be free from Puritan law and code. It is here, in the forest that Reverend Dimmesdale can express his deep love for Hester Prynne and where she can do the same for him.