sees people from the town's council board as well as people he'd seen in church every Sunday. He sees a number of other people, even the most "grave, reputable, and pious people" of the village. In addition to the pious people, Brown sees disreputable people. There at the gathering was a combination of the good and the wicked:

It was strange to see that the good shrank not from the wicked, nor were the sinners abashed by the saints.

The gathering formed to participate in some sort of Black Mass or Devil worship. One of the purposes of the gathering was also to convert Faith and Brown:

And there they stood, the only pair, as it seemed, who were yet hesitating on the verge of wickedness in this dark world.

Herein did the shape of evil dip his hand and prepare to lay the mark of baptism upon their foreheads, that they might be partakers of the mystery of sin, more conscious of the secret guilt of others, both in deed and thought, than they could now be of their own.

This was not just a test of Brown's will to resist evil. It gave him a chance to see that all people are capable of both good and evil. This is something Brown would not be able to accept.

It is the devil that Goodman Brown meets in the forest. The devil is characterized as looking like an older version of Brown himself "perhaps more in expression than features." He greets Brown familiarly and has, in fact, been expecting him.

The devil is dressed in much the same manner as Brown, and the narrator observes that "he had an indescribable air of one who knew the world," implying that he understood humanity's dark, inner inclinations. He attempts to make Brown feel more comfortable in his presence by claiming that he had been well-acquainted with his father and grandfather as well as eminent men of the colony, including deacons, selectmen, magistrates, and the governor.

As they walk along together, the devil works to convince Brown that he has many converts among the Puritan community, including Brown's catechism teacher. The devil's arguments are effortless and continuous as they walk along, and he exhorts Brown to quicken his pace and to "persevere in the path."

Overall, the devil is characterized as all-knowing, persuasive, and self-assured.

It would appear that Goodman Brown's entire community attends the devil's communion in the forest. However, at one point, Deacon Gookin mentions other attendees will be coming from Falmouth, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, as well as from some Indian tribes, suggesting the devil's party is larger than Goodman Brown could have ever imagined.

Goodman Brown is most shocked to see the most pious members of his community at the ceremony. The first he sees is Goody Cloyse, the elderly woman who taught him his catechism when he was a small boy. She recognizes the devil and then speaks of her broomstick going missing. This all suggests a long acquaintance with the devil, which surprises Goodman Brown. While at first this encounter saddens Goodman Brown, he shakes off his despondency, deciding it does not matter if one old woman wants to damn her own soul.

Unfortunately, Goodman Brown sees more people he loves and respects at the gathering. Deacon Gookin is present, as is the town minister. Goodman Brown also recognizes the voices of ordinary townspeople, both respectable and "ungodly," mingling with the gathered crowd. Worst of all is his realization of the presence of Faith. Altogether, this event makes Goodman Brown turn his back on his community, forever reviling the lot of them as hypocrites and sinners, even though this whole scenario might have been only a dream and not reality at all.