Final answer:
The magistracy's main goal with Hester Prynne's punishment is public humiliation and ostracism, as shown by the enforced wearing of the scarlet letter 'A' to publicly label and shame her.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main goal of the magistracy with respect to the punishment delivered to Hester Prynne for her crime in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is best described as a) Public humiliation and ostracism.
In the novel, Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A' on her chest as a symbol of her adultery, which serves to publicly label her and subject her to ongoing scorn and contempt by the community. The punishment is specifically designed to shame Hester, making her example a warning to others, which aligns with historical uses of public shaming as a means of social control.