Heathcliff The Byronic Hero in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

One of the most dramatic scenes in the book is the death of Catherine. The first signs of her failing health physically and mentally come when she locks herself up in her room after Heathcliff and Edgar's fight. She fasts herself into a delirium, pulling out pillow stuffing and seeing faces in the mirror. Unlike ordinary death, which comes quick and painlessly, Catherine's slowly wastes her away into a ghost. About seven months later, she dies at childbirth, but returning to haunt Heathcliff. The main cause for Catherine's death is not childbirth, although it may have been the final contributor. Ironically, because of the spiritual link between Heathcliff and her, it is their separation that killed her. Brontë punishes the sinned by slow death, having the guilty put the wrath upon themselves. She also brings in the supernatural to prove that even at death, there is no peace. The precise description of the moments before Catherine's death emotionally charges and further involves the reader. Like Catherine, Heathcliff dies in a similar fashion, except his sufferings prior to death lasted eighteen years. He explains to Nelly, "What does not recall her [Catherine]? Those two [Catherine Linton and Linton Heathcliff] are the only objects which retain a distinct material appearance to me; and, that appearance causes me pain, amounting to agony." This is consistent because he has sinned the most of all

His demeanor when Catherine dies completely changes and the reader learns that he was madly, madly in love with her. His love for Catherine changed his mental state; he no longer thought rationally. Rationally, if Heathcliff loved Catherine, he would wish her to be at peace, because loving someone means wishing them to be happy; however, because he was so greedy with what little love he did receive that Heathcliff wished Catherine to be forever stuck on the earth haunting him and “driving him mad”. Nelly then describes Heathcliff as a “savage beast” who was physically hurting himself for Catherine. None of these traits mark Heathcliff as a level headed being; a trait that could be predicted when he married Isabella and made her life terrible for the sole purpose of upsetting Catherine and Edgar. This insanity only becomes more prevalent after Catherine dies, when he raises Haerton as a farmhand and imprisons young Catherine and Nelly at Wuthering Heights when her father was

As a consequence of Heathcliff's visit to the Grange, Edgar's sister Isabella falls in love with him, and her feelings seem to be sincere. In this one-sided love affair Heathcliff takes advantage of the innocent girl's infatuation to foster his obsession for revenge. (Isabella is her brother's heir). Catherine's reaction is very hard to interpret. It is natural that she is jealous, if she still feels the same for him as before, and that may be the reason why she dissuades Isabella from marrying Heathcliff. But the words she uses, telling her what an abominable creature Heathcliff is, are not the sort you expect to hear from someone talking of a sweetheart. Later on when her husband and Heathcliff are having a quarrel, she stops Edgar from hurting her friend . There is an excess of emotion, and her explanation to this behaviour is that she wants them both, Edgar and Heathcliff: "Well, if I cannot keep Heathcliff for my friend - if Edgar will be mean and jealous, I'll try to break their hearts by breaking my own" (109).Her love for Heathcliff has not cooled down, instead it seems to be a stronger obsession than ever considering the torments she goes through, when she becomes seriously ill.The last time Catherine and Heathcliff see each other is a very heart-rending meeting. Their love for each other is as strong as ever, and Heathcliff

Heathcliff is abused; his only source of love is his dearest Catherine, yet even that love cannot thrive in Heathcliff’s environment. The problem is not that his love is unrequited, but rather that Catherine believes she would fall to ruin if she were to be with Heathcliff “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him---because he's more

When Hindley abruptly terminates Heathcliff’s education, and forces him to labor in the fields Catherine acts as Heathcliff’s only escape from the cruelty of his brother; however, when Hindley separates Catherine and Heathcliff for a period of five weeks, Catherine grows distant from Heathcliff and falls in love with Edgar Linton and his

In addition, remaining persistent taking over everything that belongs to Edgar. Heathcliff throughout the novel exemplified that for him, revenge was an extensively more influential emotion than love. Ultimately, leads to why Heathcliff does not forgive Catherine for marrying Edgar. Although he does make it known that he loves Catherine and desires to be with her, he seems to show no remorse constantly attempting to ruin the life of her daughter; Cathy. Heathcliff is viewed a villainous figure as a result of his obsession with revenge, becoming more violent as the plot progresses. Frequently, Heathcliff comes across as a very violent character, uttering various threats and his violent acts. He illustrates that he lacks pity and sympathy when he hangs his wife and Isabella’s dog; thus, demonstrating one of his violent acts and validating the aspect of him as a villainous figure. Although Heathcliff basically engages in war among the two households, he would never harm Catherine as his love for her is immense. His love for Catherine reveals that he does truly have a sympathetic side in the mist of his villainous figure.

Surprisingly, Heathcliff is absent for three years from Wuthering Heights. During that time he mysteriously obtains wealth and returns triumphantly. However, at the time of his return Catherine is already married to Edgar Linton. Heathcliff would spend the rest of his life tortured by his separation from Catherine. He becomes so obsessed that he would roam around Thrushcross Grange for days hoping to take her back or take revenge for what she has done to him. Even the day she dies, he is already so mentally deranged that he tries to unearth her body. At that moment, he feels for the first time a "sigh" that he believes to be Catherine's spirit, a presence that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Years later, he reveals to Nelly the terrible situation in which he has been living ever since. He says "she has disturbed me, night and day, through eighteen years - incessantly -remorselessly" (Bronte 211).  It seems that the spell is set on her deathbed when she tells him that she would haunt him for the rest of his life. At that moment Heathcliff forecasts his fate when he says:

In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Heathcliff’s strong love for Catherine guides his transformation as a character. While Heathcliff enters the story as an innocent child, the abuse he receives at a young age and his heartbreak at Catherine’s choice to marry Edgar Linton bring about a change within him. Heathcliff’s adulthood is consequently marked by jealousy and greed due to his separation from Catherine, along with manipulation and a deep desire to seek revenge on Edgar. Although Heathcliff uses deceit and manipulation to his advantage throughout the novel, he is never entirely content in his current situation. As Heathcliff attempts to revenge Edgar Linton, he does not gain true fulfillment. Throughout Wuthering Heights, Brontë uses Heathcliff’s vengeful actions to convey the message that manipulative and revenge-seeking behaviors will not bring a person satisfaction.

Catherine then states that it would be degrading for her to marry Heathcliff to Nelly Dean (King). After being confronted with Catherine’s rejection of him, Heathcliff’s devotion turned into obsession, where every action he took was tied to Catherine. He continually changed his ways to fit Catherine’s societal expectations. When Heathcliff disappeared from Wuthering Heights, he attempted to neaten his appearance; he even tried to become wealthy and gentlemanly enough to befit Catherine’s status

Catherine could not have married Heathcliff because of his social standing. They both knew that they could not have married but they still loved each other till the day they died. Both characters married later on in their lifetime, Catherine married Edgar Linton and Heathcliff married Edgar’s sister Isabella. Edgar is the reason him and Catherine became so distant, and this irritated him. After Heathcliff came back after his trip, he came back different.

He is dirty, absent and careless, almost depressed since catherine left. This strengthens the fact that they are each other's true love, even soul mates. If heathcliff did not had any feelings towards catherine he will not be so depressed and uncared for.

Furthermore, when Heathcliff returns, Catherine should take no interest in trying to rekindle her feelings for him as Edgar had been putting in effort to make their marriage work 'Mr. Edgar had a deep-rooted fear of ruffling her humour' Up until this scene the couples were getting along and if Catherine had concealed her zealous behaviour towards Heathcliff then the calm atmosphere would have remained. Catherine rudely ignores her husband's presence to the extent that he demands the disrespectful behaviour to be stopped and a decision made 'Will you give up Heathcliff hereafter, or will you giver up me? It is impossible for you to be my friend and his at the same time…' Indeed, Edgar is right to put Catherine's in this difficult situation because any other typical husband at the time would have been less patient with Catherine or banned Heathcliff from the house at an earlier stage. Catherine struggles because the two men in her life represent two types if world and she cannot have both at the same time.

Wuthering Heights is a novel which deviates from the standard of Victorian literature. The novels of the Victorian Era were often works of social criticism. They generally had a moral purpose and promoted ideals of love and brotherhood. Wuthering Heights is more of a Victorian Gothic novel; it contains passion, violence, and supernatural elements (Mitchell 119). The world of Wuthering Heights seems to be a world without morals. In Wuthering Heights, Brontë does not idealize love; she presents it realistically, with all its faults and merits. She shows that love is a powerful force which can be destructive or redemptive. Heathcliff has an all-consuming passion for Catherine. When she chooses to marry Edgar, his spurned love turns into a

You have killed yourself. Yes, you may kiss me, and cry, and wring out my kisses and tears; they'll blight you—they'll damn you. You loved me—then what right had you to leave me?” (Brontë) Obsession can be an advantageous trait to have, but in Heathcliff's scenario, the obsession with Catherine can be frightening at times. Before Catherine and Edgar were engaged, Heathcliff and Catherine were best friends.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte was published in 1847 and received many contradictory judgements. One main judgement that criticized the novel was how multiple characters can have a change in characterization depending on the reader. Many of the novel's characters, such as Heathcliff, possess positive values, but readers tend to focus on their negative qualities which allows these characters to change. Growing up poor and homeless, Heathcliff’s character changes many times throughout the novel as he grows older and possess negative qualities towards other characters. Later residing as an old, lonely master, Heathcliff’s change in character at the end of Wuthering Heights signifies that he has gone mad and leads to intentions that Heathcliff has not committed suicide, but lost all will after all he has been through.