preview

How Is Heathcliff A Villain

Good Essays

Heathcliff is an intricate character in the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. He is a sullen, bad-tempered character, who expresses his own sorrow through the suffering and pain of others. His violent actions towards others, along with his passionate love for Catherine show the qualities of both the villain and the hero, which is what makes Heathcliff such a distinct and complex character. In this novel Wuthering Heights, the readers are witness the turmoil of feelings of betrayal, revenge, and love through Heathcliff’s despondent and violent character. From the beginning of the novel, Heathcliff is an extremely gloomy and vicious character. His mistreatment from Hindley hardens him when he has to endure “Hindley’s blows without winking …show more content…

His day and life naturally becomes brighter whenever he is with Catherine and she positively affects his gloomy behavior. However, Catherine’s betrayal changes him entirely for the worse and causes him to leave Wuthering Heights with only thoughts of revenge. When he returns, Heathcliff wants Catherine to “be aware that he knows Catherine has treated him infernally - infernally” (112). All the pent up feelings Heathcliff had when he left Wuthering Heights explodes when he states “You teach me now how cruel you’ve been - cruel and false. Why did you despise me? Why did you betray your own heart, Cathy?” (159). He yells indignantly how Catherine deserves everything that is happening to her because she caused him the exact pain in the past. He leads on Isabelle, Edgar’s sister, to express all of the hate and betrayal he felt all those years. When …show more content…

Heathcliff states how “two words would comprehend [his] future – death and hell: existence, after losing her, would be hell” (148). This quote shows how Heathcliff still treasures the relationship he has with Catherine, despite her marriage to Edgar. Despite the horrible treatment he has been giving Catherine, Heathcliff knows how precious Catherine is and how his life has no meaning without her in his life. He now understands how “[he] was a fool to fancy for a moment that she valued Edgar Linton's attachment more than [his own]” (148). Edgar could never love Catherine as much in eighty years as Heathcliff could in a single day. Before Catherine passes away while giving birth, she passionately states how they “may bury [her] twelve feet deep, and throw the church down over [her], but [she] won't rest till [Heathcliff is] with [her]” (125). This depicts a spiritual connection between Heathcliff and Catherine and that Catherine will never be satisfied until Heathcliff lies beside her in eternal sleep. When Catherine finally dies, he cries out for Catherine “to [wander] the earth” and to “not leave [him] in this abyss, where [cannot] find [her]” (165). This depicts how Heathcliff and Catherine are bound together and that all these complications are mere obstacles for their uncontrollable love. He cries out painfully, “I cannot live without my life! I

Get Access