Wuthering Heights: Is Heathcliff A Hero Or Villain?

Heathcliff is a character defined by his sympathetic past. Growing up as an orphan from a tender age, deprived of a structured family and family support system, exposed to the negative influences life offered, it is almost a certainty that his behaviour will not be that of an ideal gentleman.

A morally ambiguous character is a character who is conflicted and uncertain in which course of action to ethically take during specific situations. In Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, the character Heathcliff is the most morally ambiguous character in the novel. Raised in in an environment where he was psychologically and physically deteriorated, his motives and actions appear justifiable. His environment, motives, and actions showcase Heathcliff’s moral ambiguity.

Heathcliff never shows remorse for his actions, and instead becomes empty and swells with the soul of Catherine. He does eventually find less pleasure in punishing Cathy and Hareton, but he never apologizes. Frankenstein's monster feels so ashamed that he vows to commit suicide, while Heathcliff's death is from the soul of whom he once loved, as revenge consumed him completely. Heathcliff, in the end, wholly believes that the actions he has taken, from hanging the dog of his wife to kidnapping and imprisoning children, are not

The novel of Wuthering Heights involves passion, romance, and turmoil but most significantly carries cruelty as an overarching theme. Cruelty is apparent throughout the work most importantly when dealing with relationships between Heathcliff and Hindley, Heathcliff and Hareton, and even the emotional cruelty between Heathcliff and Catherine.

An example of a “good” people would be, a well respected family in town with the last name Nurse. Both Rebecca and Francis Nurse were kind hearted citizens who always gave a helping hand to other people in the village. Not one bad thing circled around their name. In the end of the play, Rebecca Nurse was accused of witchcraft and because of the goodness of her heart and love for God, did not falsely confess to the acts of witchcraft. She was portrayed as a good hearted character throughout the entire play. On the other hand, Reverend Parris was considered to be one of the “evil” characters for the main reason that he was a man concerned with his position and reputation in the community. Those in a position of power, were greatly interested in perpetuating the power of the court and the church. Parris refused to listen to any opposing views even though he knew that falsely accusing folks of witchcraft was wrongful and unjust of him. The “grey” median between “good and evil” would be described as the character Proctor. He was also a well respected man in the town of Salem who committed the crime of adultery, causing himself damnation for “evil” doings. Although Proctor ends up blackening his name by confessing, he releases his sins and becomes “good” once again. As stated before, the difference between “good and evil” isn’t a black and white

The scholarly article “Sympathy For The Devil” by Lin Haire Sargeant was a very informative and persuasive article. This article focused on the evaluation of the movies of Wuthering Heights, and the differences between the characters, more specifically Heathcliff. It talked about how most of the movies made the viewer have “sympathy for the devil,” or sympathy for Heathcliff. In the first movie that was spoken about, the 1939 adaption, they portray Heathcliff not as the one who is sinning, but the one who has been sinned upon. She states that this movie almost makes it seem that Heathcliff is really a good guy, but he has just had a streak of bad luck. Her evaluation of Heathcliff in this matter is very persuasive, and since I have not seen any of the movies,

Through self-centered and narcissistic characters, Emily Bronte’s classic novel, “Wuthering Heights” illustrates a deliberate and poetic understanding of what greed is. Encouraged by love, fear, and revenge, Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff, and Linton Heathcliff all commit a sin called selfishness.

When Heathcliff returns three years later, his love for Catherine motivates him to enact revenge upon all those who separated him from her. Since he last saw Catherine, he has “fought through a bitter life”; he “struggled only for [her]” (Brontë 71). Nelly observes a “half-civilized ferocity” in Heathcliff’s brows (Brontë 70); she views him as “an evil beast…waiting his time to spring and destroy” (Brontë 79). Heathcliff’s obsessive love for Catherine becomes a menacing threat. Heathcliff reproaches Catherine because she “treated [him]

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.

As Heathcliff seeks his revenge, he becomes fiendish and is constantly associated with diabolical feelings, images and actions. The use of the imagery reinforces the inhuman aspect of Heathcliff. He regrets saving the infant Hareton. Nelly recalled that his face bore the greatest pain at he being the instrument that thwarted his own revenge. He takes perverse pleasure in the fact that Hareton was born with a sensitive nature, which Heathcliff has corrupted and degraded. Heathcliff's pleasure at this corruption is increased by the fact that-: "Hareton is damnably fond of me". Heathcliff's cruelty is also evident when he hangs Isabella's dog despite her protestations. His attitude is devoid of fatherly feeling. He sees him only as a pawn in his revenge and his main

Many authors use the setting of a novel to illuminate certain values and principles in their writing. In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte utilizes this technique to enhance the theme of the work. The novel is set in a harsh environment in Northern England, highlighting two specific estates, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, as the main places of action. The dreary landscape and houses not only serve as the primary setting, but also as major symbols that aide in establishing the tone and enhancing the novel's theme of good versus evil.

Novels often use the emotion of hate to create tension and distress in the plot. Wuthering Heights uses Heathcliff’s disdain for the other characters to add conflict to the story. Wuthering Heights examines the source of Heathcliff’s hate as well as its effects on the other characters throughout the story. Heathcliff’s relationships with other characters also suggests the universal theme that breeds hatred.

Bronte, The author of the Wuthering Heights, expresses many themes and morals in her book. The one most important in the Wuthering Heights is the theme of love and cruelty. The main characters, Catherine and Heathcliff, show these actions time and time again. They occur because of the other, much like the yin and the yang. Love leads to cruelty and cruelty leads to love. In Wuthering Heights, there are two different types of love shown: platonic and passionate. Both of these types of love lead to cruelty to other characters. As Heathcliff states boldly within the first few chapters of the novel, love’s cruelty survives even beyond death. “Cathy, do come. Oh do – once more! Oh! My heart’s darling; hear me this time, Catherine, at last!”

Cathy and Hindley alter him into a vicious, lonely master: ‘“The tyrant grinds down his slaves and they don’t turn against him, they crush those beneath them”’. This shows that Heathcliff will not take revenge on Cathy directly, but will hurt those who are close to her. This is because Cathy married Edgar Linton and said that it would degrade her if Heathcliff was her husband. In addition, he will take

Cathy Linton, speaking above, displays the ability to love someone even when they do not deserve it. She draws her greatest strengths from love and kindles a fire of hatred towards Heathcliff because she has fallen for Linton.