Heathcliff the Byronic Hero Essay - 1333 Words

When one starts reading Wuthering heights I’m sure they think to themselves that the book will be just another romantic novel. They wait for Heathcliff to come around the whole story, and for him and Catherine to end up together, but it doesn’t happen. This causes Heathcliff to get progressively, more and more alienated by the people around him. He only wants what he can’t have and this is why he is referred to as a Byronic Hero. It is my intention to prove Heathcliff as a Byronic Hero by classifying him under the six attributes of the archetype. The first major sign of a Byronic Hero is he is often alienated from humanity. In the beginning of the story Heathcliff is adopted by Earnshaw. Earnshaw eventually ends up loving Heathcliff†¦show more content†¦When Hindley takes over Wuthering Heights he basically turns Heathcliff into a poor slave that wasn’t aloud an education. This classification is one of the main reasons that Catherine choose to marry Edgar instead. After she married she soon became pregnant. She gets very sick and 2 hours after the baby is born, Catherine dies. This is when Catherine truly becomes a forbidden love. Heathcliff is so devastated by her death that he shouts â€Å"Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest, as long as I am living! You said I killed you – haunt me then! The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe – I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always – take any form – drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I ca nnot find you! Oh god! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!† Threw out the story you will see that Heathcliff has a very unhealthy passion; this is the next attribute of a Byronic Hero. This unhealthy passion is driven by revenge. As you read the book it seems that Revenge is the only thing that keeps Heathcliff going. Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights filthy rich after running away for 3 years when Catherine married Edgar. He uses some of his money to loan to Hindley’s gambling problem so that Hindley will become even more engulfed into debt. Heathcliff also wanted to seek revenge against Edgar for obvious reasons. So heShow MoreRelatedHeathcliff As A Byronic Hero1104 Words   |  5 Pages A â€Å"Byronic hero† is a character who inherits the traits of being rebellious, anti-social, and presumptuous. The term originates from an English poet, Lord Byron. In the novel, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Heathcliff is the protagonist who displays the several qualities of a Byronic hero. Heathcliff suffering such a harsh childhood is one of the reasons he is so rebellious and vengeful towards some of the characters. His past of being abandoned leads him to have no empathy or emotion, whichRead More Heathcliff as Byronic Hero of Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights789 Words   |  4 PagesHeathcliff as Byronic Hero of Wuthering Heights      Ã‚   It is difficult if not impossible to find a character in Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights that is 100% convincing as the hero -- until one applies the qualities of the Byronic hero.   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When considering Wuthering Heights Heathcliff immediately jumps to mind as the villainous character.   Upon his return he wickedly orchestrates Hindleys economic demise and takes control of the Heights.   He attempts to win Catherine, now a marriedRead MoreHeathcliff The Byronic Hero in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte1337 Words   |  6 PagesHeathcliff The Byronic Hero in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte When one starts reading Wuthering heights I’m sure they think to themselves that the book will be just another romantic novel. 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The challenges, which the character undergoes, allows the reader to appreciate the character due to their bravery, courage, and their willingness to sacrifice. In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontà «, many readers are able to view Heathcliff as a hero, but how? Heathcliff is not a traditional hero. In fact, the term Byronic heroRead More Wuthering Heights- Is Heathcliff a man or a devil? Essay1712 Words   |  7 PagesHeights- Is Heathcliff a man or a devil? Wuthering Heights was written by Emily Brontà « and was first published in 1847, it was written during the romantic period, it is a story of love, lust and sorrow all held together by extreme passion, love and hate. One of the main characters in the book Wuthering Heights is Heathcliff, he was a orphan who lived in Liverpool, we find very little about Heathcliffs past before he is adopted by the Earnshaws, which makes Heathcliff a mysteriousRead MoreAnalysis Of Emily Bronte s Wuthering Heights And Frankenstein 789 Words   |  4 PagesCreature and Heathcliff, there is a revealing of a great similarity. Due to these items, each are categorized as the Byronic hero, which is the center of the similarity, along with love. Each character has an unknown identity. Heathcliff is brought in as an orphan child from Liverpool. No one knows his first name, last name, age, birthday, or parents. On page 36 of Wuthering Heights, it says, â€Å"Not a soul knew to whom it belonged†¦he would not leave it as he found it†, talking about Heathcliff. As theRead MoreComparing Emily Brontà «s Wuthering Heights to Mary Shelleys Frankenstein911 Words   |  4 Pagesgothic Genre. A great deal of gloom and horror, terror, fear, and high emotions are felt while viewing each film. As in any film a hero plays a large role in establishing the many elements of a particular genre. In both films there is not so much a hero as there is a Byronic Hero. In Emily Bront#235;s Wuthering Heights the character Heathcliff is the Byronic hero through such traits as being emotionally destructive. This is shown through his actions towards Isabella. He leads her to believe thatRead MoreThe Romantic Era Of Emily Bronte s Wuthering Heights2095 Words   |  9 Pagesincludes shorter narratives by the housekeeper Ellen Dean. All of those narratives concern the impact of Heathcliff, the foundling, on the two families of Earnshaw and Linton in a remote district of Yorkshire by the end of the eighteenth century. Indignant by the abuse and the marriage of Catherine Earnshaw, whom he loves, to the prosperous Edgar Linton, Heathcliff decides to take revenge. Heathcliff fails to be unleashed from his love-hate relationship with Catherine, after her death in childbirth.Read MoreThe Romant ic Era Of Emily Bronte s Wuthering Heights2154 Words   |  9 Pagesincludes shorter narratives by the housekeeper Ellen Dean. All of those narratives concern the impact of Heathcliff, the foundling, on the two families of Earnshaw and Linton in a remote district of Yorkshire by the end of the eighteenth century. Indignant by the abuse and the marriage of Catherine Earnshaw, whom he loves, to the prosperous Edgar Linton, Heathcliff decides to take revenge. Heathcliff fails to be unleashed from his love-hate relationship with Catherine, after her death in childbirth.