Heathcliff as a Byronic Hero
A Byronic hero is defined by Thomas B. Macaulay according to The Oxford Companion to English Literature (Oxford University Press, New York, 1985) as “proud, moody, cynical, with defiance on his brow, and misery in his heart ... implacable in revenge, yet capable of deep and strong affection.” This definition fits the main character Heathcliff in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”. Heathcliff is also a man who has sinned in his life, a man who lives to find revenge, and, yet, a man who the reader is (at times) capable of feeling sorry for. For these reasons, Heathcliff is a perfect example of a Byronic hero. One finds themselves feeling sorry for Heathcliff from the beginning of the book. Heathcliff arrives at Wuthering Heights as a boy after having been orphaned. Immediately the young gypsy finds himself being picked on by Hindley, who feels like he is competing with Heathcliff for his father’s attention. From the very beginning, how
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Approximate Word count = 638
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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