Heathcliff is the main antagonist of the second half of the 1847 novel Wuthering Heights by the late Emily Brontë. Many speculate that Heathcliff is a dark personification of the author herself. Heathcliff could be counted as the hero during the first half of the book, but after his lover Cathy dies, he grows bitter and seeks revenge on Cathy's widower Edgar Linton and her daughter and namesake Catherine Linton.
His Evil Ranking[]
What Makes Him Heinous?[]
- He's guilty of abuse, murder, adultery, blackmail, kidnapping, graverobbing and animal cruelty.
- He's a complete sociopath with no empathy and only with negative feelings.
- He's obsessed with Catherine, and indeed seeks revenge not just on his adoptive brother who mistreated him, but on everyone he sees as a hindrance between him and her.
- He never regrets the very evil deeds he does.
- He's happy that his adoptive brother has become an alcoholic and depressed when his wife died so he can take revenge on him more easily, taking advantage of the man's weakness.
- He tortures and manipulates Linton, the kid he had with Isabella.
- He marries Isabella for revenge on Catherine and Edgar.
- He sadistically kills Isabella's dog.
- He's not all that sad when Linton dies, as now he's the master of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.
- He kidnaps Cathy to force her to marry Linton (so he will satisfy his ultimate plan).
- In the end, he confesses to stop committing evil deeds not because he wants to redeem himself, but because he's too tired and depressed.
What Makes Him Inconsistent?[]
- Although in an unhealthy, insane and obsessive way, he genuinely cared about Catherine. Unfortunately, said obsessive love was what moved him throughout the story, and what made him commit the terrible deeds he did.
- His past where he was abused by his adoptive brother is very tragic.
- He sometimes borders on affably evil, as he isn't incapable of acting polite.
Trivia[]
- He's the fourth oldest Inconsistently Heinous, the first being Demeter, the second ones being the Bogeyman and the Grim Reaper and the third being Frankenstein's Monster. He's also the second oldest Book Inconsistently Heinous.
- He's also one of the two only Inconsistently Heinous from the 19th century (alongside Frankenstein's Monster).
- He's so far the only Emily Brontë's Inconsistently Heinous, making him the only Inconsistently Heinous in Wuthering Heights.
External Links[]
- Heathcliff on the Villains Wiki