Wackford Squeers

Wackford Squeers is the secondary antagonist of Charles Dickens' novel Nicholas Nickelby.

Role in the book
Wackford Squeers is a cruel, one-eyed, Yorkshire "schoolmaster". He runs Dotheboys Hall, a boarding school for unwanted children. He mistreats the boys horribly, starving them and beating them regularly. He gets his comeuppance at the hands of Nicholas when he is beaten in retaliation for the whipping of Smike. He travels to London after he recovers, and partakes in more bad business, fulfilling his grudge against Nicholas by becoming a close partner in Ralph's schemes to fake Smike's parentage and later to obfuscate the will that would make Madeline Bray an heiress. He is arrested during the last of these tasks and sentenced to be transported to Australia.

Role in the film
In the 2002 film adaptation, Squeers is played by Jim Broadbent, who also played Lord Kevlin and Madame Gasket.