| “ | Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living; you said I killed you - haunt me, then! | „ |
| ~ Heathcliff |
Thrushcross Grange Heathcliff is the main antagonist of the 1847 novel Wuthering Heights by the late Emily Brontë. Many literary critics 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.
He has been portrayed by several actors over the years, including:
- The late Laurence Olivier - who also portrayed Christian Szell in Marathon Man, Shylock in the 1973 adaptation of The Merchant of Venice, and the title character in the 1955 adaptation of Richard III - in the 1939 film
- The late Richard Burton - who also portrayed O'Brien in the 1984 film adaptation of 1984 - in the 1958 film
- Timothy Dalton - who also portrayed Neville Sinclair in The Rocketeer, Rassilon in The End of Time, and Simon Skinner in Hot Fuzz - in the 1970 film
- Ralph Fiennes - who also portrayed Amon Goeth in Schindler's List, Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film series, Francis Dolarhyde in Red Dragon, Dennis "Spider" Cleg in Spider, James Moriarty in Holmes and Watson, Rameses in The Prince of Egypt, Victor Quartermaine in Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Harry Waters in In Bruges, Barry in Dolittle, Raiden the Moon King in Kubo and the Two Strings, Chef Julian Slowik in The Menu, and Hades in Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans - in the 1992 film
- Cliff Richard in the 1997 musical
- Tom Hardy - who also portrayed Shinzon in Star Trek: Nemesis, Charles Bronson in Bronson, Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, John Fitzgerald in The Revenant, and Venom in the Sony Marvel Universe - in the 2009 two part series
History[]
Early life[]
Heathcliff was discovered as an orphan on the streets of Liverpool by Mr. Earnshaw. When Mr. Earnshaw brought the boy into his family, Heathcliff and and Earnshaw's daughter Catherine developed a deep bond. After the death of Mr. Earnshaw, his son Hindley, who despises his adoptive brother, becomes master and forces Heathcliff to become a servant. When Heathcliff and Cathy went to Thrushcross Grange, home of Mr and Mrs Linton and their two children to spy, Cathy was bit on the leg by a dog and forced to stay at their house where she developed a friendship with Edgar Linton and his sister Isabella. Cathy began to spend less and less time with Heathcliff, which angered him. Edgar soon proposed to Cathy, and she accepted.
As she opens up to Nelly Dean, the housekeeper and our narrator, she reveals that while she loves Heathcliff, it would degrade her to marry him. Unbeknownst to her, Heathcliff is eavesdropping and takes off. However, Cathy then reveals to Nelly that her love for Linton is nothing compared to her love for Heathcliff, but Heathcliff is gone.
Cathy's Death[]
When Heathcliff returns three years after having run away, he finds that Cathy is happily married to Edgar Linton. Heathcliff lives with Hindley, who's an alcoholic since the death of his wife and birth of his son, Hareton. As Heathcliff and Cathy spend more and more time together, she discovers that Heathcliff is seducing Linton's sister Isabella, which she is enraged by. Heathcliff and Isabella elope and Heathcliff is banned from seeing Cathy again. It is here that Heathcliff shows his true colours as he beats poor Isabella. He manipulates Nelly to send a letter and arrange a meeting with Cathy who is pregnant. He distresses Cathy and she gives birth prematurely, which kills her. Struck with grief, he begs Cathy to haunt him as a ghost. Isabella runs away from him in fear, asking her brother to send her to London where she gives birth to a son, Linton. Hindley then dies, giving Heathcliff full control of Wuthering Heights.
Heathcliff's Adulthood[]
When Isabella dies, her son, Linton Heathcliff, is sent to live with his uncle Edgar. Linton and Cathy's daughter, who is also named Catherine, get along until Linton's father sends for him. Later on, when Catherine is 15 years old, she meets Heathcliff for the first time and sees Linton again. They begin to fall in love, and Heathcliff wants them to marry, but Catherine's father, Edgar, disapproves. They are banned from seeing each other until Heathcliff kidnaps Catherine and Nelly and forces her to marry his son, making Linton heir to Thrushcross Grange. Edgar is on the verge of death and Catherine escapes to be with her father again. When he dies, Heathcliff forces her and Nelly to be apart. Heathcliff then reveals to Nelly that he dug up Cathy's grave to look at her again. He also reveals that Cathy just as well did good on his request. Linton dies at 17, making Heathcliff owner of Thrushcross Grange. He rents it to a Mr. Lockwood who one night on a visit to Wuthering Heights is visited by the ghost of Cathy. Soon, Heathcliff neglects to eat and one night is found dead. Catherine then escapes with Hindley's son, Hareton.
Appearance[]
Heathcliff is described on many occasions as being a Roma, or Gypsy with dark eyes and hair. He dresses in rags at first but when he becomes rich he dresses as a gentleman. Heathcliff is also described as being broad shouldered and fierce.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Many have speculated he is Spanish having arrived on a ship from Spain, in the 1939 film a small reveal is that he is a love child between two wealthy Asian lovers. Which is said in the book as a way to boost his spirits.
- The treatment he shows to Hareton is similar to Hindley's treatment of himself.
- He is buried next to Cathy in coffins with the sides missing.