Despite the lack of a traditional hero in Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights, the character Heathcliff presents many of the qualities of a hero; however, his thirst for revenge marks him as a tragic hero.
One of the qualities that marks Heathcliff as a hero is his strength. When Heathcliff is first found, it is said that he was “starving, and houseless, and as good as dumb” (Brontë, 36). Despite being in such a sickly state, Heathcliff is able to withstand the household’s hate and Hindley Earnshaw’s physical abuse without “winking or shedding a tear” (Brontë, 37). Heathcliff’s ability to survive in the streets of Liverpool without any family or protection demonstrates a type of rugged determination and sense of survival. This resolve is
One of the qualities that marks Heathcliff as a hero is his strength. When Heathcliff is first found, it is said that he was “starving, and houseless, and as good as dumb” (Brontë, 36). Despite being in such a sickly state, Heathcliff is able to withstand the household’s hate and Hindley Earnshaw’s physical abuse without “winking or shedding a tear” (Brontë, 37). Heathcliff’s ability to survive in the streets of Liverpool without any family or protection demonstrates a type of rugged determination and sense of survival. This resolve is