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Emily Gudino

Ms.Gentry

AP Literature

06 January 2021

Revenge

In the novel Wuthering Heights, written by the English poet Emily Bronte, the lines are
loaded with depth contempt that induces revenge in many of the characters, especially
Heathcliff. Emily Bronte tells the story of two triangles of love that have taken place over two
decades between the same groups. The prism in which the second triangle of Hareton, Cathay,
and Linton is repeated becomes the first triangle of Heathcliff, Catherine, and Edgar. In the
souls of the three men, envy and self-proclaimed ownership haunts them intensively and drives
them to follow a hateful campaign of revenge against those who believe they have been
wronged.

Heathcliff chooses revenge to pardon. When Nelly keeps getting him out of his loneliness,
Heathcliff confides “I’m trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don’t care how long I
wait...I only knew the best way! Let me alone, and I’ll plan it out while I’m thinking of that, I
don’t feel pain” (Bronte 48). The one who causes his life most trouble, Heathcliff seeks revenge.
Heathcliff wants Hindley to endure the remainder of his life and he is not content with short-
lived revenge. He avoids watching his plan fold out like he wishes after years of frustration and
wishing for the suffering of others, Heathcliff hopes that Hindleys training would relieve his
pain. When Catherine picked her wealthy lover, Edgar, Heathcliff was violently hurt, Heathcliff
manipulated Edgars sister into falling in love with him. From his intense passion for Catherine
comes his revenge. He is cruel not out of cruelty, but because he lost his heart because of the
woman he loves. His behavior may be viewed at best immature, and at worst cruel, as
Heathcliff comes home determined to get vengeance for Catherines betrayal. Heathcliff's quest
for revenge never seems like it, but it becomes horrific over the years. After Catherines passing,
Heathcliff's revenge is less understandable after all, the woman to taunt and please is not alive
anymore.

Knowing his plan, Catherine exposes him to Nelly, “I know he couldn’t love a Linton; and

yet he’d be quite capable of marrying your fortune and expectations” (Bronte 81). Another
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reason for Heathcliff's revenge against the family, is the Lintons lack of sympathy. In chapter 6,

we are presented by the author that Heathcliff and Catherine ramble to the Thrushcross Grange

and peak the Lintons. He is cruel not out of cruelty, but because he lost his heart because of the

woman he loves. In Chapter 10 after Heathcliff returned from Gibberton, when Nelly told Linton

that Heathcliff had arrived, he expressed great disrespect to him. Heathcliff manages to avenge

himself against Hindley, who so degraded him that he could not dream about marrying

Catherine. All because of love and betrayal he suffered a lot mentally while being worried about

others pain instead of focusing on himself. When Heathcliff died he had already died of his

thirst for revenge. But that revenge is what keeps him alive in our hearts and makes him the

most memorable character of Brontes fictional work.