A Byronic hero is defined by Thomas B. Macaulay according to The Oxford Companion to English Literature (Oxford University Press, New York, 1985) as “proud, moody, cynical, with defiance on his brow, and misery in his heart ... implacable in revenge, yet capable of deep and strong affection.” This definition fits the main character Heathcliff in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”. Heathcliff is also a man who has sinned in his life, a man who lives to …showed first 75 words of 604 total…

…showed last 75 words of 604 total…the pain he has experienced in his life. Thirdly, despite the faults that Heathcliff has in his character, the reader is able to sympathize with him, to a point. While in the second half of the book Heathcliff becomes increasingly cruel, to the point of inexcusability, during the first half his actions can frequently be dismissed as somewhat justifiable under the circumstances. For these three reasons, Heathcliff can be easily categorized as a Byronic hero.