Wuthering Heights

Roles

• Heathcliff - Adult (36-50), Male

About this piece

Heathcliff tells Nelly how Catherine's ghost has tormented him for the last 18 years..

Summary

The narrator of the story are Mr. Lockwood, a man who arrives in a manor in Yorkshire at the beginning of the story, and Nelly, a maid who has worked in the manor for many years and who tells Lockwood the story of the family who lived there, the Earnshaws, and the Lintons, their neighbours. The main focus of the story is the passionate and ill-fated love between Heathcliff, the dark skinned adopted son of the Earnshaws, and Catherine, the young daughter of Mr. Earnshaws. Catherine, because of class issues and so ends up marrying the rich and uptight neighbour Edgar Linton to Heathcliff's chagrin. Heathcliff wants revenge bad and, after leaving the family and coming back wealthy, goes after the Lintons and Catherine with a vengeance. He also marries Edgar's sister Isabella and has a son, Linton, that he treats like crap. Eventually Catherine dies after having given birth to young Catherine. Edgar dies as well eventually and Nelly nurses young Catherine. Eventually young Catherine and Linton become lovers as Heathcliff forces his son to seduce Catherine and make his vengeance complete. This monologue comes in chapter 29, right after Edgar's death. Young Catherine moves in with Heathcliff as both her parents are dead and Nelly asks Heathcliff for a job in order to stay close to Catherine. Surprising Nelly, Heathcliff confesses how his obsession for Catherine continued after her death. He tells her how he even tried to open the coffin where she was buried to get her in his arms again. Her ghost has tormented him for the last 18 years. He expresses his frustration of being able to feel her presence but never able to reach her...

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