Thanks for Blogging

Over the past month in Advanced Placement English 12 ( the hardest class ever), we have read Hamlet and Wuthering Heights. To be honest, I did not really enjoy either of the works, but I can see why they are classics. For my blog this month I want to talk about a question that spurred a great debate in our class. Here is the question: Was (insert character here) a hero or a villain?
So the first step to answering the question is you need to define what a hero or villian is.

According to wiktionary a hero is:
1. A real or mythical person of great bravery who carries out extraordinary deeds
2. A role model
3. The main protagonist of a work of fiction
4. A champion
5. An unwilling sufferer of an of terrorism, a terminal disease, or another tragedy
 
According to the same source, a villain is:
1. A vile, wicked person
2. An extremely depraved person, or one capable or guilty of great crimes
3. A deliberate scoundrel
4. The bad person in a work of fiction; often the main antagonist of the hero

So now that we have established what a hero or villian is, it's time to decide Who's Who. We'll start off with Heathcliff, from Wuthering Heights. I was confused during Hamlet, so we will only look at Heathcliff.
Hero?
1. does not do great deeds, they may be out of the ordinary, but they don't make him brave or great
2.  Is Heathcliff a role model? Is Kyle a good listener? Would a drunk make a good baby sitter?
3. It is hard to tell if Wuthering Heights has a protagonist. We'll give Heathcliff this one.
4. Is Heathcliff a champion? Yeah, if you consider a life of revenge and hatred, culminating by dying while having nearly everyone hating you, a win. It's kinda like Charlie Sheen. He said he is a winner or winning, but he is not. Heathcliff is not a champ.
5. Heathcliff is kind of suffering against his will. All he wanted is to be with Catherine and he suffers because he is not with her.

Now the case for villian.
1. Is Heathcliff a vile, wicked person? Can Geico really save you 15% in 15 minutes?
2. Well, Heathcliff deliberately sets out to get revenge, by way of death, which is a great crime. So yes.
3. A scoundrel is one without honor; a villian. Check.
4.This is in the gray area. Heathcliff does seem like a bad person, but if he is an antagonist, who is the protagonist? I'll say no to this one.

Heathcliff has 2 characteristics of a hero and 3 of a villian. This is a really difficult debate. Heathcliff displays characteristics of both a hero and a villain. Let's call it a tie. There is no definitive answer, so it will be a draw. If you have an opinion feel free to comment.