HeathcliffisafictionalcharacterinthenovelWutheringHeightsbyEmilyBrontë.Owingtothenovel'senduringfameandpopularity,heisoftenregardedasanarchetypeofthetorturedRomanticByronicherowhoseall-consumingpassionsdestroybothhimselfandthosearoundhim.Heathcliffcanalsobeviewedasareflectionandproductofhispsychologicalpast:theabuse,neglectandscornofthosewithwhomhegrowsuprenderhimabusive,neglectfulandscornful.

　　Legendhasstereotypedhimsomewhatintoaromantichero,andheisgenerallyknownmoreforhisloveforCatherineEarnshawthanhisfinalyearsofvengeanceinthesecondhalfofthenovel,inwhichhegrowsintoabitter,hauntedman(althoughtherearealsoanumberofincidentsinHeathcliff'searlylifethatshowthathewasanangryandsometimesmaliciousindividualfromthebeginning;again,thesetendtobeglossedoverinthepopularimagination).Hiscomplicated,mesmerisingandaltogetherbizarrenaturemakeshimararecharacter,withcomponentsofboththeheroandtheanti-hero.

　　CatherineEarnshaw,knownasCatherineLintonafterhermarriage,isthemainfemaleprotagonistofEmilyBrontë'snovelWutheringHeights.

　　WhileresidinginherancestralhomeWutheringHeights,sheformsadeepromanticbondwithfosterbrotherHeathcliff,onethatleadsthembothintomisery,violenceanddespair.

　　EdgarLintonisacharacterinEmilyBrontë'snovelWutheringHeights.HisroleinthestoryisthatofCatherineEarnshaw'shusband.HeresidesatThrushcrossGrangeandfallspreytoHeathcliff'sschemesforrevengeagainsthisfamily.

　　EdgaristhefatherofhisandCatherine'sdaughter,CatherineLinton,andthebrotherofIsabellaLinton.HeisacompletefoilofHeathcliffasacharacter,asshownbyhistender,gentle,andweakpersonalityasopposedtoHeathcliff'ssavage,tyrannicalnature.

　　IsabellaLintonisafemalecharacterinEmilyBrontë'sonlynovelWutheringHeights.SheisthesisterofEdgarLintonandthewifeofHeathcliff.

　　HindleyEarnshawisamalecharacterinEmilyBronte'snovelWutheringHeights.ThebrotherofCatherineEarnshaw,fatherofHaretonEarnshaw,andswornenemyofHeathcliff,hedescendsintoalifeofdrunkenness,degradation,andmiseryafterhiswifeFrancesdiesinchildbirth,enablingHeathclifftoseekrevengeonhimforhiscrueltytowardshiminhischildhoodyears.

　　Ellen"Nelly"DeanisafemalecharacterinEmilyBronte'snovel,WutheringHeights.Sheisthemainnarratorforthestory,andgiveskeyeyewitnessaccountsastowhathappensbetweenthecharacters.Ellenisforthemostpartcalled"Nelly"byallcharacters.

　　CatherineLinton,orCathyLinton,isacharacterinEmilyBrontë'snovelWutheringHeights.SheisthedaughterofEdgarLintonandCatherineEarnshaw,and,despiteHeathcliff'sattemptsatexactingrevengeonherfortheindiscretionsofherfamily,sheeventuallymarrieshertruelove,HaretonEarnshaw,re-establishinglong-lostequilibriuminthestory.

　　HaretonEarnshawisacharacterinEmilyBrontë'snovelWutheringHeights.HeisthesonofHindleyEarnshawandHindley'swifeFrances.Attheendofthenovel,hemakesplanstowedCatherineLinton,withwhomhefallsinlove.