Who is the primary antagonist in "Wuthering Heights"?

In "Wuthering Heights," Heathcliff serves as the primary antagonist due to his complex and often destructive nature. His character embodies revenge and obsession, primarily driven by his tumultuous love for Catherine Earnshaw and the societal injustices he faces throughout his life. After Catherine's marriage to Edgar Linton, Heathcliff's bitterness leads him to engage in a series of vengeful actions against those he believes have wronged him, particularly against Hindley and Edgar.

Heathcliff's relentless pursuit of vengeance transforms him into a figure that causes suffering for many characters, illustrating how his destructive emotions and actions create a cycle of pain and heartache throughout the narrative. This complexity makes him not merely a villain but a truly tragic figure whose actions have profound effects on the lives of those around him. The depth and intensity of his character and the dark influence he wields over the events in the novel firmly establish him as the central antagonist.

Catherine Earnshaw, while pivotal to the plot and influencing many characters' actions, does not embody the same antagonistic qualities as Heathcliff. She represents duality in love and longing but is not an antagonist in the way Heathcliff is portrayed.