For today’s post, I have decided to share a list of my five favorite male characters in Gothic literature. These characters are all villains or at least anti-heroes. They are the most fun male characters in these types of novels, after all! Without further ado, here is my list.
Number 5: Mr. Hyde
~The second side of the titular duo, was the devilish and murderous one. He was also the uninhibited and charismatic one of the two sides. He is a very intriguing character to read, much more so than Dr. Jekyll.
Number 4: Dorian Gray
~The titular character of Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the vain and charismatic young man who is turned evil through his intense vanity! He is as intriguing a character today as he was when the novel was published in the late Victorian era.
Number 3: Dracula
~The villain of the most iconic vampire novel of all time is a brilliant and powerful immortal that drives the plot of the novel along. He may be portrayed as pure evil in the original novel, as he was supposed to be a literally devilish figure, but later adaptations have given this figure many layers of depth!
Number 2: Erik, Phantom of the Opera
~Erik may be a disfigured murderer, but he is also a brilliant composer! This fact makes him quite a compelling character and one to whom it is not surprising that Christine would be drawn. Who does not love a great musician, after all? I have said this so many times, but it always remains true, I really wish they would have been able to have a real chance together!
Number 1: Heathcliff
~Who else would have ranked number one? Who else could have outranked Erik, whom I have always adored? None other than the male protagonist of my favorite novel of the 19th century, Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is first introduced as the owner of two estates in the English Moors, but soon the narrator begins to learn his backstory from the maid Nelly Dean. Heathcliff began life as an abandoned young boy who was taken into the Earnshaw family, but eventually gained wealth and was able to buy the estates of both the Earnshaws and the Lintons! Add to the fact that he has an intense bond and passion with Catherine and you get. a truly iconic character of the Gothic genre!
~I hope that you have enjoyed this countdown. Did I include your favorite Gothic villain or anti-hero? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
White Rose of Avalon 