8/7/2019 URIAH HEEP

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URIAH HEEP

Uriah Heep is ultimate villains, appearing in the book  David Copperfield where he acts as

antagonist , Hes memorable for Dickens interesting descriptions of him: tall and lanky,

pale white with pale red hair, and a propensity to constant movement or wiggling.

Charles dickens character signify a lot through their name ,Uriah Heep name suggest his

quality. Uriah is Hebrew for "God Is My Light," which might represent his "umble" nature.

But his last name "Heep" contradicts that. Like what Mr. Micawber says, he is a "HEEP"

("heap" means layers on top of each other) of trouble. Uriah is also complex--he is humble

on the surface but manipulative in the inside.

He is the clerk of Mr. Wickfield and David meets Heeps at Mr. Wickfields house . at that he

is only of fifteen, but looks much older. His face is Cadaverous, and has no eyebrow or eye

lashes. he has long ,lean and skeleton hands which are so damp and cold that David has to

rub his hands for them to make warm.

Uriah Heep in incarnation of hypocrisy. He pretends humility; the word umble(humble) is

always at his lips. He is also cringing (abject) and flattering in his manners. But all this

humility is a mere show, a cover for his cunningness and deceitfulness. It is his ambition to

become a partner in the firm of wickfield and finally to marry Agnes. He is working all the

time to fulfill his desire.

His cunning and hypocrisy generates horror and disgust .very shrewdly he proceed to put 

out Mr. Wick field off power. First he tries to know all about his private life and his

business secretes .it is to know this information he invites David to his home and revealsout all the information from him. then he studies law to master the legal intricacies and

technicalities so as to use them in his plot against Mr. Wick field; he then gets signature of 

Mr. Wick field on important documents, resulting in poor fellow is under his control. He

also commits forgeries resulting in the loss of Miss Beatsy Tretwoods property.he becomes

partner by exploiting Mr. Wick field

Uriah Heep is a black- hearted villain who causes suffering to all. Because of him Mr.

Wickfield becomes poor , Agnes suffered intense spiritual agony , for she knows that her

father is in hands of villain. Miss Trottwood is also victim of his villainy, and David , too ,

was put to trouble and suffering . David has to work as a secretary to support as well as areporter to support her aunt.

Davids poverty becomes an obstacle in the way of his marriage with Dora . only after the

death of Mr. splenows death he gets married to Dora.

Thus Uriah serves a foil to David and contrasts Davids qualities of innocence and

compassion with his own corruption.