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Downfall: Henchard’s Fall from Grace

“A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." With this quote, Aristotle voices the underlying principle of all tragic heroes: they do not predict their inevitable end until it has already come. The downfalls of tragic heroes are often the results of their own choices, their tragic flaws. Their actions result in unforeseen consequences that directly tie the heroes to their doom. In Thomas Hardy’s novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge, the main protagonist, Michael Henchard displays the typical traits of a tragic hero. He is presented with certain admirable qualities such as his overbearing generosity coupled with his staunch integrity, allowing him to work his way up to the position of mayor. However, his tragic flaw, being his volatile and domineering personality, which is completely governed by his emotions, his overwhelming pride, and his fierce temper begin to get the better of him. As a result, he suffers from his reversal of fortune which quickly sends his life spiraling into destruction. Plagued by his impulsive decisions, he quickly transitions from the mayor of Casterbridge and an owner of a prosperous industry, to a miserable wretch, despised by his fellow townsmen.

In the beginning of the novel, Henchard suffers from his drinking habit. He has the furmity woman secretly add a bit of an alcoholic beverage into his furmity. After severe intoxication caused by the alcohol sets in, Henchard becomes restless and threatens to sell his wife. He states “For my part I don’t see why men who have got wives, and don’t want ‘em, shouldn’t get rid of ‘em as these gipsy fellows do their old horses” (9). This leads to a chain reaction which results in selling of his wife by auction. When Henchard awakes, he finds his wife missing and five guineas in his pocket. It is at this point, he showcases one of his more pleasant traits. His integrity and sense of responsibility leads him on a search to find his wife. He “decided, after some hesitation, to spend the sailor’s money in the prosecution of this search; but it was equally in vain” (18). Although he was short on money, Henchard, attempting to atone for his crime, spent all the money he had in the search for his wife and child. Following this, “he resolved to register an oath, a greater oath than he had ever sworn before” (17). At a nearby chapel, Henchard makes an oath, which states, “I, Michael Henchard, on this morning of the sixteenth of September, do take an oath here in this solemn place that I will avoid all strong liquors for the space of twenty years to come, being a year for every year that I have lived” (18). This shows how Henchard, despite being portrayed as a cold, boisterous individual, has moral standards. His sense of responsibility drives him to make up for his wrongdoings and mistakes in order to satisfy his compunction. Furthermore, his staunch integrity is later shown when his wife, Susan, arrives in Casterbridge. He meets her at the Ring and then devises a plan to remarry her, that she and Elizabeth Jane should “take a cottage in the town as the widow Mrs. Newson and her daughter; that [he] meet [her], court [her], and marry [her], Elizabeth-Jane coming to [his] house as [his] stepdaughter” (73). The fact that the first thing Henchard does upon finding out his wife is in town, is to remarry her. His sincerity forces him to make amends for the errs that he has committed; in this case, it’s the loss of his wife and child.

Aside from that, his magnanimity is another one of his more amiable traits. Henchard displays his generosity many times throughout the novel. One incident regarding this temperament occurs in the early chapters of the novel. Henchard meets with Donald Farfrae who claims to know how to restore bread to its natural flavor. Henchard, showcasing his generosity, tells Farfrae “But I should like to have it proved; and of course you don’t care to tell the steps of the process sufficiently for me to do that, without my paying ye well for’t first” (46). His actions at this point towards Farfrae exhibits his munificence as he is willing to pay the young scotchman a large sum of money despite not knowing whether the man could be trusted or not. After Farfrae declines the offer and shows him the secret free of charge, Henchard insists on giving Farfrae compensation for his work. He goes as far as attempting to hire him by telling him “My business, you know, is in corn and in hay, but I was brought up as a hay-trusser simply, and hay is what I understand best, though I now do more in corn than in the other. If you’ll accept the situation, you shall manage the corn branch entirely, and receive commission in addition to salary” (47). Upon refusal, Henchard again tries to provide Farfrae with some sort of reward, he requests that Farfrae “come to [his] house” (47) so that “[he] can find something better for [him] than cold ham and ale” (47). Henchard’s charitable attitude is displayed here as he tries to recruit Farfrae without having any background knowledge on him. He had no prior information on his skills in management nor his education. Later on, Henchard again, reiterates to Farfrae the offer he made him. He attempts to persuade him by presenting him with an enormously generous offer, saying to Farfrae “Come, bide with me—and name your own terms. I’ll agree to ‘em willingly and ‘ithout a word of grainsaying, for, hang it, Farfrae, I like thee well!” (63). Henchard’s overbearing hospitality is clearly shown here. He allows Farfrae to not only name his own conditions but have a say in his pay as well, all due to the fact that Farfrae showed him a method of restoring cornbread.
As the novel progresses, Henchard’s lavish generosity becomes more conspicuous. He often pulls Farfrae out of work early and tells him “You shall do no more to-night, there’s time enough to-morrow. Come indoors with me and have some supper. Now you shall! I am determined on’t” (74-75). Henchard reveals his benevolence toward Farfrae as he allows him to leave work in order to have supper with him. Although this would result in loss of production, Henchard’s altruism and charity complements Farfrae’s personality, “He liked Henchard’s warmth, even if it inconvenienced him; the great difference in their characters adding to the liking” (75). This results in a golden age for his corn industry, as Farfrae’s management abilities, with Henchard’s philanthropic generosity toward him, improve production. Henchard also shows his overbearing beneficence a while after this incident, it is revealed that he has been quite giving to Abel Whittle’s family. After a scuffle involving Farfrae, Henchard, and Whittle, Farfrae “learnt from the men that Henchard had kept Abel’s old mother in coals and snuff all the previous winter, which made him less antagonistic to the corn-factor” (98). Here it is shown how generous Henchard really is. He willingly took care of Whittle’s mother, preventing her from freezing through the winter. Although Henchard had reached his peak, becoming mayor and owning a flourishing business, this all comes crumbling down as his tragic flaws begin to play out.

Henchard’s notoriety comes from his domineering and impulsive temperament. From the beginning of his life, to his bitter end, he demonstrates many instances of this flaw. In the beginning, Henchard, as a result of his emotions, ends up selling his wife. Angered by his wife’s suggestions, puts her up for auction, exclaiming to the crowd “I’ve had my breedings in as good circles, I may say, as any man, and I know true cultivation, or nobody do; and I can declare she’s got it… I am open to an offer for this gem of creation” (10). Henchard is a man who knows no composure. Because he is irritated by what his wife said, he acts upon this emotion which results in the loss of Susan and Elizabeth-Jane. Aside from this, Henchard’s prosperity was in part, due to his instinctive nature. He acts upon his impulses and ends up hiring Farfrae to be his manager, whom proves to be adept in his work. Apart from that, Henchard’s impetuous characteristic leads him to confide his secrets to Farfrae, telling him about his past. A little while later, Henchard is scolded by Farfrae in front his employees for carrying out, what he thinks, is a cruel punishment on Whittle. Farfrae tells Henchard “Come, you know better than all this, sir. It is tyrannical and unworthy of you” (98). Henchard, with his pride wounded, believes that this is a result of him telling Farfrae his secret, “Why did you speak to me before them like that, Farfrae? You might have stopped till we were alone. Ah – I know why! I’ve told ye the secret o` my life – fool was I to do’t – and you take advantage of me!” (98). Afterwards, Henchard ends up firing Farfrae due to increasing jealousy. His impulsiveness causes him to compete with Farfrae after he is told by a boy that Farfrae is “a diment – he’s a cheap o’ wax – he’s the best – he’s the horse for my money,’ he’s the most understanding man o’ them two by long chalks” (99), that he “[wished] he was the master instead of Henchard” (98). This causes a rift between Henchard and Farfrae. Henchard, wanting to dominate others, feels inferior to Farfrae. As a result, he attempts to regain fame by hosting an event that is greater than that of Farfrae’s. This impulsive decision results in disaster as it rains, ruining Henchard’s fair, and popularizing Farfrae’s. This greatly wounds Henchard’s overwhelming pride and as a result, his domineering personality gets the better of him. He fires Farfrae, stating “He won’t be that, because he’s shortly going to leave me” (106). This shows how Henchard’s vehemence alongside his tyrannical behavior, causes him to make irrational decisions. He fires his best manager and only friend, despite being inept at managing his business himself.

On the days that followed, Henchard instinctually launches an economic war against Farfrae. He decides to hire Joshua Jopp as his new manager to replace Farfrae. A little while afterwards, he turns to a farmer who gives him a prognostic of the weather. He then proceeds to “[buy] grain to such an enormous extent that there was quite a talk about his purchases among his neighbours, the lawyer, the wine merchant, and the doctor; also on the next, and on all available days” (187). This results in a disaster as the “weather changed; the sunlight which had been like tin for weeks assumed the hues of topaz” (187). As a result, Henchard’s impetuous actions fueled by his need to defeat Farfrae, causes the destruction of his business. He then, proceeds to fire Jopp, telling him “You can wipe and wipe and say ‘A fine hot day,’ can ye! If it hadn’t been for your fool’s advice it might have been a fine day enough. Why did ye let me go on, hey? – when a word of doubt from you or anybody would have made me think twice” (189). From this quote, Henchard is shown to act highly on his emotional impulses. He fires Jopp at once in the heat of anger, and shifts the blame to him instead of on himself. His temper overrides all rational thought and in turn, begin to lead him toward his downfall; his reversal of fortune.
As his tragic flaws completely overtake him, he commits asinine deeds which are the root of his own downfall; his “fall from grace.” After the aforementioned events, Henchard is now financially ruined and hated by most of his fellow denizens. His old habits reappear as twenty one years have passed, resulting in him drinking again to his heart’s content. Due to the fact that he harbors feelings of resent toward the town council for not allowing him to greet the Royal Personage, he decides to abruptly “greet” him. Henchard “unrolled his private flag, and removing his hat he advanced to the side of the slowing vehicle, waving the Union Jack to and fro with his left hand, while he blandly held out his right to the illustrious personage” (262). This foolish act caused by intoxication, aids in the downfall of Henchard. He is shortly after removed from the place by Farfrae, which causes him great humiliation. Being a man led by his emotions, Henchard acts upon his impulses and attempts to kill Farfrae. He “instantly delivered the younger man an annihilating turn by the left… loosening his hold till Farfrae’s fair head was hanging over the window-sill” (269). He then lets Farfrae go as his guilt overwhelms him. This scenario aids in Henchard’s ruination as it causes Farfrae, the only person he has ever considered a friend, to completely despise him. He, after erring, again makes another mistake. He lies to Newson aboutElizabeth’s status. He tells him “Dead!” (288). It is from this, that he ensures his descent. His deception causes him to become a vagabond until his inevitable death. He is able to at last, see the source of his degradation, and as a result writes a will stating that “no man remember [him]” (321).

From the beginning, to his end, Henchard’s collapse was entirely due to his own actions. His transcendence from a simple hay-trusser to the mayor of Casterbridge, was a result of the acts of kindness he committed with his unnerving magnanimity along with his overwhelming sense of responsibility. His urge to satisfy his compunctions led him to sobriety as well as seek amends for his failures. The devastation of his life was the result of his erratic decisions caused by his impulsive characteristics as well as his appetite for dominance over others. From start to finish, he could not foresee the consequences of his actions and as a result, he plummeted to his grim fate. His destiny was tied to all of the feats he executed, making him a clear example of a tragic hero.