Uriah Heep (David Copperfield)

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Drawing by Fred Barnard

Uriah Heep is a fictional character created by Charles Dickens in his novel David Copperfield.

The character is notable for his cloying humility, obsequiousness, and general insincerity. His references to David as "Master Copperfield" are repeated so often that they quickly seem insincere. He is the central antagonist of the later part of the book. David first meets him when he is living with Mr. Wickfield and his daughter Agnes. Uriah explains in another part of the book that his ambition and greed are fueled by his lack of ability to express it during his childhood because of his father who constantly encouraged him to be "humble". This lack of correct psychological and social development perpetuated by his father led Uriah to become the scheming and greedy person he is as an adult. Uriah works as Mr. Wickfield's clerk, and by blackmailing Mr. Wickfield he gains control over most of his life and business. He eventually succeeds in having himself made a full partner in the business. His eventual ambition is to marry Agnes and gain control of the Wickfield fortune. Like most of Dickens' villains, greed is his main motivation. Heep is eventually stymied by Mr. Micawber and Tommy Traddles, with help from David and Agnes. Once his fraud and treachery are unmasked, he persists in hounding Micawber and Copperfield. Towards the end of the novel, he is last seen in Mr. Creakle's prison where we find that he has returned to his "humble" ways, and puts himself forward as a model prisoner.

[edit] Other notes

While much of David Copperfield is autobiographical there is no evidence that Heep was based on a character in Dickens' life, though some believe his mannerisms and physical attributes to be based on Hans Christian Andersen whom Dickens met shortly before writing the novel.

The Vortigaunt Uriah in Half-Life 2: Episode Two is inspired by Uriah Heep, due to the humble, servile behavior of the Vortigaunts.

The characteristics of grasping manipulation and insincerity can lead to calling a person “a Uriah Heep” as Lyndon Johnson is called in Robert Caro’s biography and Seymore Fleming from the play "Babes in Arms".

On screen the character has been played by, amongst others, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Frank MacCusker, Ron Moody, Martin Jarvis, Paul Brightwell, Colin Jeavons and Rasmus Christiansen.

The British rock band, Uriah Heep is named after the character^[1].