Bleak House Lesson Plan

How does Sir Leicester's character evolve in these final chapters?

For most of the novel, Sir Leicester has been a caricature of a prideful, old-fashioned aristocrat. He is powerful and totally in control of his own little world, yet he has very little personality—particularly in comparison to his dazzling wife. After Lady Dedlock's secret is revealed, he becomes a much more complex and surprising character. First, he is brought low due to his physical limitations. The man who once held forth in the drawing room of Chesney Wold now must be propped up on pillows by Mr. George. He must communicate through barely legible writing, and he cannot independently meet any of his...