| “ | Luck changes. Perhaps yours is going to change. | „ |
| ~ Compeyson to Magwitch. |
Compeyson is the main antagonist of Charles Dickens' 1860-1861 novel Great Expectations. He is an upper class gentleman who has turned to a life of crime, specifically fraud and forgery.
He is revealed to be Abel Magwitch’s nemesis and Miss Havisham’s lost lover. He has very limited screentime, but his criminal activities have ruined these two people's lives, and as a result shaped much of protagonist Pip's story. His actions are most frequently told in narratives and seen in flashbacks.
Personality[]
Due to his upbringing, Compeyson is known as a smooth and charismatic man with gentlemanly manners. His appearance is attractive and he is likable enough to recruit criminal partners and make Miss Havisham fall in love with him.
Despite this charming exterior, Compeyson has a mean streak to him - pulling financial schemes and stealing without any remorse. He abandons his betrothed and later psychologically abuses his partner, Arthur, for feeling guilt over the theft (leading to the latter's death). He overworks and underpays Magwitch, and is profoundly greedy: gambling all their money away. He exploits the power and privilege he has as a wealthy gentleman to manipulate and abuse those around him.
Biography[]
An adept swindler, Compeyson is the one responsible for Miss Havisham's broken heart. He was in league with her half-brother, Arthur, in a scheme to seduce her before robbing her of her fortune and leaving her at the altar on their wedding day. Miss Havisham is devastated by his abandonment and spends the rest of her life mourning their supposed love.
At some point, Compeyson enlists fellow criminal Abel Magwitch to help him in his crimes. He and Magwitch become partners in the art of thieving; however, he takes advantage of Magwitch and pays him extremely poorly, eventually causing the other man to deeply resent their partnership and way of life.
Eventually, Compeyson and Magwitch are caught, but due to Compeyson relying on his charisma and upbringing, he is punished much less severely than Magwitch. He gives up all the information he knows about Magwitch, exploiting the other man's poor background and criminal record. This causes him and Magwitch to become sworn enemies.
Both men are put on a prison ship, where Magwitch attacks Compeyson, before the two of them escape to shore. In the marshes, Magwitch once again finds Compeyson and beats him up - planning to drag him back to prison at the expense of his own freedom. The two men are caught again, and while Magwitch is given a life sentence in Australia, Compeyson serves his time and is let out of prison. He soon reconnects with his old contacts and resumes his life of crime.
Many years later, Compeyson finds out that Magwitch has escaped Australia and returned to London. Determined to send his nemesis back to prison and steal the fortune that he has accrued, he stalks both Magwitch and his beneficiary, Pip. Finally, he catches Magwitch in a boat on the River Thames and attempts to arrest him. He and Magwitch struggle and they both fall into the river. Although Magwitch manages to free himself from Compeyson's grip and swim to safety, Compeyson drowns.
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