| Bill Sikes | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
William Sikes |
|
First Appearance |
Oliver Twist (1838) |
|
Original Publisher |
Serial: Bentley's Miscellany; Book: Richard Bentley |
|
Created by |
Charles Dickens |
Origin[]
William "Bill" Sikes is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists (alongside Monks) in the 1838 novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Sikes is a malicious criminal in Fagin's gang, and a vicious robber and murderer. Throughout much of the novel Sikes is shadowed by his “bull-terrier” dog Bull's-eye.
His girlfriend Nancy reluctantly tolerates, but is intimidated by, his violent behaviour. However, when he thinks Nancy has betrayed him, Sikes viciously murders her. After police identify him as travelling with a dog, Sikes attempts to drown Bull's-eye to rid himself of his companion. In the end while trying to escape over the rooftops via a rope, a vision of the murdered Nancy's eyes terrifies him into losing his balance, falling with the looped rope around his neck and accidentally hanging himself.
Bill Sykes, as portrayed by William "Stage" Boyd (1933)
Sikes is a somewhat conflicted character. For instance, after preventing Nancy from keeping her midnight appointment with Rose Maylie and Mr Brownlow, he wondered aloud to Fagin if being indoors for so long in their dingy lodging was beginning to affect her after she dedicated the whole day caring for him. After he brutally beats Nancy to death, Sikes apparently is capable of feeling guilt—although the reader cannot be sure the emotion is not merely his suspicion that Fagin lied to him about her betrayal and fear of being arrested for the crime.
Sikes lives in Bethnal Green and later moves to the squalid rookery area of London then called Jacob's Island, east of present-day Shad Thames. Otherwise, Sikes's background and early life prior to joining Fagin are not mentioned in the book.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Bill Sikes from before January 1931 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Oliver Twist (1838)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
Bill Sykes portrait from Star Comics #1.
- Oliver Twist (1909)
- Oliver Twist (1912)
- Oliver Twist (1912)
- Oliver Twist (1916)
- Oliver Twist (1919)
- Oliver Twist (1922)
- Oliver Twist (1933)
Public Domain Stage Appearances[]
- Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress (1838)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Star Comics #1: 2 Pages of Sketches From Dickens feature on Oliver Twist.
- Classic in Pictures #1 - Oliver Twist