In a more or less customary way for Scott, the characters in The Bride of Lammermoor fall into two groups: the Master of Ravenswood and his followers or friends, chiefly Caleb Balderstone and the Marquis of A.; and the Ashton family and its adherents, principally Frank Hayston of Bucklaw, and his toadying "friend" Captain Craigengelt. These two parties, led, in the reader's interest, by Lucy Ashton and Edgar, the Master of Ravenswood, are at odds through much of the work, with the striking exception of Lucy and Edgar themselves, who fall in love.

It must be recognized that neither character is exactly "blinded" by passion, like Romeo and Juliet. Edgar knows that Lucy has traits that might be unsuitable for his personality—he sees that his proud and lofty spirit may suffer from Lucy's weak will and tendency to accept outside influence (a quality that, with Lady...