Dr. Gregory House

Character Analysis:

Dr. Gregory House

Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) is devoid of bedside manner and wouldn't even talk to his patients if he could get away with it. Dealing with his own constant physical pain, he uses a cane that seems to punctuate his acerbic, brutally honest demeanor. While his behavior can border on antisocial, House is a maverick physician whose unconventional thinking and flawless instincts have afforded him a great deal of respect. An infectious disease specialist, he's a brilliant diagnostician who loves the challenges of the medical puzzles he must solve in order to save lives. The show, House, was created by David Shore, but worked with various other directors during the course of the series run.

Dr. House meets the clinical guidelines for Antisocial Personality Disorder, but some of the requirements are met, though perhaps at a low level. He routinely lies to patients, colleagues, subordinates, and superiors. He is, in fact, extremely skilled at manipulating those around him. However, Dr. House's deceitfulness is usually aimed primarily at convincing other parties to agree to his unorthodox treatments. Often these treatments are impulsive, though he seems to usually have a sound medical reason behind trying them. He also shows a pattern of thrill seeking; he recently bought a motorcycle and reports enjoying driving it at unsafe speeds.

"People with antisocial personality disorder don't follow society's norms, are deceitful and intimidating in relationships, and don't consider the rights of others. People with this type of personality sometimes have a history of criminal activity but are not sorry for their hurtful deeds. They can be impulsive, reckless and sometimes violent. This disorder is far more common and more apparent in men than women." (http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/10529.html)

4 sources 6 pgs