What Features of Henchard’s character cause him trouble in the first half of the book?

Henchard is a very impulsive person and is very superstitious, for example, he goes to see a fortune teller who tells him that there is going to be a bad harvest and that he should hold onto the grain and sell it at an inflated price, without asking any questions. The town of Casterbridge then blames him for selling bad grain when the harvest was good. Henchard then has to sell his grain at a lower price.

After he has sold his wife he goes to Casterbridge and becomes very successful, but in his business he has a very bad temper and in one case he sacked Jopp for being late for work.

Many of the townspeople prefer Farfrae to Henchard as he is kinder to the people when estimating the price of their corn. This annoys Henchard and he impulsively sacks Farfrae. This is a mistake though, as he consequently goes out of business because the townspeople prefer Farfrae to Henchard. Henchard's temperament becomes even more hostile after his business fails and he turns to alcohol. A good example of Henchard's mean and feisty temper is after Susan dies. Susan wrote a letter to Henchard, to be read only when she had died, telling him that Elizabeth-Jane was not his daughter, but the sailor's daughter. Henchard did not know that his real daughter had died only a few days after he had sold his wife. After telling Elizabeth-Jane the devastating news that the sailor wasn't her real father, but he was, he then finds out that the sailor was her real father. After this Henchard disowns Elizabeth-Jane because she is not his biological daughter. At this point it seems that Henchasrd doesn't love her but we see later in the book that he doesn't want to completely cut contact with her.

Henchard then becomes acquainted with Lucetta again when she moves into Casterbridge. She wants to marry him, but Henchard doesn't deal with the situation very well and loses his chance of happiness with Lucetta to Farfrae. This adds to the hate that he already feels for Farfrae.

When it seems like things can't get any worse for Henchard, Farfrae takes over his old business and house and Henchard has to work for him, instead of the other way round. He starts to scare Lucetta by threatening to reveal the real truth behind her past. He doesn't do this, but goes to Farfrae's house to read him the letters, again in a state of intoxication. This really scares Lucetta and has the desired effect: he made his point.

The latest events make Henchard very angry and he tries and almost succeeds in killing Farfrae.

Farfrae loses all trust in Henchard, understandably, when Henchard impulsively gives the letters back to Jopp to deliver to Lucetta. The letters fall into the wrong hands when Jopp goes to the pub. The truth gets out and Henchard doesn't seem to mind but Lucetta minds a lot.

Lucetta then becomes ill while Farfrae is away and Henchard runs to fetch him, but Farfrae thinks he is tricking him and trying once more to take his life. Henchard is being honest though, but because Farfrae doesn't believe that Lucetta is ill, she dies.

From the points above we can see how Henchard's character gets him into trouble throughout the first half of the book.