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Introduction
Equally
well known as the Hero is the Villain. And just as the Hero is
actually made up of several distinct qualities, so is the Villain. In
fact, for every quality the Hero possesses, the Villain contains a counterpart.
And,
of course, just as there is a difference between being heroic and being a Hero
type in a story, so too is there a difference between being villainous and being
a classic dramatic Villain. In real life, we cast all kinds of people as
Villains because they are mean, hurtful, or self-serving at the expense of
others. But that is only one quality of the story Villain, who must
fulfill other very specific dramatic functions as well.
In
this lesson, we'll explore the make-up and nature of the Villain type, and
define exact what qualities it must possess.
"Curses,
foiled again!"
When
we think of classic story Villains, it conjures up the image of the evil and
sinister cad, with a black heart beneath his black clothing, taking perverse
pleasure in the pain and suffering he can inflict on others. But that is
just a stereotype, meaning that it is more personality than dramatic function.
In
truth, the sadistic nature of such a character is not at all a necessary part
of the dramatic Villain, just as being a "Do-Gooder" is not an
essential part of the dramatic hero. To be sure, the Villain is a bad
guy, since he either wishes to cause harm or to benefit himself even though it
causes harm to other. But to revel in that pain - that is the mark of a
Villain who has become melodramatic. In a similar manner, a Hero who is
not just a Do-Gooder but carries it to the point of being a
"Goodie-Two-Shoes" becomes a melodramatic Hero.
So,
let's put the melodrama aside for the moment, and consider the Villain as a
character with very specific functions in a story.
The
Villain Breaks Down
So
what is it, then, that defines the story Villain? No matter what other
elements you may wish to include in that definition, there are four key
elements that absolutely must be present. The dramatic Villain must be:
1.
The Antagonist
2.
The Influence Character
3.
The Second Most Central Character
4.
A "Bad Guy"
You
are likely familiar with three of these four terms, but the concept of the
Influence Characters may be new to you. In fact, though the other
character types are commonly recognized by name, the qualities we will present
each as representing may surprise you.
The
Antagonist
The
Antagonist has but one function - to prevent the Protagonist from achieving the
goal. This might be accomplished by defeating the Protagonist, or just by
beating him or her to the prize. There doesn't necessarily have to be any
hatred involved, or even any emotion at all. The Antagonist might have the
greatest respect for the Protagonist, but just not agree with what he is trying
to achieve.
The
Influence Character
The
Villainous counterpart to the Hero's quality of being the Main Character is the
Influence Character. While the audience or reader sees things from the
Main Character's point of view, the Influence Character represents the opposing
moral outlook, alternative view, or contrasting paradigm. In short,
between the Main Character and the Influence Character the crux of the story's
message is argued.
It
is the function of the Influence character to provide the strongest temptation
for the Hero to change his point of view. Now, with stereotypical Heroes
and Villains, the Main Character point of view held by the Hero will be the
correct one, and the Influence Character point of view held by the Villain will
be wrong. But this doesn't have to be the case and, in fact, it is often
swapped around the other way.
For
example, in our previous lesson we looked at how the Protagonist and Main
Character functions had been split into two characters in To Kill a
Mockingbird. Similarly, in that same story the Villain's functions as
Antagonist and Influence Character are split. In addition,
To
recap, Mockingbird's Atticus is the Protagonist, attempting to defend a black
man wrongly accused of raping a white girl. The Main Character, however,
is Scout - Atticus' young daughter. The father of the white girl, Bob
Ewell, is the Antagonist, doing everything he can to prevent Atticus from
achieving the goal. But the Influence Character is Boo Radley, the
mysterious Boogey Man who lives in a basement down the street.
Scout
is prejudiced against Boo without ever meeting him, because all the neighborhood
legends cast him as a monster. But Boo is actually the children's
protector. And in the end, it is his actions that change her prejudiced
point of view.
The
Second Most Central Character
Sounds
like a mouthful, but the Second Most Central Character is the the star of the
show, save for the Hero. Because people rubber-neck at auto accidents,
it is often hard to keep the Villain from actually becoming the Central
Character. More than one charismatic Villain has stolen the show.
As with
the Hero, the nature of being Central is partially created by the amount of
Media Real Estate vested in that character, and the intensity with which it is
drawn or portrayed.
A
Bad Guy
Once
again, being a Bad Guy doesn't necessarily mean the Villain wallows in the
thrill, but simply that it is his or her intent to cause trouble for others or
to benefit oneself at the expense of others. There can be an infinite
number of reasons, motivations, or excuses for being bad, but the bottom line is
not why the Villain does it, or even how he or she feels about it, but simply
that this character is bad.
The
Classic Villain
The
classic story Villain, then, attempts to thwart the Protagonist, represents an
alternative point of view and forces the Main Character to grapple with a moral
dilemma. He or
she is the second most memorable character and does damage to others, often for
personal gain. This
combination of qualities makes the Villain a formidable foe for the Hero. It also makes him or
her truly melodramatic. That is because everything that opposes the Hero centers on
this character, and all important counter-dynamics flow from it.
Study
Exercises: Villainous Qualities
1.
List three well-known Villains you have come across in a book, movie, stage
play, or television episode.
2.
Explain why each qualifies as a Villain by being Antagonist, Influence Character,
Second Most Central Character, and Bad Guy.
3.
List three well-known characters who are villainous, but are not classic Villain
types.
4.
Explain why each is not a true story Villain, based on the material in the lesson.
5.
List three character that qualify as classic Villain types, but are not
villainous in
the popular sense of the word.
6.
Describe the traits that make each of these dramatic Villains non-villainous in
personality.
Writing
Exercises: Building Villains
7.
Create a character who is an Antagonist, and explain why he or she fulfills that
function.
8.
Create a character who is an Influence Character, and explain why he or she fulfills
that function.
9.
Create a character and describe how you would make him or her the Second Most Central
Character.
10.
Create a character who is a Bad Guy and describe why.
11.
Create a classic Villain type, and describe how he or she possesses all four
essential qualities of a Villain.
12.
Turn this Villain character you have created into a non-villainous person, while
maintaining his dramatic function as a Villain.
Copyright
2003 Melanie Anne Phillips
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