Villains And Victims (In Films And Plays) Essay, Research Paper

In most plays and books there is usually a villain. There are two different types of villain, there is a ’stage’ villain, this is what we think a villain is, either in film or on stage (there is nearly always a villain in a film).Some examples of a villain in a film are:- Captain Hook (Hook) Sheriff of Nottingham (Robin Hood). The other type of villain is a ’stock’ villain, a ’stock’ villain is usually the one with the black hat, usually known as the ‘baddie’. The villain usually comes up with a plot. The villain is usually sly, clever, evil, cunning, pleased with himself, he hates and despises his victims. A villain usually thinks very highly of him-self, and is usually insulted if he is brought down, especially Satan, O foul descent! that I who erst contended With gods to sit the highest, am now constrained Into a beast, and mixed with bestial slime, A villain is usually a very smooth talker, they flatter you which makes their victim very gullible, and so the victim believes what the villain is saying (he is almost like a door-to-door salesman) . A very good example of this in Paradise Lost Book IX is when Satan is speaking to Eve telling her that God will not harm her if she eats an apple off the tree, and Satan also makes her think that she should not be scared of God, God therefore cannot hurt ye, and be just; Not just, not God; not feared then, nor obeyed: Your fear itself of death removes the fear. A very good example of Satan beating Eve with his smooth talk is, Led Eve our credulous mother, to the tree Of prohibition, root of all our woe; And, He ended, and his words replete with guile Into her heart too easy entrance won: Another example of a villain’s smooth talk working, is in Chaucer’s, Nun’s Priest’s Prologue and Tale, This Chauntecleer stood hie upon his toos, Strecchinge his nekke, and heeld his eyen cloos, Meaning he was not watching the fox, who has got Chantecleer deceived by using the smooth talk. Aunt Augusta was different because she knew what was going on; a very good example of this is, I was cheating, wasn’t I? So why shouldn’t Mr. Visconti cheat me? Mr. Visconti is not like the other types of villains in that he is more of the villain that steals from people, not as much the smooth talking villain. Examples of this are the last quotation I used, and, ‘Mr Visconti is in need of money.’ He stole yours.’ ‘That was a long time ago. It will all be finished now.’ Mr. Visconti has been a war criminal. He also used to help the Germans, but eventually the Germans stopped trusting him, The trouble was he wouldn’t play even a crooked game straight or the Germans might have helped him to escape. He ran into a little trouble like most villains usually do; when Mr. Visconti was trying to escape from Rome he dressed up as a Roman Catholic Priest. But then he was mistaken for a proper Roman Catholic Priest by a prostitute who asked him to hear her confession. And then it got worse: a German General’s wife asked him to hear her confession. But like most villains he is able to work his way out of it. The villain is usually evil, and envies good people, and wants to bring them down. A very good example in Paradise Lost Book IX when Satan says, Nor hope to be myself less miserable By what I seek, but others to make such as I Another good example is in Chaucer, The Nun’s Priest’s Prologue and Tale. When the Fox says, A col-fox, ful of sly iniquitee, The villain always thinks that he has won; then he usually loses. In Chaucer, The Nun’s Priest’s Prologue and Tale, the Fox thinks he has beaten the cock and then it gets away, And as he spak that word, al sodeynly This cok brak from his mouth deliverly, And heighe upon a tree he fleigh anon. And whan the fox saugh that the cok was gon, So in the end the victim never comes out on top.

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