This lesson is adapted from 45 Master Characters: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt.
So in the last lesson we discussed character archetypes for protagonists of stories, but at the request of a fellow Silver Pen member, we will now talk a bit about the dark side of these archetypes. Each character, as before, will be based off of a Greek (or Egyptian) god or goddess, except this time the archetypes will be for antagonistic characters.
As a note, it is recommended that you review the original archetypes before reading this lesson.
Let's begin!
Aphrodite: The Femme Fatale
"She deliberately uses her charm to control men and get them to do things against their nature. She's the Femme Fatale who lures nice men to crime and murder. She trusts no one. She has become jaded and disappointed with life. She only values herself for her body and feels powerful when others do her bidding. Society owes her, and she is only collecting her due.
...She has a pattern of excessive emotionalism and attention seeking. She has a low tolerance for problems and has rapidly changing emotions behind a face that remains stoic and unreadable. She's a ticking bomb that no one knows about until she explodes. She is sensitive to criticism and overly concerned with her appearance." -Schmidt
The Femme Fatale:
-Feels she can trust no one
-Has on morals
-Has a kill-or-be-killed mentality
-Is unfaithful
-Needs to be the center of attention
Artemis: The Gorgon
"As a villain, she would do anything to come to the aid of another woman, even if it meant killing an innocent man by mistake. Her rage at injustice is swift, merciless, and sometimes aimed at the wrong person.
She is Medusa, the Gorgon, the woman of fury and rage, especially if she's been violated. She can turn deadly when she feels threatened and is capable of using extremely physical means to express her anger. Most men don't expect a woman to be as strong as her rage can make her.
...She's antisocial with irresponsible behavior that lacks morals and ethics. She exhibits unlawful reckless behavior, refusing to conform to social norms. She seems to have no emotional reactions and shows no remorse toward horrific events. She is physically aggressive, erratic and irritable, and disregards the safety of herself and others." -Schmidt
The Gorgon:
-Is instinctual and feels no remorse
-Wants instant gratification
-Isn't levelheaded
-Acts as a dictator, dispensing justice
-Will sacrifice herself to get an enemy
Athena: The Backstabber
"As a villain, the Father's Daughter will trample others to reach her goals. She can use her calculating, strategic mind to outsmart anyone, and her alliances with powerful men allow her to do this. Sometimes these men take advantage of her loyalty.
...Her whole identity can become wrapped up in her career. Losing it is like death to her. She'll become disloyal before she lets that happen. She'll use her femininity to play the innocent woman routine and later stab a colleague in the back.
...She doesn't understand what's wrong with wanting to be successful, powerful, and on top. She enjoys the company of men more than women but always has a trump card waiting in the wings to revenge any colleague who betrays her." -Schmidt
The Backstabber:
-Feels trapped
-Thinks of herself first
-Lets others feel good about helping her so they let their guard down
-Is paranoid and feels that others are plotting against her
-Detaches herself from the group
Demeter: The Overcontrolling Mother
"As a villain, the Nurturer would probably kidnap someone else's baby just to have someone to take care of. She would steal someone else's creative project to be looked upon as helpful to society.
...She does everything with the thought that people need her. She thinks others can't live without her, but in reality she can't live without them. She believes she's helping people but what she's actually doing is occupying herself with other people's lives in an effort to avoid her own." -Schmidt
The Overcontrolling Mother:
-Feels like others are trying to toss her aside and abandon her
-Will hurt others "for their own good"
-Uses guilt to control others
-Lacks self-confidence
Hera: The Scorned Woman
"As a villain, the Matriarch's rage and power tend to come out when she feels abandoned by her husband or family.
...Her life means nothing without a 'family' of some sort for her to run. She needs to be in control of things. Chaos isn't acceptable to her. She can justify any action taken to preserve the integrity of her family.
...She has passive-aggressive tendencies and will tell family members that it's okay if they do something she disapproves of, but her actions show them just the opposite.
...Betray is the worst type of offense as far as she's concerned. She'd rather have her husband ruin himself before he ruins their sacred union. She'd rather see him dead."-Schmidt
The Scorned Woman:
-Fears being abandoned
-Fights for control
-Will do anything to save face
-Is impulsive
-Is uncertain about her own identity
Hestia: The Betrayer
"As a villain, the Mystic is the nice old lady who secretly poisons her husband. She can use her quiet nice nature to disguise her dark side so well no one would ever guess she was capable of doing anything wrong. Her sunny disposition can mask a monster lurking beneath the surface.
...When she feels trapped by a family member, she naps and tries to regain control of her life and home. Rejection can also make her lose control." -Schmidt
The Betrayer:
-Uses the "quiet little woman" stereotype to her advantage
-Is an expert liar
-May be a sociopath
-Is socially inept
-Wants to be alone
-Tries to please everyone around her and may snap under the pressure
Isis: The Destroyer
"The Female Messiah isn't really a villain in the sense of only being concerned with her own gain and desires. She's a villain in the sense of protecting the highest good for all. As the Destroyer, she'll drop the atom bomb to stop Hitler--the end is positive but the means are destructive and harsh. She's the mother who says, 'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out if you don't behave.'
...There's no emotional or mental involvement in what she does. It's as if she's programmed by the Divine to take care of things. She's like a robot given a mission to accomplish--she just does it." -Schmidt
The Destroyer:
-Sees things in black and white
-Feels the pain of transformation is necessary
-Is a harsh wielder of justice
-Punishes for the greater good of all.
Persephone: The Troubled Teen
"As a villain, the Maiden is the out-of-control teen obsessed with ... everything in excess. Grades and rules don't matter because she doesn't care about the future.
...She's passive/aggressive, saying she'll take control of her life but doing everything but. When family members and friends aren't there for her, she'll do whatever it takes to get them to help her, even attempt suicide to get their attention. Everyone else's life must stop to deal with her antics. Anyone who cares about her will never get a decent night's sleep. Jaded, depressed, and disillusioned with the world, the Troubled Teen often ends up in front of a judge, the courts forced to set her straight. Most of the time, childhood abuse is what fuels her anger." -Schmidt
The Troubled Teen:
-Hates rules and authority
-Has a death wish and takes a lot of risks
-Uses superficial charm to manipulate others
-Likes to hurt her family because they hurt her
-Has buried her true self
And now for the men.
Apollo: The Traitor
"As a villain the Businessman is the Traitor. Work comes first to this man. If he sees his company facing disaster, he'll go to extreme lengths to cover up any wrongdoing. He'll tell on his co-workers if they do something that threatens the company, even if the company is doing harm. ...When things go wrong, he feels he's the one to dispense justice, and he does it with a cool but unfeeling demeanor. He can be without mercy because he's been lost for so long inside his head and away from his feelings.
...While it's true that most villains don't believe they're bad, this villain truly believes he's the good guy. Others are at fault' they caused the chaos, and he deserves better than that. He wants to show how valuable he is and will prove that they can't get by without him." -Schmidt
The Traitor:
-Feels undervalued
-Wants respect and recognition
-Can't sit still and accept rejection
-Betrays only those he feels betrayed him
-Views people as pawns in a game of chess
Ares: The Gladiator
"As a villain the Protector turns into the Gladiator. He's not out to protect or save the ones he loves or to fight for a good cause. Instead, he's out for the lust of battle and blood. He fights and destroys for the sheer pleasure and power it brings. He lusts after the roar of the crowd, which he may get from seeing himself in the news.
...He has ingrained, maladaptive patterns of behavior with impulsive and unpredictable actions. He has frequent inappropriate temper outbursts and an unstable self-image. He takes no responsibility for his actions and often plays the victim when confronted about his behavior." -Schmidt
The Gladiator:
-Feels abandoned
-Craves blood, death, and battle
-Has a poor self-image
-Wants to feel, and danger is all that he can feel
-Puts innocent people in danger
Hades: The Warlock
"As a villain, the Recluse becomes the Warlock. He uses his knowledge of the occult to harm others or the environment. He's out for his own personal gain and understands nothing of the effect his actions have on the outer world. He has spent so much time studying esoteric ideas he is drawn to test them out.
...He doesn't understand why it's so bad to want to be alone. He doesn't want to be a part of society because people are killing each other every day. Spirits are his company. Their world is fascinating to him and they teach him things. He can cast spells to make others leave him alone if he wants to. He is very into the occult and all things antiestablishment. He likes it when others are afraid of him so they'll leave him alone." -Schmidt
The Warlock:
-Is antisocial
-Is out for his own gain
-Is afraid of rejection
-Wants to be in control
Hermes: The Derelict
"As a villain, the Fool becomes the Derelict. He often will be found among the con men on city streets hustling for cash. He has great charm and charisma that draws people to his games. His smile makes him appear to be trustworthy as he engages them in conversation.
...He has a pattern of irresponsible behavior that lacks morals and ethics. He's self-centered when it comes to his problems. 'No one else matters but me' is his mantra. He believes he is special and above the law and feels entitled to be around others he views as unique and special. He can be arrogant and can lack empathy toward others." -Schmidt
The Derelict:
-Doesn't care about other people's feelings
-Is an embarrassment to his family
-Is self-centered
-Runs when the going gets tough
Dionysus: The Seducer
"If the Woman's Man is hurt or betrayed by a woman, he may turn into the Seducer. As the Seducer, he lures women away from good as well as bad relationships, causing havoc in their lives and leaving them alone to pick up the pieces when he's finished with them.
He has a pattern of excessive emotionalism and attention seeking. He has a low tolerance for problems and has rapidly changing emotions behind a face that remains stoic and unreadable. He's a ticking time bomb that no one knows about until he explodes. He is exceedingly sensitive to criticism and is overly concerned with his appearance." -Schmidt
The Seducer:
-Loves to play head games
-Likes to be the one to end relationships
-Feels entitled to attention
-Often mistakes obsession with love
Osiris: The Punisher
"The Male Messiah isn't really a villain in the sense of being out for his own gain and desires. He's a villain in the sense of protecting the highest good for all. As the Punisher, he'll curse the man who has 'fallen' to teach him a lesson. He wants to break the man's ego. He'll kill the man's spirit to transform him into his image.
He may try to justify himself to others, but they'll never fully understand his power or the burden he carries. They view his reprimands as harsh and uncaring. Many will leave his side, unable to follow his rules and treatment. Meditating six hours a day seems harsh and silly to most; to the Punisher it's a necessary step to advance. He feels his word is law." -Schmidt
The Punisher:
-Gives harsh criticism
-Won't try to reassure others or play favorites
-Pushes people beyond their limits
Poseidon: The Abuser
"When the Artist can't control his emotions, he becomes a volatile and vindictive man. His sense of revenge is strong, and he'll never let it go until he feels satisfaction. It's as if his survival depends on an eye for an eye.
...He's antisocial with irresponsible behavior lacking in morals and ethics. He exhibits unlawful, reckless behavior, refusing to conform to social norms. He seems to have no remorse and shows no thought for the consequences of his actions. He is physically aggressive, erratic, and irritable, and disregards the safety of himself and others.
He feels justified in his actions because he feels his basic rights have been violated. He doesn't care what anyone else thinks, and he'll destroy himself before he lets anyone else do it." -Schmidt
The Abuser:
-Plays head games with people
-Is irritable and unpredictable
-Is a ticking time bomb
-Can't control his emotions and flies off the handle
-Has no boundaries
-Is reckless and full of rage
Zeus: The Dictator
"As a villain, the King becomes the Dictator. His need to rule and control others becomes an obsession. He wants more and more control and submission over his subordinates. He'll even go as far as to punish innocents in order to send out a message that he's powerful. He wants to be a demigod, to have control over the destinies and lives of others to do with as he pleases.
...He has passive/aggressive tendencies as well, where he'll tell a family member that it's okay if they do something he disapproves of, but his actions show them just the opposite. He controls what goes on in his kingdom and if the people don't like it, that's too bad. No one leaves his domain, especially not with a smile. Betrayal is the worst type of offense as far as he's concerned, and he will seek justice." -Schmidt
The Dictator:
-Is obsessed by the need to control and rule others
-Can be a tyrant
-Is a harsh wielder of justice-Is extremely judgmental
-Humiliates others and forces them to degrade themselves for mercy
No comments:
Post a Comment