DAY17: The Villains

 

 

"Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" - The Evil Queen, Snow White

 

 
I have always been a fan of Disney Villains. They all have  a sense of humour, they have mastered the art of sarcasm and insults, and they always have comical side-kicks. I gladly cheer the hero on like a good girl is supposed to do, but I secretly root for the villain to also have a happy ending.

It is the villains who are the creators of the story, let's face it without them there wouldn't be one...without them we would just be just watching beautifully drawn characters waiting around for something to happen. The Villains are the ones who need to be defeated, they are the ones coming up with malicious plans, they want to take over worlds or bring destruction because they have a desire for personal gain or revenge, sometimes both. The Hero is more often than not a mere reaction to the villain, he has to take up the sword in order to restore the equilibrium that has been disturbed due to the villains existence. For a hero to be born, first a villain has to rise, the two are eternally linked, one defines the other.

 

Part of the appeal of villains is that they don't seem as naïve as heroes often do, they seem more street smart and like they have somehow lived more than their counterparts, they are more disillusioned with the world and what it has to offer, than the bright-eyed heroes who still believe that they can change things. Heroes are driven by faith, villains seems to have lost all hope, and want to control the outcome of their fate, by taking charge, by changing things, by chasing their desires no matter what the cost. Hope is replaced by a sense of humour, though it is often a jaded one. They have removed themselves from society, because society was probably what drove them to be villains in the first place. They laugh at life and the pursuits that others consider noble. They are often quite wise, but it is a bitter wisdom, the kind that reminds us that life is not all sunshine and roses, and that the choices we make in life will determine what we will become. Villains are the proof of the consequence of choice.

 

Ariel: If I become human. I'll never be with my father or sisters again.

Ursula: That's right. But you'll have your man. Life's full of tough choices, isn't it?

 

Villains are dualistic in nature, they lure us is in with their charm and their humour, only to violently repel us with their cruel and selfish nature. The core of the villain may consist of a wounded heart, a misunderstood story and a misguided soul, but if you get to close you will get burned...They are the villains after all, and they were not created over night, it took years to shape them, and if you cross them they will try to get rid of you, but hopefully in a slightly comical way.

Zeus: So Hades, you finally made it. How are things in the underworld?
Hades: Well they're just fine. You know, a little dark, a little gloomy. And, as always, hey full of dead people. What are you gonna do?

Hades: He's gotta have a weakness, because everybody's got a weakness. I am mean, for what? Pandora, it was the box thing. For the Trojans hey, they bet on the wrong horse, okay?

Zeus: You ought to slow down. You'll work yourself to death. Hah! Work yourself to death! (All Laugh)...Oh, I kill myself!
Hades:(to himself) If only. If only.

 

 

 

 Celebrate the Villains in your life, they give you reason to be the Hero.