Almost every story follows a similar formula, beginning with an exposition; the story shortly leads to the rising action, then promptly the climax appears, followed by an eventual wrapping up of the scene and the conclusion. As the story plays out, characters are created including a hero that we are supposed to love and admire. While on the way the hero meets new characters who provide context and clues that are important in the story. Typically, the hero is courageous, passionate, honest, confident, patient, selfless, caring, and everything that’s nice.
Of course, all stories include some form of conflict. The villain who has many of the same traits as the hero, but the villain’s traits are misdirected. As one author remarked, “The villains evil bring out the goodness of the hero, making the hero’s traits standout” (“Villain: Definition and Examples”). The hero and the villain are both needed to make a story compelling, as we cheer for one and boo for the other. …show more content…
Though we can’t always control our circumstances, we can control our actions. Unfortunately, villains have chosen to be bad, even if they don’t recognize it at the time. Nobody is born as a villain, but through their choices, they turn against themselves in seeking for something greater: power, revenge, greed, money, or control. In Star Wars (2005), Anakin Skywalker chooses the dark side to gain more power and strength. He originally chose his path to preserve his wife's life, but his choice eventually led him down a path towards ultimate darkness. Although Anakin’s original intentions were out of love, the suitors from The Odyssey were driven by greed and control. Rather than displaying Xenia, the suitors were “rude men" (Homer 4), who enticed the mother of Telemachus, “sorely against her will” (Homer 13). The suitors came to Odysseus’ home, with bad hearts and all their greed, so they didn't see the pain they had caused