Billy West

Every hero needs a first-rate, old-fashion villain. In fact, the greater or more powerful the hero, the more despicable must be the villain, for the sweetness of victory lies in its difficulty. The question must then be asked: Can villainous victories taste as sweet? Could an audience of normal, decent human beings really find it in themselves to take joy in the victory of, say, a manipulative, power-hungry murderer? In his play Richard III, Shakespeare puts this idea to the test, not only by creating a villain so despicably brilliant that even the audience gets swept along in the mastery of his evil-doing, but also in giving him the voice closest to that of “Narrator” within his tale. While there are many scenes in which Richard’s villainy—most notably manifested in his “sugared” language—plays itself out in glorious victory, his most prominent success lies in his wooing of Lady Anne. In gaining and maintaining control of their conversation, playing off of her piety, and through his extravagant use of flattering speech, Richard gains the grieving widow’s favor. He accomplishes all this in spite of her knowledge of his villainy and even the physical presence of his victim’s corps. Beyond setting the precedent of Richard’s abilities and the remarkability thereof, the wit of his contender, his public acknowledgement of his malfeasance, and his further revelation thereof all contribute to this scene’s vitality within the play. The primary, and certainly most visually evident…

In “Electric Funeral,” a chapter in I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined), Chuck Klosterman, a best-selling author, analyzes three separate “villains” in today’s society in order to emphasize their impact on others through their actions. In this analysis, Klosterman wrongfully assumes Perez Hilton, a out-of-date blogger, is a “real villain” because of his prejudice against the “first authentically famous blogger.” This incorrect thinking clouds his judgement from…

There are so many villains out there. From Disney villains, to action film villains, to regular everyday villains. People claim that they have a favorite, and will stick with them until the absolute end. Some people say that the villains should not be celebrated, and only like the heroes of the story. Villains are a huge part of every great story, and should be celebrated. I have one particular villain in my mind. He comes from the great mind of J.R.R. Tolkien. He is a part of The Hobbit and the…

Deep down, we are more excited by the attributes of the villain than those of the hero. Tyler Durden is the anarchist deep down all people want to be. He is grounded in reality, is a relatable person with worldly pain that rises to the challenge, and inspires thousands. Tyler is also a villain. The reader is more excited by the attributes of Tyler Durden than those of the narrator because deep down, humans love destruction, and Tyler does that best. Tyler makes people think, review their…

-1- The Transformation I had a dream about turning into an animal the night before it all happened. The day before, my friend (Charley) and I had an encounter with The Wizard of Thepville. We destroyed him in a game of cards him and totally rubbed it in. He told us some sort of riddle like," You shall become thy goat and thy chicken, for then at first light you shall be transformed". Being the cool guy I am, I just said," pshhhh, whatever". And here I am the next morning with…

In many popular works, heroes and villains are represented as simple, one-sided characters, which is the discerning feature that represents the clear distinction between hero and villain. An example of a hero and villain from today’s popular culture that exemplifies this simple relationship is the characters of Harry Potter and Voldemort, respectively. However, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the roles of protagonist and antagonist are much more complex and two-sided. The characters of Claudius…

The Sirens VS. Poison Ivy: Bet Your Guess If you don’t commit crimes, kill, or back stab people (I mean not figuratively and figuratively) are you a villain? A villain is a a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime. Although some people imagine that the Sirens, who are from the Odyssey, really use trickery, murder, and power, they are really villainous, yet, one can also argue that they are only doing this for fun or to survive. Where’s the villain trait in…

Have you ever watched a movie and wondered where the villain came from? Truthfully the answer is probably no, however it is still a somewhat interesting topic. Is there one specific place that villains should come from? Should it vary? I personally think it should vary but in order to make the best villains they should be from one of three countries. The three countries that create the best villains are North Korea, Germany, and Russia. Odds are you’ve seen multiple movies where the antagonist…

Throughout history, society and culture has consistently evolved and transformed ushering in better opportunities for people willing to work hard. During the 19th century, the United States began expanding westward exploring and settling its new territories all the way to the Pacific ocean. With this great expansion came the need to connect the nation from coast to coast, resulting in the development of a transcontinental railroad that could transport an individual across the expanse of the…

Billy the Kid is an historical figure from the Old West whose story has eluded historians and has created controversy among biographers. One thing is sure; he has truly lived. However, most of his story told is part of a myth. The author Michael Ondaatje, in his novel The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, has improvised a story about this historical figure, with as the only starting point, his imagination. In The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, the author Michael Ondaatje uses the medium of…