The Noble Villain

In nearly every story there is a struggle. Sometimes the struggle is against the elements or nature, but in many stories the struggle is against a person or persons generally classified as villains. While nobody likes the villains and everyone wants to see them defeated, they are essential to the integrity of the story. Without them the superhero cannot survive, for beyond the occasional rescuing of kittens from trees he or she will have nothing to do, no reason to keep active and mentally acute. Villains keep the heroes on their toes.

How would we truly know the goodness, the courage, or the many other virtues of a hero or a heroine without the contrasting vices of the villain? How would those virtues be displayed or tested in story without any opposition? It is easy to be strong in a time of peace and happiness, but no one knows what an outstanding protagonist you've got in your story, play, or movie, unless the going gets tough--sometimes very tough.

Your audience will love your hero if they can feel a sense of pity or empathy towards him or her. The villain's role in making things difficult is also extremely useful in creating a direct contrast between good and evil that can plainly delineate your audience's sympathies from the get go. You want to make sure that they see this villain defeated, or at least stalled till the next sequel. They must find satisfaction in the hero's accomplishment if they are to enjoy and accept the story you are portraying.

When you think about it, playing the villains for a play or movie can be quite as satisfactory as playing the hero, although you won't receive as much fan mail. The antagonist's role usually has almost as many lines as that of the protagonist. There will be just as many fight scenes as well, unless there are multiple enemies. It takes a lot of skill to be a convincing villain, and one must really work at the necessary intonations of voice and the appropriate body language required to take the drama home and to convince them that you are indeed a reason to need a hero.

Villains or super villains often need elaborate costumes and makeup. Every nuance of their role must be attentively carried out if the art of drama and theater are to win their highest acclaim.

Fight scenes require extra skill--both hero and villain actors must pull off a convincing performance without doing any actual harm to one another, which is an art in itself. Every rehearsal brings them closer to the perfection of their craft, and a relentless director helps with this--he will bring about the teamwork he needs to bring to life the struggles and emotions displayed on the stage or for the camera's watching eye.