The Gothic Villain Essay - 942 Words

The Gothic Villain Who is the Gothic Villain? Is he a villain/hero? Is he a dangerous lover? The villain is usually dark and handsome, though he might have some tell-tell sign that warns he is wicked. The villains ranged from dark priests to mysterious bandits. Some start out as heroes but turn into villains. The Gothic villain has several identifying characteristics. They are shifty, cunning and can mold their behavior to match the need of the circumstance. Villains will utilize intimidation, deception, and even flattery to attain their objective. So, who is the villain-hero? This villain may start out at the beginning of the story as a hero, or he may possess heroic characteristics, such as charisma, or he may have a†¦show more content†¦By undermining typical principles of the Gothic hero (William Harding), Faber tricks his arbitrators into feeling sympathy for him, a deception that makes him much more calculating and undermining than conventional Gothic villains† (Jett). Poe is greatly inspired by Simmss Martin Faber, so much so that this villain is the basis for ‘William Wilson.’ â€Å"Many similarities exist between the two. Both Simmss Faber and Poes Wilson self-condemn their sinister deeds and must confront their conscious minds, represented by Gothic double figures† (Jett). These ‘doppelgangers’ are the villains conscious. For instance, Martin’s doppelganger is his friend William Harding. William is responsible for â€Å"bringing Martin to justice for the murder of Emily Andrews† (Jett). Wilsons doppelganger is a schoolmate who has his same name and challenges him whenever he gives into his evil side. Their selfish needs motivate Faber and Wilson. â€Å"However, the major difference between the two centers on Wilsons inability to express guilt over his sins and Fabers perpetual need to confess his. Consequently, Poe failed to establish a dynamic Gothic villain in William Wilson—one capa ble of demonstrating feigned remorse in multidimensional facets Wilson commits only trivial crimes, hardly comparable to Fabers crime of murder† (Jett). Many of Poes villains take on the characteristics of the self-indulgentShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Develoment of the Horror Genre1076 Words   |  5 Pages The term Gothic is significant for the understanding of the origins and development of the horror genre. Both of these genres differ, whilst Gothic literature is the text that explores the frightening extremes in mankind, horror focuses more on the unknown. The Gothic horror genre has changed over time and retains importance because it is the antecedent of the horror genre. 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