Iago
Richard III
I know they've been mentioned, but really, who can argue? They're the greatest villans of all time.
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Iago
Richard III
I know they've been mentioned, but really, who can argue? They're the greatest villans of all time.
I haven't read the entire thread, but has anyone included Regan and Goneril from King Lear? Probably the best of the female villains.
Iago... one of my really favourite characters
Mine has got to be Lady Macbeth or Tamora. Yeah, call me a feminist, but I think that they were some of the more substantial villians that shakespeare wrote.
Hello Magadona, welcome.
I havent read Richard III yet. But right now I'd say my favorite is Lady Macbeth.
Bassianus and Marcus were not villains. Marcus was Titus' brother and Bassianus was killed by Chiron and Demetrius, Tamora's sons.Quote:
Originally Posted by mono
.Dear friends
It may sound strange for you initially but if you have the patience to read this message completely with an unbiased mind you would understand my argument if alone we divorce ourselves from the element of ego.
To begin with I consider Cassius as the Hero and Mark Anthony as the villain of the play Julius Caesar. Let us begin with a peep into the historical aspect at first. In 509 BC there was a sadist monarch Torquin the proud who had reduced the entire Roman community to the slave Dom. The ancestor of Marcus Brutus of the play by name Junius Lucius Brutus had plotted and killed him and had established a republican government in Roman territories. The main purpose of this shift from autocracy to republicanism was due to the strongly felt purpose to avoid the concentration of power in one hand and keep it and it began with Bi-virate and later toward the period of Caesar got more matured and leapt on to the trium-virate to keep the power further distributed. When this play opens in 46 BC Shakespeare shows us that Crusser is already dead having been killed by the Parthians in a battle and Pompey is killed at the behest of Julius Caesar probably in Egypt where to he had run away sensing a threat to his life through Caesar due to some ideological differences. Brutus, Cato the senior, Cicero, Cassius were all on the side of Pompey and fought against Caesar. After having got killed Pompey Caesar had requested Brutus to join his posse as he considered him a man of a strong character but accepted Cassius very reluctantly only under the behest of Brutus.
With the members of the trium virate Pompey and Crusser having been dead now the Rome had got reverted to a state of 509 BC and a Dictatorship was in the offing and Caesar was behaving in an autocratic way which Shakespeare brings to our note in the Act I Scene II of the play through the dialogues of Cassius. Later he brings to our notice that the Tribunes who vehemently criticize Caesar in Act I scene and Scene I are put to death. So the autocracy is established and it is convincing that anybody who rose against the dictates of Caesar would be put to death. If the spirit of republicanism weren’t to be dead there should have been a trial if the tribunes were considered offenders, don’t you agree with me? To strengthen the possible inset of dictator ship and imperialism Shakespeare introduces the element of discussion that Caesar was offered a crown but he had refused it thrice each time more reluctantly. It was also brought to our notice that senate had decided to crown him on the following day in the scene under reference by Casca. If Casca was aware of this then Mark Anthony also must be aware of this.
Now let us shift our debate to Brutus and Cassius. Brutus was a man of strong character and the most respected in the Roman corridors but his love for Caesar had blinded him and he was not paying any attention to suffering of the people around him with growing ambitiousness of Caesar. Cassius is the eye opener to Brutus and the most committed republican and the one who plays pivotal role in getting rid of the prospects of autocracy in Rome. Thus he steers the entire Play. Though he projects Brutus as the leader he is the actual leader and the leader of the play is the Hero is my argument whether this world accepts it or not. Don’t forget about that dialogue which keeps me obsessed, the dialogue which Shakespeare wrote for Cassius in the Act V Scene III that it was his birthday and he would end his life on the day when he came on to this earth. Now how to explain Shakespeare keeping this world informed that he is going to die on his very birthday through the dialogue of Cassius? Why he did not assign this dialogue to any other character? Was he living in the character of Cassius while writing this play? Are the million dollar questions which keep buzzing my brain?
Now let me put forth my arguments for calling Mark Anthony as a villain of this play. Forget about the personal characters of this play and come to the theme of this play. If you maintain an unbiased view the theme revolves around the Roman sentiment with regards to Republicanism versus imperialism. If you agree with me then the people who support the republicanism are the good lot and those who promote imperialism are the bad lot and if that be so on which side do you consider Mark Antony to be, on dictatorial side or the republican side? How do you explain the lies of Antony in his speech? Why did he project the issue that Caesar was against accepting the crown while he knows that Caesar was to be crowned on that day? When Decius Brutus tells Caesar informs Caesar that the senate had decided to crown him on that day and if he stays back at home they may change their minds, why he had not shown his reluctance? Why did he immediately call for his cloak in a hurry to proceed to the senate house? 400 years ago this world had started on a wrong foot and the dreadful lurch in the translations still continues. If some men like me come forward this world buckling under ego never encourages.
However you be the better judge.
Shiva.
Dear friends
It may sound strange for you initially but if you have the patience to read this message completely with an unbiased mind you would understand my argument if alone we divorce ourselves from the element of ego.
To begin with I consider Cassius as the Hero and Mark Anthony as the villain of the play Julius Caesar. Let us begin with a peep into the historical aspect at first. In 509 BC there was a sadist monarch Torquin the proud who had reduced the entire Roman community to the slave Dom. The ancestor of Marcus Brutus of the play by name Junius Lucius Brutus had plotted and killed him and had established a republican government in Roman territories. The main purpose of this shift from autocracy to republicanism was due to the strongly felt purpose to avoid the concentration of power in one hand and keep it and it began with Bi-virate and later toward the period of Caesar got more matured and leapt on to the trium-virate to keep the power further distributed. When this play opens in 46 BC Shakespeare shows us that Crusser is already dead having been killed by the Parthians in a battle and Pompey is killed at the behest of Julius Caesar probably in Egypt where to he had run away sensing a threat to his life through Caesar due to some ideological differences. Brutus, Cato the senior, Cicero, Cassius were all on the side of Pompey and fought against Caesar. After having got killed Pompey Caesar had requested Brutus to join his posse as he considered him a man of a strong character but accepted Cassius very reluctantly only under the behest of Brutus.
With the members of the trium virate Pompey and Crusser having been dead now the Rome had got reverted to a state of 509 BC and a Dictatorship was in the offing and Caesar was behaving in an autocratic way which Shakespeare brings to our note in the Act I Scene II of the play through the dialogues of Cassius.
My favourite villians are Lady Macbeth, Iago and Tybalt (purely because he stabbed Mercutio who was cool)
Has to be Aaron, and Tamora (who endured a death which was most fitting for her character)
It's been said...but mine has to be Iago. He's just so...pure ebil! At first, his actions and plans have motives behind them...but then he kills his own wife pretty much because he could! He got pissed at her and then...stabby stabby for Emilia. >.< Plus he's misgynous...which I fundamentally disagree with. :nod: And...and...he's so EBIL!
Chan!!or Should I Say Aurelian!hell Yeah Iago Is Misogynous! But You Gotz Ta Love Him Cus He's So Evil!!!people What About Shylock From The Merchant Of Venice? You Gotz Ta Love Him Too!. Ohh Yeah And Roderigo Is A Frikken Stalker!good Phrase Defi Write It Down!
Here's my top ten list of Shakespeare villains. It's not perfect since I haven't read every play, but I like these as the most evil characters ever. They're in backwards order.
10. Don Jon from Much Ado About Nothing. I know that comedies don't have really good villains, but I had to include him. He beat out Leontes from The Winter's Tale for this bottom spot, because Leontes doesn't actively think about his villainy (I think you're more evil if you actively ponder your own nature). Don Jon is an Iago wannabe, and his motives are just low. He knows this, and enjoys the destruction he causes. This play, while it ends happily, does go pretty dark as a result of Don Jon's work.
9. Angelo from Measure for Measure. Another comedy villain, I know. Again, he has a wonderful monologue rationalizing and condemning his own behavior, showing that he knows what he is doing is wrong. Yet he does it anyway! Deliciously evil, and again his actions have near tragic consequences. This play goes fairly dark too.
8. Regan and Goneril from King Lear. I like them as villains, they aren't so much active thinkers though, which keeps them from being higher on the list. R and G tend towards inflexibility and harshness, and their actions toward their father make them "unnatural". Good villains.
7. Cassius from Julius Caesar. I LOVE Cassius, hence the sn. Cassius, while he has a good cause, knows that Brutus won't agree with him. So he uses ethically repugnant manipulation to get his way. He is Machiavellian - his goals may be great, but his methods are horrific, and personal. He ruins Brutus, a wonderfully chivalrous man, with his villainy.
6. The Macbeths! They're a tagteam as far as I'm concerned, each pulling equal weight. Together they're a great villain - alone, completely impotent. Lady Macbeth is the brains, Macbeth the brawn. However, I still firmly believe that without the witches, even Lady Macbeth wouldn't have been inspired to evil. They're opportunistic. However, as Polonius would say "once in, [they] bear it!"
5. Tamora/Aaron from Titus Andronicus. I haven't read this play, but I'm familiar, plus I've heard of the "I've done a thousand evil things" monologue. I was sold. That's pretty evil. The revenge, the evil, it's all there.
4. Claudius from Hamlet. Again, a thinker. Knows what he did was wrong, yet doesn't repent (can't). Claudius also uses poison, a cruel and sneaky (womanly) way to kill. His political manipulations make him a good king and a great murderer. The familial nature of his crimes make them more unnatural.
3. Edmund. The familial evil shows in him just like Claudius and R&G. He actively sabotages his father and brother for little provocation. He easily uses R & G to his advantage.
2. Richard III! This guy rocks! He's a no-brainer for me, since his murderous nature seems revenge against the world for making him deformed. He admits his wrongs instead of denying them like other villains would. He'll say, "Yes, I did Deed X, but I did it for a good reason!" His rationalizations and rampant murdering of seemingly everyone he meets place him so high up on the list.
1. The big winner - Iago. He has "motiveless malevolence", as a critical essay once said. He thinks about his own evil perhaps more than anyone else, with a staggering number of soliloquies (more than Hamlet!). He just enjoys controlling people and spreading his own jealousy to others.
Yeah, it has to be Iago. I think he's a brilliant character, although critics have suggested that he's just a plot device and not a fully developed character. Evil for evil's sake; "I shall turn her virtue into pitch and out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all."
Richard III comes a close second, followed by Claudius from Hamlet, Tamora from Titus Andronicus and Edmund from King Lear. Nasty, nasty people but GREAT to read lol!!!! :nod:
hi everyone, my best Shakespeare villain is Don john coz he has some gr8 lines like: "i am not of many words but i will thank you" and he says: "i am a plain dealing villain"
i dont no the words excatly but something like that and when u literatly look at the book and analyse it the whole main purpose of appearance come from him. (i did a course work on that!!!)
Something completely original: Iago
I love Othello (the play) mostly because of how he manipulates the entire plot.
Iago's probably also my favourite character.
Im gonna say LADY Macbeth, c'mon just coz shes a woman, she was behind it all, i tell u it was a conspiracy, however a tradgedy i mean she couldnt live with herself could she?
Richard III definately! ;)
Surely its Iago!!!!!!!!! Come on! who else is so manipulative and cunning but above all else, refuses to speak at the end!! so ur just never fully satisfied about his motives are you? whereas shakes. other villlains like going into soliloquys and monologues about what they did and why etc. etc. but Iago....u know, i just cant suss him out at all! hes one of the most mind blowing characters ever. i dont knw why the play is called Othello, it should be Iago.
So many votes for Iago, wow, I really gotta read "Othello" this summer. But come on, no one nominated "Little Iago" -- Iachimo of "Cymbeline"? I just finished the play and it was a wicked read. Iachimo absolutely stole the spotlight!
Iago, most definitely...Hands down! He is a pure villain from start to finish. It is the way in which he plans and does it all and has no remorse at the end. He is pure villain and knows the consequences could be either to his advantage or not. He knows he will win but may lose his life. His actions are put into motion and he follows through without hesitation. He is so darn sure of himself he is arrogant and yet the most villainous part of him is his apparent charm and goodness, everyone referring to him as "Good Iago". If I could love a villain, it would be Iago. The reasons have all been stated so eloquently in the last 5 or more posts about him.
Yes, "Othello" is one of my favorite plays, I know it is because of Iago....He mesmerizes me with his scheming. Maybe this play should be named "Iago" and not "Othello". He is more than a plot device. He is the play!
Richard III !!!! Don't ya just hate to love him? LOL!
"And thus I clothe my naked villainy
With odd ends stol'n of holy writ,
And seem a saint,
When most I play the devil."
Therefore, since I cannot prove a lover...
I am determined to prove a villain......
But he'll give it all up to be the hero....
"A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!
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"2. Richard III! This guy rocks! He's a no-brainer for me, since his murderous nature seems revenge against the world for making him deformed. He admits his wrongs instead of denying them like other villains would. He'll say, "Yes, I did Deed X, but I did it for a good reason!" His rationalizations and rampant murdering of seemingly everyone he meets place him so high up on the list."
Well said Cassius614 (5-29-06)! ROFLMAO!!! Sorry....had to quote!!!
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Easy! Iago by far! In my opinion, he's most certainly the greatest villain ever created!
I also love Iago but there's some others I have to give respect to.
Aaron from Titus Andronicus is very devious, and so is Queen Tamora. Their evil deeds make you sick just thinking about them: they execute a plan where they have the main character's daughter, Lavinia, raped, then have her tongue cut out.
They have her tongue cut out so she can't speak the names of her rapists (the Queen's own sons), but, for good measure, they also cut off her hands so she can't write the names of her offenders, or sew them into a tapestry (as according to another Roman myth).
But Titus's revenge on the Queen and her sons is just as gruesome. If you haven't read the play, you need to.
Oh, and Cloten from Cymbeline is the biggest idiot in the Shakespearean cannon and also one heck of a funny guy.
I would have to say that Iago is my favorite by far, but Richard the III is also among my favorite villainous Shakespearian characters.