I don't know where to start here so I'll just start. Today when I was reviewing someone's work in progress, I noticed that I was particularly drawn to the antagonist. In fact, I was seriously questioning what he was about. A tyrant seemed too strong. I also very often question the legitimacy of public opinion to such as those. In any event there are these and there are those and I always come around to the same notion that there has to be a shred of good in all people. That excludes none and that's a hard pill to swallow.


The first lesson of history is the good of evil.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Hebrew phrase comes to mind:

Gam zu le tova. This too, is for the good. or Even this is for the good.

Specifically, I recall:

I Will Not Read Your Fucking Script

and it was a rather hot topic. Whether or not the author of such opinion, Josh Olson, did right by speaking his mind. I say he did, but I understand how the words will bite some people, but behind those words, I never ever felt a bad intention. That's the important thing.

From: GEVURAH OF NETZACH comes this:

I believe in speaking the truth and enjoy my reputation as a truth-teller. Sometimes this trait gets me into trouble, because people do not always want to hear words spoken with such candor. They prefer to live behind partial truths or even the deceptive and seductive bliss of ignorance. Of course, we have to be careful to preserve feelings. That goes without saying. Nonetheless, whether in the form of compliments or criticism, many people would rather have words “sanitized” before they reach their ears. But hearing these revisions would force us to dig deeply to try to figure out what is really being said. The ancient Hebrew prophets had a completely different idea , they spoke the truth. They saw no other option for themselves or for the people of Israel. As s spokespersons for Yah, they had only one choice. And their word were generally not pleasant to hear. They were often words of rebuke or what is called tokhachah in Hebrew. Out of their love for Yah’s people, they felt the obligation to do this. Maybe we should do the same. Or as Jewish folk culture puts it….Better the bite of a friend that the kiss of an enemy….

Immediately, I think of how Josh Olson's words are very strictly NOT SANITIZED and inclusive with Jeff-Speaks-His-Mind-Dreamscale together, DO have a good place and provide a good function-- even, if there be debate, even if feelings get knocked against the stones on the beach and turn into those tiny grainy things. What are they called? Sand. Sand is good.

With the Calgary Expo Comic-Con 2012 still very fresh in my mind, I remember James Marsters speaking on how he likes to play (I'll just say "that" kind of character). What did he say? Well, I know you, James.   But this is just it. It's what I'm talking about. There's something buried within bad characters that make them essentially good-- if we were able to see the whole picture. Which most of us can't. Heck, I can't figure out a rubik's cube, but I know it's possible. Such is the truth of bad equaling out into good-- in the end.

I would like to hear your approach to antagonists. If you haven't yet, check out Stan Lee's comments in the Comic-Con Calgary Expo 2012 thread. He used animals for antagonists   and finally ran out of animals... and the story goes.

Do you care about your antagonists? Do you have feelings for them? Do you have trouble putting them in situations that would cause them harm?

When I think back to old characters that are dusty on my virtual shelf, I feel like the following song. It has some kind of bittersweet quality of goodbad characters that I love.



Sandra

My answer is rather simple...but to all characters, they have to have some good/some evil in them. It's a balance I think. Of course, some will be more evil than good or more good than evil. There is no real pure evil or pure good. Like yin and yang.

Then also, you have to think about external vs. internal when you're talking about characters or people. I mean someone might be totally good on the outside yet have an internal flaw that is really bad. I dunno..just thinkin' out loud

Of course, what do I know?

Quoted from Pale Yellow Then also, you have to think about external vs. internal when you're talking about characters or people. I mean someone might be totally good on the outside yet have an internal flaw that is really bad. I dunno..just thinkin' out loud

This is a really important point. And some people might be coming off as aggressive or manipulative or whatever and what they're really doing is overcompensating, a sort of defense mechanism that has developed, but all out evil? Like you said, there has to be a balance.

It's interesting to take any situation and give regard to the character's particular disposition and how they would react, noting that their particular compulsion (at the time) might be impulsive or calculated and IF that particular compulsion is controlled and calculated and it's (what we might call malevolent) with intent to do harm, then I'm wondering, "What is The Brink?" For what mind? Whose mind? How could such a broken state exist where one plunges into some Hell Pit of hatred for hatred and hatred for hatred's sake? If we were to suppose that such a character could exist (the devil) then we could equally suppose he has all of the attributes of kindness and unconditional love as well. Why otherwise? Since if it were not so, then he would certainly cease to exist, since the nature of reality is based entirely on the contrast of opposites, without which, there is nothing.

Sandra