Brittish Villian Complex

Standard storyteller formula dictates that in order for there to be a hero, or heroine, a villain must exist. In fact, “if villainy hadn’t existed it would have been necessary for the creators of the world’s literature to invent it. In most stories villains provide the plot and make virtue interesting” (Mortimer vii). Why? Because, while we like to see the hero succeed at defeating all odds and saving the day, we absolutely love to hate the villain because he is what makes the hero and his victory so powerful. “The word ‘villain’ has many meanings, from the condemnation of the most serious offender to a term of endearment…The police call anyone with a criminal record a villain, so the word can be applied to the steadiest and most skilled of safe-blowers, the sort of man who votes Conservative, organizes seaside trips for deprived children, and wouldn’t hurt a fly”(ix). It can also be applied, and in this case, will be applied, to the supernatural creatures that woul...