The villain in many works of literature can be as complex as the hero himself; however, this villain that the hero has to fight is not necessarily the only villain that our hero has to worry about. Living inside the hero, the villain is as undeniable and as powerful as it is in the monstrous creatures that are to be fought in a more physical or present way. The true villain in many hero novels is the struggle within the hero himself. This villain is like any other; entering when least expected and being fed by outside sources. The fact remains: they are as deadly as the monsters that attack in the night. Even though the journey of heroes has changed over time, the characteristics of hero and villain alike are as constant as humanity itself.
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In almost all superhero movies or comics, the hardest part of the fight is when the hero’s internal weakness prevents him from being the best he can be. He is no longer fighting the antagonist but himself. The same is true in literature in that the problem is not that the antagonist is no longer the threat, but that the internal struggle has become a harder battle to fight than the beast at hand. For example, Willy Loman tries to fight the company for which he works, but in the end he is defeated by his pride and his mental incapability. Because he is fighting the wrong enemy, he eventually gets beaten down by the one that is stronger: an enemy that he did not even realize …show more content…
For example, in Beowulf, our hero does not enter until Grendel goes “to Harlot...[and snaches] up thirty men” (Raffel l.116, 122). The villain is always there, but he usually chooses to cause the most trouble when the innocent public least expects it. In literature, the antagonist is written in to create tension, or discord. It is due to the presence of a antagonist that the protagonist can emerge. When the true villain of a hero novel is perceived as being internal, this concept becomes harder to understand, but look at it this way: the primary reason for a hero to embark on his journey is not always the only reason. In the same way, the primary villain to fight is not always the only villain. In fact, the villains, no matter the number or magnitude, are always the reason for the hero’s journey. In Beowulf the primary reason for him to go to Danish territory was to defeat Grendel, but the secondary reason was to prove himself: to fight the doubt that was beginning to wage a war inside of him. The secondary reason for the hero journey is, more often than not, the conflict that can not be
In almost all superhero movies or comics, the hardest part of the fight is when the hero’s internal weakness prevents him from being the best he can be. He is no longer fighting the antagonist but himself. The same is true in literature in that the problem is not that the antagonist is no longer the threat, but that the internal struggle has become a harder battle to fight than the beast at hand. For example, Willy Loman tries to fight the company for which he works, but in the end he is defeated by his pride and his mental incapability. Because he is fighting the wrong enemy, he eventually gets beaten down by the one that is stronger: an enemy that he did not even realize …show more content…
For example, in Beowulf, our hero does not enter until Grendel goes “to Harlot...[and snaches] up thirty men” (Raffel l.116, 122). The villain is always there, but he usually chooses to cause the most trouble when the innocent public least expects it. In literature, the antagonist is written in to create tension, or discord. It is due to the presence of a antagonist that the protagonist can emerge. When the true villain of a hero novel is perceived as being internal, this concept becomes harder to understand, but look at it this way: the primary reason for a hero to embark on his journey is not always the only reason. In the same way, the primary villain to fight is not always the only villain. In fact, the villains, no matter the number or magnitude, are always the reason for the hero’s journey. In Beowulf the primary reason for him to go to Danish territory was to defeat Grendel, but the secondary reason was to prove himself: to fight the doubt that was beginning to wage a war inside of him. The secondary reason for the hero journey is, more often than not, the conflict that can not be