Sympathy for a villain ?
Asked by: Lori Harder
How do you sympathize a villain?
Subscribe to receive this extra resource.
- Villains Aren’t Necessarily Antagonists. Let’s not mix up villains with antagonists. …
- Define Evil. …
- Consider the Villain’s Perspective. …
- Weave an Intricate Backstory. …
- Give The Villain An Admirable Trait. …
- Explain the Villain’s Motivation. …
- Give Your Villain a Personality.
Why do I feel sympathy for villains?
From the University of Southern California comes a study that says the human brain feels more empathy for villains than people we actually like. Watching evil doers suffer activates that part of the brain involved in empathy far more than watching a liked one.
What is a sympathetic villain?
The sympathetic villain or anti-villain is one with the typical traits of a villainous character but differs in their motivations. Their intentions to cause chaos or commit evil actions is driven by an ambiguous motivation or is not driven by an intent to cause evil.
How do you make a reader sympathize with a villain?
Here are some tips:
- Show them caring about something. Give them a dog, a kid sister, a beloved cricket, anything. …
- Make them vulnerable. If a character appears invincible it’s hard to identify with them as a living and breathing human being. …
- Give them quirks. …
- Justify their motivations. …
- Show their wounds.
How do you make readers feel sorry for a character?
Instead of stating that a character is sad, describe their trembling lips and watery eyes. By showing rather than telling, writers are better able to trigger readers’ emotions by allowing them to feel as though they are experiencing what the character is feeling. Build up to intense emotions for greater impact.
Why do we love villains?
Studies have proven that we are more likely to sympathize with characters who are similar to us. Good guys are often portrayed in movies as nearly perfect, and it’s hard to relate to them. We all have our own imperfections and a dark side. So, villains are often more realistic than good guys are.
What is the difference between empathy and sympathy?
Sympathy involves understanding from your own perspective. Empathy involves putting yourself in the other person’s shoes and understanding WHY they may have these particular feelings. In becoming aware of the root cause of why a person feels the way they do, we can better understand and provide healthier options.