Monday 9 May 2011

Villains we sympathise with (Part 1),

Here are two more villains which I think many people sympathise with:

Carver Doone:

Carver is one of the villianous Doones of R.D Blackmores Lorna Doone. The Doone's are a wild, lawless and brutal outlaws and Carver is their future leader. Carver is betrothed to the beautiful Lorna Doone and although Carver is able to have anyone he wants he truly wants Lorna because he loves her. However Lorna doesn't reciprocate these feelings, as she is in love with another man, John Ridd. Carver is extremely jealous and risks his life, that of the Doone's and jeopardises the future and the existance of the Doone hideout in order to get Lorna back from John. Carver's love for Lorna totally overtakes him and is eventually the death of him. In his last moments he is sinking in a bog and refuses to take the staff which is extended out to him by John Ridd.
Carvers life is a tragic one, he loved but never felt love, he saw everything that the generations before him work for their entire lives collapse before his eyes only after a short time in his command. However Carver's final moments show his spirit in the fact that he would never give up or give in.



Henry Crawford:

Henry Crawford is one of the key characters in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Along with his sister Mary, he causes a lot of havoc within the Bertram/Price family. After failing to snap-up one of the Bertram sisters- Maria Betram, Henry settles upon their un-appreciated cousin simply to amuse himself and with every intention of making her fall in love with him. However Henry, in his pursuits is the one who falls in love, and reforms himself entirely to show Fanny how seerious he is about her. When reading the book (which is one of my favourites) I really don't like the character of Henry however I think he does give an effort to change for the sake of Fanny. He goes to a lot of trouble to prove his love is not inconstant and unfortunately despite everything his does fall short and his proposals to Fanny are rejected.
Henry is, pehaps considered a villain we sympathise with because when he tries to change and prove his feelings are true, he is rejceted and humilliated. Although I do not agree with his actions after (or before for that matter) he fall in love with Fanny (running off with the married Maria Betram) I can understand his disappointments may lead him this way. And I do believe Fanny's refusal hurt him alot.

Can you think of any other villains we may sympathise with?

4 comments:

Jujube said...

I do sympathize with both of those villains though I don't really like them.

Mel said...

I agree totally I don't like either of them at all, but I do feel a little sorry for both of them :)

Miss Laurie said...

I do sympathize with Carver Doone a bit, but I think that he didn't really love Lorna. If he had loved Lorna there was a point where he would have left her alone to be happy even though he couldn't be happy with her.
I've never liked Henry Crawford or felt any sympathy for him. I don't think he could change if he tried and I don't think he ever really loved Fanny, he just wanted her because she was the only woman who didn't give him the time of day because she saw through him. I'm so glad that Fanny stuck by her principles, if she had married him I fear she would have been stuck caring for her children at Enscombe far away from her family and friends while her husband gallivanted around with ladies like her cousin Maria. That he eloped with Maria was proof to me of his complete corruptness. Too bad!

All of Jane Austen's villains are quite interesting though!

~Miss Laurie
Old-Fashioned Charm

Mel said...

Miss Laurie: You make some great points. I can easily see how you don't think Carver really loved Lorna, I guess I just think because of the way he was brought up he wasn't able to express it as much as he wanted to.
Your thoughts on Henry Crawford are great! I really enjoyed reading them! I read Mansfield Park again only a few days ago and I must say I do still feel sorry for him- unfortunately hehe.