Which villains do you sympathise with?

Lately I have been thinking a lot about villains (most likely due to the fact that I have been discussing the villains of The Abduction Club over at my other blog) and I have realised that I don't dislike all villains actually I rather sympathise with a lot of them. With that said I thought it would be interesting to, over the next week, compile a list of villains or antagonists in period dramas/ classic novels with whom we sympathise with.

Here is my first suggestion:

Mr Willoughby:

John Willoughby is a character from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. He is one of those characters who is his own worst enemy and that is why I feel sorry for him. It is only himself that he can blame for the events that transpired throughout the novel and he knows this. I believe that despite his past actions, which of course I do not condone, he tried to change - because he truly loved Marianne Dashwood. He had every intention of marrying her but when  his past was exposed and his world came crashing down about him he could not cope with the possibility of poverty. It was this desire for wealth and status and his own vanity which were the driving motivation for his leaving Marianne. Also perhaps he believed that Marianne would not have forgiven him for what he had done in the past (just a thought). In order to prevent what he thought was his life falling apart before his eyes, John married the respectable Miss Grey- with fifty thousand pounds and this marriage was indeed his punishment,

 "If you can pity me, Miss Dashwood, pity my situation as it was then. With my head and heart full of your sister, I was forced to play the happy lover to another woman!"  (chapt.44)

Although John's obvious punishment is that of his marriage to Miss Grey, I think what is the worse punishment is the emotional one - the fact that he once had possession of love and lost it. He knew what it was like to be loved and to love and because of his own vanity lost it all, and knowing that never again would he possess all that was dear to him, or ever feel that feeling again. It's tragic and I believe what redeems him as a character is that he shows remorse and blames himself entirely for what he has done.

"But I have done it. To avoid a comparative poverty, which her affection and her society would have deprived of all its horrors, I have, by raising myself to affluence, lost everything that could make it a blessing."  (chapt. 44)

I will post more up for you to see during the week and once the list is big enough I will put it up into a poll and we can see who is generally acknowlegded as the villain/antagonist we sympathise with the most.

I would love to have your thoughts and suggestions on which villains/antagonists you sympathise with!

Entering a course of serious study...

Just a quick post to say, unfortunately due to my university commitments, during the next 4-5 days I most likely wont be posting anything new. I have two major assignments and a test early next week, so in the words of Marianne Dashwood:

"I have formed my plan, and am determined enter on a course of serious study".

Too bad my 'study' is much more boring than I ever imagined Marianne's to be. I will however, still be logging on here during those 5 days (what do you expect there is no way I could last even 1 day without you guys!) so any questions and comments you leave I will read and answer :)

Sorry the promised movie review (The Count of Monte Cristo) still isn't up, I just havent had the time and I don't want to rush through it because I was such an amazing movie. It will definitely be the next post after my break :)
On a another note I am very excited because I have a weekly feature in the works, which I cant wait to tell you all about- after my 'serious study' period. One clue though is that is has a lot to do with Jane Austen :)

Have a wonderful weekend and Thank you as always for reading my blog!

Love Tristans_Isolde xx   

ps. Did you catch the Royal Wedding? It was so beautiful and Kate's dress sure was gorgeous wasn't it! I just loved the lace sleeves :)