Saturday, April 7, 2012

G is for Evil.

I don’t believe in Good, or Evil. This comes as a shock to a lot of people, or maybe it doesn’t. I don’t know. I do believe in right and wrong. And I believe in Grey.

Good and Evil have always seemed a bit too black and white to me, and I think things come in shades of colors. I’ve seen people do things they thought were Good, for all the wrong reasons, and I’ve seen people do things that are Evil to others, for all the right reasons.

Maybe this is why I always feel so drawn to the bad guy in books. The supposedly evil character, especially when they are well written. When I can see their motives, and sympathize with them, because they are the people who are doing things they think are right, or perhaps are for the greater good, or perhaps are just because they are selfish, and you know things won’t work out for them.

Some of my favorite bad guys (and why).

Merick: from Riyara Revelations (I could also list most of the bad guys from this series)

I doubt Merick would think of himself as a bad guy. I think he would think of himself as morally neutral. And that is what makes him awesome. He works for the bad guys, he manipulates the hero’s. He does it all for money. His interests are purely self sustaining. Yet he has moments when he actually cares about the people around him.

Guy Du Bas Terra: from the Rift War Saga:

Again, Guy isn’t exactly a bad guy. Although he fully admits that it’s the way others see him. He is aware that he killed people. He is aware that he has done bad things. But he always believed that he was doing things for the greater good. AND Feist convinced us that he was right, and although the greater good was accomplished regardless. You could see how if Guy had gotten his way, things would still be okay.

Marsh: from the Mistborn Trilogy (which I really didn’t like)

Marsh really got the worst possible deal in this series. Marsh agreed to play double agent for the good guys in the first book. Half way through, we think he died, but really, what happened was that he was changed, turned into a kind of monster. This change cost him his free will, as the books went on, and he went from being a double agent, to really working for evil. He fought his instincts from time to time, and managed to shift things in favor of the good guys, but he was still considered a bad guy for his changing sides.

Do you believe in good and evil? Who are some of your favorite bad guys?

8 comments:

  1. Excellent! I believe humanity for the most part isn't conscious enough to be evil. Really really bad, yes, but truly evil, naah. Ignorant. Which is not an excuse. But on the other hand, I believe we all have the will to good within.

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  2. Great post. I do think good and evil exist, but there's a heck of a lot more grey!

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  3. I believe no one person is inherently evil, and most "evil men" are products of their environment. That doesn't make them a victim, however - it's what we choose to do with the hand we are dealt that makes us good or bad. Great post!

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  4. My favourite 'bad' guy at the moment is Loki from the Thor and Avengers films. Yeah, he's the god of mischief, but he's only 'bad' because that's the way he has reacted to certain things that have happened in his life. Also, he's played by Tom Hiddleston who's impossible to hate!

    Also, I'm passing on a Kreativ blogger award to you :D
    http://spbwriting.blogspot.co.uk/

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  5. I do believe Good and Evil is Black and White. I too am a product of my environment.
    My favorite bad guy at the moment is Dexter. Love that show.
    I really enjoyed your post today.

    Stopping in via the A-Z blogging challenge.

    Bev @ Blue Velvet Vincent

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  6. interesting post and nice meeting you
    do check out my G at GAC a-z

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  7. An interesting post. I to believe in right and wrong and there are things which are unforgivable wrong to do to other people. However, in war good and evil are points of view. The victor is the always liberator.

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  8. I do believe in good and evil, although probably not in conventional terms. :-)

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