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The Greatest Literary Villains of All Time
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<blockquote data-quote="Clint_L" data-source="post: 9612184" data-attributes="member: 7035894"><p>The final showdown: O'Brien vs. Satan. Seems like a mismatch. O'Brien is terrible, don't get me wrong, but Satan has all the branding.</p><p></p><p>[URL unfurl="true"]https://lithub.com/the-best-villains-in-literature-bracket-the-final-showdown/[/URL]</p><p></p><h2><strong>SATAN</strong></h2><p><strong>(1) Satan (John Milton, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/132/9780199535743" target="_blank"><em>Paradise Lost</em></a>)</strong></p><p></p><p>Is evil incarnate just a misunderstood bad boy? Our top seed in the anti-villains category is the Western embodiment of wickedness, whom Milton treated with more depth of character and contradiction than anyone else in his poem. Milton’s Satan is still a fallen angel who corrupts Adam and Eve with sin, but as readers, we feel his alienation and frustrations. It turns out even Satan struggles with big decisions.</p><p></p><p><strong>Weapon of Choice:</strong> Army of Fallen Angels, Apples</p><p><strong>Reasoning:</strong> “Here we may reign secure, and in my choice/to reign is worth ambition though in Hell:/Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven.”</p><p><strong>Number of Furies Fierce As:</strong> 10</p><p></p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a href="https://lithub.com/satanic-sympathies-on-the-demon-depictions-that-helped-jamie-quarto-write-two-step-devil/" target="_blank">Satanic Sympathies: On the Demon Depictions That Helped Jamie Quarto Write Two-Step Devil</a></p><p></p><p><strong>vs.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>(1) O’Brien (George Orwell, <em><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/132/9780451524935" target="_blank">1984</a>)</em></strong></p><p></p><p>Our top seed for authoritarians is this extremely memorable villain from one of the most widely read books about villainy. Orwell’s O’Brien combines all the worst villains from the real world into one of the nastiest guys in literature: he’s a fascist, a boss, and a snitch all rolled into one, a sort-of fascist Megazord, if you will.</p><p></p><p><strong>Weapon of Choice:</strong> Lying, Rodents, Party-Members-Only Wine</p><p><strong>Grim Prediction:</strong> “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.”</p><p><strong>2+2:</strong> 5</p><p></p><p><strong>Read:</strong> <a href="https://lithub.com/75-years-of-1984-why-george-orwells-classic-remains-more-relevant-than-ever/" target="_blank">75 Years of <em>1984</em>: Why George Orwell’s Classic Remains More Relevant Than Ever</a> and <a href="https://lithub.com/george-orwells-1984-is-always-just-around-the-corner/" target="_blank">George Orwell’s <em>1984</em> is Always Just Around the Corner</a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Clint_L, post: 9612184, member: 7035894"] The final showdown: O'Brien vs. Satan. Seems like a mismatch. O'Brien is terrible, don't get me wrong, but Satan has all the branding. [URL unfurl="true"]https://lithub.com/the-best-villains-in-literature-bracket-the-final-showdown/[/URL] [HEADING=1][B]SATAN[/B][/HEADING] [B](1) Satan (John Milton, [URL='https://bookshop.org/a/132/9780199535743'][I]Paradise Lost[/I][/URL])[/B] Is evil incarnate just a misunderstood bad boy? Our top seed in the anti-villains category is the Western embodiment of wickedness, whom Milton treated with more depth of character and contradiction than anyone else in his poem. Milton’s Satan is still a fallen angel who corrupts Adam and Eve with sin, but as readers, we feel his alienation and frustrations. It turns out even Satan struggles with big decisions. [B]Weapon of Choice:[/B] Army of Fallen Angels, Apples [B]Reasoning:[/B] “Here we may reign secure, and in my choice/to reign is worth ambition though in Hell:/Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven.” [B]Number of Furies Fierce As:[/B] 10 [B]Read: [/B][URL='https://lithub.com/satanic-sympathies-on-the-demon-depictions-that-helped-jamie-quarto-write-two-step-devil/']Satanic Sympathies: On the Demon Depictions That Helped Jamie Quarto Write Two-Step Devil[/URL] [B]vs. (1) O’Brien (George Orwell, [I][URL='https://bookshop.org/a/132/9780451524935']1984[/URL])[/I][/B] Our top seed for authoritarians is this extremely memorable villain from one of the most widely read books about villainy. Orwell’s O’Brien combines all the worst villains from the real world into one of the nastiest guys in literature: he’s a fascist, a boss, and a snitch all rolled into one, a sort-of fascist Megazord, if you will. [B]Weapon of Choice:[/B] Lying, Rodents, Party-Members-Only Wine [B]Grim Prediction:[/B] “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.” [B]2+2:[/B] 5 [B]Read:[/B] [URL='https://lithub.com/75-years-of-1984-why-george-orwells-classic-remains-more-relevant-than-ever/']75 Years of [I]1984[/I]: Why George Orwell’s Classic Remains More Relevant Than Ever[/URL] and [URL='https://lithub.com/george-orwells-1984-is-always-just-around-the-corner/']George Orwell’s [I]1984[/I] is Always Just Around the Corner[/URL] [/QUOTE]
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