The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-05-05
THE VILLAIN.

OF course, we VIII regard the villain
only as he figures in literature. We
ali know the type has become extinct
in real Iife,1 that now, il gentle
man. actnated by some overpowering
motive of envy, hatred or mallce, or
any uncharitableness, chooses to de-
fraud. murder or otherwise incon-
venience his neighbor. ne is troubled
by no compuuctious yjsitings of
nature, or of law. He simply ex-
plains (by means of few thousand
dollars) that his vast intellect has be-
come perverted, that he is insane.
Then. the lawyer, proves this fact be-
yond doubt, by showing bis friend,
being endowed with one of those
three story intellects with sky lights
(said sky lights being caused by
cracks in said brain,) is indeed
wrought upon by vast emotions UNI
known of baser mortals, and is there
fore beyond the pale of justice.
AND THUS THE VERDICT READS.
$50 let the mad man rave, rave, and let the
mad man rave"
Now, as we want to trace the career
of the villain and not the idiot, you
see as a matter Of necessity, we will
have to turn to books to satisfy our
purpose. So to begin the history.
On the first appearance of this in
teresting creature on the stage, he is
dressed in full regimentals, in fact,
there is no installing him.
The cloyen foot, the great horns,
the baleful eyes, the prodigiously
red gums, and the glistening white
teeth. all serve as so many letters to
spell the name of Satan.
Well, sometimes it surprises us to
think that this impressive arch-fiend,
is regarded only as clown in the old
mystery and miracle plays; and that
the joke of the farce always consists
in showing his utter defeat and conse-
quent chagrin. We look appalled,,
at the case with which, in those days,
Righteousness outwitted the too wise
one
But, it must be said, this interpre-
tation of the character did not last
long, and, IN few centuries, after
the .world had wagged apace, we
find Monsieur Diable is apparently a
new being. He is now branded by no
peculiarities of dress or person, and,
except for little more cunning, and q
little more wickedness, is not unlike
other gentlemen.
Now, then, that evil is recognized
as powerful element, we find tragedy
Gas old as the ages) is for the first time
represented in fiction.
And thus the conflict loses all mirth
fitness. The two great factors of The
world, the principles of light and o.
darkness rage terrible war, and The
battles are fierce indeed. And though
the truth Away conquers, there is in tn,
end no joy. The struggle has been toe
exhausting, it has caused too mucl
life-blood for the triumph to be cele
brated by ought save gratitude.
Now that the evil genius has as
sumed the form of man, we find hin
much more complex than of old
The reason Of which is, as everyone
knows, that there are two natures il
contention; the divine aud the diabolic
Of course, in trashy novels. the vii
lain is painted only in black
He exists simply as an instrument te
ensnare the hero with the god-likt
brow and wonderful stupidity, INTO al
sorts of traps and awkward. blood
curdllng dilemmas. He never has :
redeeming quality, he is a great
moral monster; however, in authors 0,
power, this conception is never shown
Even Iago. who is rightly considered
the king of villains, has provocatior
for his treachery. Of course, the evi
he commits outweighs his cause
otherwise his career would be one O
justice, not of crime. Still, the poini
/ is, he has cause. As this character
is the model from which most of his
class are formed, it may not be out O
place to note the two traits that give
him his power for evil. They are
easily detected. Intellect and heart
lessness-these are the qualities
Combined, they form the ideal schemer
When fully developed at first, they de
not interest us as much as when VIZ
see their gradual growth. Thus
George Elliot's delineation of the char
acter OF Tito MAIZENA, is SO wonderful
because she shows his gradual loss o
moral worth and his slow assumption