Surrounding Influences on the Development of Villainous Behavior: An Examination of Shakespeare's Villains

Indianapolis, IN

A big question about character is nature versus nurture- are people inherently the way they are, or are the influences that surround them what forms their character? This idea can be applied to Shakespeare's villains; while some of them may be villainous by nature, there are also surrounding influences pushing them toward wrongdoing. Whether in comedies or dramas, these characters are all influenced by their surroundings in a way that could lead them down the path of villainy. One of the major influences on Shakespeare's villains is discrimination from society. Characters are mistreated due to racial, religious, cultural, or physical differences by other characters in the play. However, we should not mistake how a modern audience perceives these discriminatory behaviors with how they were seen by the plays' first audiences. Fundamentally, many of the negative influences that permeate the lives of Shakespeare's villainous characters come down to an idea of otherness.  These characters are picked out and isolated from the rest of society due to something they have no control over, and this idea that they are outcast ferments, causing them to build up resentment toward those around them. All of these villains are separated from good  society, and while their influences are all slightly different, that otherness  pushes them over the brink of destruction.