For me, my favorite villains are those that make me feel like they actually have understandable reasons to do the things they are doing. Say, a villain who is put in a position where they have to commit acts of evil in order to keep their family alive. I also think it can be a good idea to think about how the villain relates to the hero. In the above mentioned example, one could make the hero a mirror image of the villain, where the hero's main reason to fight is to save their own family, so in a way, the hero sees that they have more in common with the villain than he first thought. This is of course just my prefference, as I tend to enjoy stories where the main conflict can also be viewed as an argument over the correct course of action.
You remind me of my grandfather who took me on walks through Cambridge while teaching me its history. It's amazing to think of all the literary history that has taken place around Oxford.
Truly, a great villain does heinous acts, not just for its heinousness, but for the enjoyment of the thrill. For the delight of power, and the freedom to use it. A villain as a whole, is a push of the story's narrative, a plot point, a mountain incarnate. that the protagonist must overcome to bring the growth a sense of weight. If there was an abnormal growth to a character, the reader would think to tell said character to go see a doctor. A good villain sets an example to bring the world to life. Sometimes bringing life through the death of the world, or the object of obsession the protagonist considers their world. With the ingredients for this flavorful cocktale (a bit of wordplay/pun on tale there.) of a villain, I feel it should also be stated that it is up to the writer to flesh out their villain after these main ingredients. After the meat and vegetables, a good dish still needs its herbs and spices to make the dish truly pop. And just like in the real kitchen, this metaphorical and purely hypothetical kitchen, you should feel free to experiment with everything at your disposal. And to be careful not to overcook or season it in the end. Loved the video, it was quite entertaining to watch and learn about everything, Hope you had fun making it. The true villain of this story, was the bell that interrupted you at 0:54. But you overcame its terror with a smile! How awe inspiring.
Ha ha thanks, yes the bell... At the time I carried on but assumed I would use a different take but when I played the footage I thought it was actually quite funny, so I kept it. Glad you found it amusing.
@@TheOxfordWriter The bell added character to the video, something that a lot of creators/news outlets take too seriously, if everything is taken so seriously, I believe it makes the world more grey, so it's a nice bit of fresh air to see it being left in, especially because it made me chuckle as such. always good to take things with a sense of humor from time to time. Loved the video, and hope to see more videos in the future! have a lovely day
I just requested your writing course. I had no idea that you would make me immortal as a bonus. However, that 'trick' appears to get you off the hook for unlimited drinks in heaven!
I found you last night and have enjoyed all of your videos since then. You finally convinced me with that drink offer.🍻 So, I will now click on the link for your free course. P.S. Also, I don't want to be poor, so I may as well become a writer.😂
Dracula is exceptionally potent in the book for being the embodiment of incivility and the worst parts of The Old World that Victorian culture fought against.
Did Vlad impail the donkey instead of the mink because he was afraid of what would happen to him if he impaired a monk, and so settled for a creature the monk cared about instead?
It's not like Vlad the Impaler was a sadistic tyrant doing this to his own people; these were foreign soldiers he impaled (specifically Ottoman POWs), making this not your garden variety crime against humanity but a bona fide warcrime. It was also an effective national defense strategy, as the next Ottoman army to invade only got as far as the forest of impaled Ottomans before turning around and marching right on back to Kostantiniyye.
I am devouring your videos. I love them, but I'm still not sure what a round oxford bus ticket is or how it applies to anything else you say. I do love the shots of oxford though. Makes me wish I was smart enough to even attempt applying when I was 18.
Thanks I really appreciate the positive feedback, and I’m delighted you are enjoying them. As for the bus, well, a round-Oxford bus ticket is just a bus ticket that takes you anywhere in Oxford. The (perhaps obscure ) reasoning went something like this: there are so many literary references in Oxford, so many famous people have studied here, that I will make a lesson and link each one to a specific locale, and use the bus as means of smuggling in some footage of the lovely buildings of Oxford. Did I over-think that one? :) Ah well, I hope you will continue to enjoy the rides, and thanks again.
@@TheOxfordWriter oh I'll play along in exchange for your solid gold writing info. I have to say I'm a little dismayed at your relatively low view count. As an art teacher I wonder how many people will get to experience my paintings and when I see quality things not getting the attention they deserve it makes me wonder when all is said and done wether bringing my art into the world is worth all the effort. But like you said, that would be like a beaver choosing not to build a dam. And now ai has come for both of us I suppose.
@@thomascleveland It's early days, though, building a channel takes time. As for AI, yes indeed. But you artists are at the front of the queue to be sacrificed, writers not too far behind, and then comes the rest of the human race.
@@TheOxfordWriter its strange I thought it would happen the other way around. Artists were supposed to be safer for a much longer time than truck drivers.
I love your videos Dr Pryce but you made me gasp! when you pronounced 'something' as somethink. It's a common problem and in centuries to come it will probably be the correct pronunciation: usage always wins. But in 2024 from an Oxford Don? Gasp!
Hey Oxford Writer, Sauron and Voldemort are pretty cookie cutter villains who lack flamboyance according to your definition, so why do you think LOTR and Harry Potter are so successful despite this? Also these two villains, despite their mediocrity, have become pop cultural icons. Why do you think this is so? Would like to hear your opinions.
I think the power of Lord of the Rings derives from a great story and a brilliantly conceived world & mythology. It's beautiful and haunting. Sauron plays his role in that context. I'm only half serious when I say he is a bit dull. He doesn't need to be developed as a character. It's the same with Blofeld in the Bond movies. People love the movies and don't expect the villain to be developed in depth. That's all fine. But you will never get your hearted twisted and tormented watching Blofeld the way you do watching Iago torment Othello.
