Preview

Antagonist Compare And Contrast Essay

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1329 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Antagonist Compare And Contrast Essay
In most story that is considered “interesting”, there usually are two storylines told parallel to each other, one of the protagonist and one of the antagonist, and for most cases, the one of the antagonist is wrongful, is black and is unfavoured. We define an antagonist is a person or group of people who oppose the main character, an antagonist can ether be a human or a non-human. To be very honest, antagonists barely received any love or sympathy from the audience. The audience, seem to always assume the antagonists is the villain, one who acts for purely selfish reasons and does destructive things with no considerations for the effect they will have on others. An antagonist, however, is more complex than a villain. An antagonist is a …show more content…
I have chosen four motions pictures, “Strangers on a train” and “Psycho” by Alfred Hitchcock, “Gone girl” by David Fincher and “Nightcrawler” by Dan Gilroy, two for each category that they represent two different aspects in order to unravel the big question, to what extend the complex characteristic of the antagonists determine the audience sophisticated criticism?

“Strangers on a Train”, directed Alfred Hitchcock in 1950, tells the story concerning two strangers who meet on a train, amateur tennis player Guy Haines and a charming psychopath Bruno Anthony. Bruno suggests that because they each want to “get rid” of someone, they should “exchange” murders, and that way neither will get caught. Bruno Anthony is a psychopath but he isn’t some loon. This is a man who has mastered the art of manipulation; he’s not just villain but a dangerous one. He is a suave socialite with an extravagant lifestyle: his dress shoes, a silk robe, a tie clip that bears his first name. Bruno gets pampered by his mother with manicures. He knows what he wants and how to get what he wants. Bruno’s aggressive approach at
…show more content…
The film centers on the encounter between secretary Marion Crane, who ends up at a secluded motel after embezzling money from her boss, and the motel’s disturbed owner-manager Norman Bates and its aftermath. Unlike “Strangers on a Train”, where two storylines are told parallel, “Psycho” emphasis Norman Bates, the antagonist suddenly becomes the main character of the movie, when the protagonist, Marion, was killed in after 30 minutes of screening time. One of the reasons Alfred Hitchcock decided to promote Norman Bates narrative line is to unravel the obscure character, who appears more than simply a psychotic murderer. We first meet Norman when the attractive Marion Crane checks into his motel, he appears to be a shy, young man who more or less likeable. It is revealed by Norman himself that he is usually alone with his mother, a situation he clearly regrets. However, when asked more about his abnormal mother, Norman’s passive behaviour suddenly switches to anger, outrageously defends his mother “ It's not like my mother is a maniac or a raving thing. She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?” Later on, as Marion is killed, the role of Norman Bates in the murder is ambiguous, as we only assume Mother is the killer and Norman is just an accomplice, covering up a crime like a dutiful son. It is only at the end of the movie . At

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Give an example from a book you’ve read or a film/T.V. show you’ve seen in which this type of villain exists.…

    • 928 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Antagonist-the main opponent of the protagonist. Readers hope the antagonist would defeat the protagonist. An example of an antagonist would be the wicked witch in The Wizard of Oz.…

    • 136 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Almost every story has an antagonist. The Scarlet Letter and Moby Dick are no exception. The characters that allow evil to manifest itself in these stories are Captain Ahab and Roger Chillingworth. There are many differences in Mr. Ahab and Mr. Chillingworth and how they become evil.…

    • 272 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Everyone is a critic. Whether we realize it or not, people critique things everyday. Though we all critique, there are mediums through which we view things. Three very different films also all take on very different critique styles. This essay will look at three films- Halloween, 300, and Frozen and the different critique styles under which they are viewed.…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    After the death of Norman's father, the pair lived as if they were the only people in the world. When his mother found a lover, Norman went insane with jealousy and murdered them both. Consumed with guilt, Norman "erased the crime" by bringing his mother back to life in his own mind. He stole her corpse and preserved the body. When he was "Mother", he acted, talked and dressed as she would, and when Norman's own personality felt affection toward another person, such as Marion, the "Mother" side of his mind would become extremely jealous; he killed Marion (and two other women) as "Mother". The psychiatrist concludes that the "Mother" personality now has complete control of Norman's…

    • 874 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Antagonist is the bad guy in any story. He/She tries to get what they want. For example, in Peter Pan Captain Hook tries to kill Peter Pan and the lost boys. Of course Captain Hook never succeeds. He’s ether eaten by a giant octopus or a crocodile.…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho Anthony Perkins acted as the original Norman Bates. Perkins’ version of Norman was quite quirky and he gave Norman a certain air of awkwardness. Norman in this film was by no means overly scary or seem off in the slightest in the beginning. With the slight giggle, his stumbling speech pattern and his overall vibe of awkwardness and slightly shyness it is almost hard to believe that this Norman could be the title Psycho, which makes his descent into his psychosis more compelling, more shocking even. Viewers can even sympathize with Norman whenever his mother- at the point of introduction and during the parlour scene- would yell at him. He was more easily liked, while the other Norman was verging on repulsive. This Norman is no where nearly as creepy and overtly sexual in nature as Vince Vaughn’s version of the famous role. The way we see Norman in Psycho (1998) is exactly what the title suggests; a psycho. There is no hiding of the fact that he is probably a murder, just based on how behaves, making this Norman a “campy” character since the audience can easily read and see clearly who and what he is. Even Marion- who is supposedly unaware of her walking into her impending death- seems to sense was very off from the start. His sexual nature is shown time and time again, even as he just meets our protagonist. He is seen checking her out, looking at her is a sexual- but very much creepy and certainly unwanted way- biting and licking lips- in a sexual way. Eventually he even ends up masturbating as he peeps through the hole in the wall, something that most certainly did not happen in the…

    • 1511 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Allusions in Invisible Man

    • 1603 Words
    • 7 Pages

    antagonist; whether to act according to his feelings and instincts, or to try to follow the…

    • 1603 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Answer Key 3

    • 275 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A character faces a conflict because the weather is dangerous. What kind of conflict is this?…

    • 275 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Gathering

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Carmody uses the "good vs evil" theme to show insight into what happens to Nathanial and his evil fighting gang, and how he struggles to break free of the darkness in Cheshunt.…

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the Heat of the Night

    • 649 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Part Two - Assessment. You will compare and contrast the novel and the motion picture in a well written essay, and then provide your opinion as to which you prefer. Note that your preference could be based on which of the two you feel is the more effective detective fiction, the more effective drama, or the more effective in terms of how it reflects the volatile racial climate of the time.…

    • 649 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Never in the entire film is Bates’ desperate. He has the upper hand the entire film. Well I should say that Mother Bates has the upper hand the entire film, and Norman is in fact desperate to shake the persona of his mother. But really in fact he created the persona of his mother to deal with the fact that he murdered her, so is not desperate to get rid of her at all. He is in control of the situation at all times.…

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hero vs Villian

    • 321 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The battle between good and evil is timeless. There comes a time in life when you have to choose a path. Do you want to be the “Hero” or a “Villain?” As a hero you could look back at your life and be proud of the righteous choices you’ve made. As a Villain, you may have contributed in mass chaos and the world’s destruction, however there is also the hidden allure of “The Bad Guys.” Despite the temptation of the villain, it is the hero that should be admired and emulated.…

    • 321 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hero Vs Villain

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Every story needs a bad guy. Who else will create conflict? Or even give the people someone to despise. The villain is one of the most crucial people in literature, movies, and history. The villain is the person who constructs the storyline and brings about the hero.…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Short Stories Review

    • 6946 Words
    • 28 Pages

    Antagonist: Usually the opponent of the main character, who in some way prevents or obstructs the protagonists goal in the story. This is often “the bad guy”.…

    • 6946 Words
    • 28 Pages
    Good Essays