What is a shakespearean villain?

Answer 1

One View:

Shakespeare's most famous villain is Claudius, from his play Hamlet. Claudius kills his own brother (Hamlet's father) in order to become king, as well as marry Hamlet's mother. He is a very dynamic character who is simply the full package, not only being clever and able to think steps ahead of Hamlet in his plotting, but also feels the "heavy burden" of his terrible sin. Other Shakespearean villains are simply evil, such as Iago from Othello, but Claudius feels the guilt of his actions, although he still continues down his evil path despite that.

Another View:

Shakespeare's most famous villain is Richard III. Whether Richard is more villainous than Edmund, or Aaron, or Iago or Claudius (who I would argue is much less villainous than any of the preceding ones), he is certainly more famous. Of the Shakespeare characters that are so well-known that they lend themselves to caricature (as Hamlet does, and as Romeo and Juliet do), Richard is the only villain.

Answer 2

Well I think Aaron from "Titus Andronicus" deserves mention here. Who else could say,

"Oft have I digg'd up dead men from their graves,

And set them upright at their dear friends' door

Even when their sorrows almost was forgot,

And on their skins, as on the bark of trees,

Have with my knife carved in Roman letters

'Let not your sorrow die, though I am dead.'"

Answer 3

A villain is a person who makes a habit of doing things which are wrong for some selfish end or just because he delights in it. Aaron in Titus Andronicus and Iago in Othello basically hate humanity and love making people miserable and dead. Richard III in the play of the same name coolly arranges for the deaths of most of his family so he can be king. Somewhat lighter villains are Don John in Much Ado about Nothing who destroys the happiness of Hero and Claudio for his own amusement, or Iachimo in Cymbeline, who destroys the happiness of Postumus and Imogen to win a bet.

Answer 4

Iago (Othello)

Claudius (Hamlet)

Macbeth (MacBeth)

Richard III (Richard III)