Essentially, people are not born as heroes or villains; they’re simply shaped by their circumstances. While heroes are applauded for various reasons, villains tend to be personified as deplorable individuals who affect other people negatively. Although I agree wholeheartedly that a villain is bad, if we delve deeper within their stories, we learn that they were not rotten at heart since birth. Usually, it is their circumstances that mould their character. Be it Scar who was formed by a series of unfortunate events, or Maleficent who became vile because of treachery or the Grinch whom we know for having stolen Christmas, all these villains had a latent side which never got projected to the audience. Therefore, I strongly believe that a villain is not born bad but is the creation of one’s circumstances.
Scar
Scar, as many of us might know, is the antagonistic lion in The Lion King franchise. It can be accentuated that Scar underwent countless circumstances that made him a villainous individual. A character deeply affected by his failures to meet his own expectations, Scar is led into the murky depths of jealousy and malice when Mufusa poses to have better qualities of becoming a good leader. Being bitten by a venomous snake, the poison of resentment flows within his blood and the last thunderclap comes when Sarabi, the lioness he likes, displays fondness towards Mufasa. Left totally desolate by his trying circumstances, Scar is swayed towards a villainous personage.
Maleficent
Even villains like Maleficent were not odious since birth. In the 2014 Maleficent movie, this villain has been portrayed as someone who was shaped by daunting circumstances. In the movie, one trails through how Maleficent lived a peaceful life in the enchanted forest. She was extremely close to Stephen ( Aurora’s father), until one day he stole her wings to prove that he had killed her. This led Stephen to become the king and it led Maleficent to become resentful at this treachery. She then goes on to display that exasperation on the baby Aurora. One may say that Maleficent should have forgiven Stephen. But, some things are easier said than done, and forgiving someone for treacherous stealing is difficult to come by. Thus, one can surmise that Maleficent was indeed a villain who was shaped by her situations.
Grinch
Finally, we reflect back on the Grinch. The Grinch was a villain who despised Christmas so much that he went to the extent of trying to steal it, but what was the primary cause of this bitterness? In the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas, we learn that the Grinch was shaped by the treatment meted out to him in his class. He was guffawed at by his classmate, Augustus Maywho, for having a peculiar demeanor. Additionally, he had no parents, thus, he had no one to display compassion towards him. These circumstances led to him living over the edge and becoming a Christmas-hating individual.
Villains are often misapprehended individuals. People perceive them as characters who find absolute contentment in the vile things that they do, but behind every villain, one will usually find a broken heart. Scar, Maleficent and the Grinch are only some of the many villains whose stories have gone unheard. If we were to delve deeper into the stories of any villainous character or person, we would find not just black but plentiful shades of grey. Hence, I strongly believe that no one is born villainous; they are simply a product of their circumstances.
Writer : Aarna Sharma
Grade : 8 (Year 2025)
Place : Sydney, Australia
