characters you hate to love or love to hate- Page 2

[Weez]

Posted: 9/25/06 at 3:22pm

Ooh, another slightly-ashamed Jamie (Last Five Years) fan here. It's silly really; everything about me suggests I should be identifying with Cathy, but I still find myself preferring Jamie all the way. No idea why. O_o

Also: the Woman In Black. I LOVE to hate her! I saw the play nearly three weeks ago now and it scared me so badly that I keep dwelling on it and making myself scareder and scareder and scareder. What can I say? I get a kick out of being terrified.

[Zyla]

Posted: 9/25/06 at 11:34pm

This is an interesting thread topic.

I agree with those who "hate to love" Jamie from TL5Y - he's so selfish, but somehow likeable. It probably has a lot to do with the quality of his songs...and often (e.g. on the cast recording!) the actor's beautiful voice.

In melodrama, pantomime, etc., the villains are often so evil that you have to hate them, but so hilariously over the top that you can't help but love them.

There's the Rocky Horror Show, where (at least) half the fun comes from yelling insults at the characters. "A**hole! Slut!"

If I may name some characters that are not from stage musicals... I have to mention the movie Singin' in the Rain. (I believe there's a stage version, but I've never seen it.) I think Lena Lamont is a wonderful, hilarious villain, not to mention smarter than she looks. What can I say - I love her! In comparison, the other characters seem, to me, to be bland, goody-two-shoes types; I only like them because of their incredible dancing.

And finally...Iago from Shakespeare's Othello. "Honest Iago" - hah! I think he's a perfect example of evil incarnate, which is magnified by the other characters' trust in him. I have yet to see the play onstage, but, while reading the text, Iago seemed so vivid to me that I wanted to throw the book across the room and shout something like "Cassio, no! Don't trust him! He's evil...he'll be your ruin! He'll kill you! He'll kill you all!" It's one of my favorite plays to read.
In short, I'm crazy about that horrible, conniving, vicous b*st*rd.