Shakespeare; Then and Now "notion of a Villain Outsider"

Vi Nguyen

Timothy Fairbairn

603-325-HR

Shakespeare: Then and Now

November 29, 2012

Notion of a Villain Outsider

Revenge is an essential act to figures that have been treated unjustly in literature. Characters' evil deeds are a result of their maltreatment, in means of establishing equality. The perception of villains as outsiders is found in Shakespeare's plays; Much Ado About Nothing and Titus Andronicus. Don John and Aaron are two villainous characters that are distinguished as outsiders. Other characters within the plays lack human values towards Don John and Aaron, which sets these characters apart from the society. Shakespeare establishes Don John's and Aaron's social status from other characters within his plays. The separation of these characters brings about their acts of revenge. The displacement of Don John and Aaron in their society significantly influences them to perform unforgivable deeds as means of establishing equality. The consequence of Don John's and Aaron's crimes is rejection from the society in which they live. Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Titus Andronicus illustrates the concept of the villain as an outsider due to the lack of perspective of human values towards these villain characters. In that discrimination, we see the characters' status as a villain through their unjust actions that is persecuted and condemns them to isolation in their society.

Shakespeare introduces Don John and Aaron as dehumanized characters from their own and others perspective of themselves. In these moments of dehumanization, Don John and Aaron are categorized as outcasts from the general public. From Don John's perspective, he describes his personal characteristics with inhumane references, which in turn dissociates himself from societal acceptance. This is evident when Don John refers to himself as;

"...a canker in a hedge than a rose in his [Don Pedro's] grace...it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain. I am trusted with a muzzle and enfranchised with a clog; therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage. If I had my mouth, I would bite; if I had my liberty, I would do my liking. (1.3. 25-26, 29-35).

In this citation, Don John not only accepts his maltreatment, but singles himself from the other characters. He dissociates himself from the society when he clearly presents his social status as a villain. Instead of trying to conform, Don John characterizes himself as restrained animals which portray his resistance towards the society. Aaron however is degraded because of the nature of his skin. Bassianus differentiates Aarons' race and devalues him in comparison to Tamora during their misconduct in the woods;

"Believe me, Queen, your swart Cimmerian

Doth make your honor of his body's hue,

Spotted, detested, and abominable.

Why are you sequest'rèd from all your train,

Dismounted from your snow-white goodly steed,

And wand'red hither to this obscure plot,

Accompanied with but a barbarous Moor,

If foul desire had not conducted you?" (2.3. 72-79).

Bassianus refers to Aaron as a 'cimmerian', denoting Aaron's skin color as perpetual darkness. For Bassianus to compare Aaron's skin color to Tamora's bent honor, it depicts the social status of Aaron in comparison to the other Romans. Ultimately in this excerpt, Bassianus represents the collective acceptances and indicates that Aaron is an interloper. As a result of Don John's and Aaron's characterization, their "separateness and refusal to indulge in [society]... reminds us that the solutions to society's confusions do not lie in withdrawal" (Davis 5). Presently, Don John isolates himself from the society in which he is a bastard prince and Aaron is distinguished by the nature of his skin. From a social and mental perspective, Don John debases his social status to differentiate himself from other public figures; Aaron on the other hand is degraded because his hue is subjected to racial discrimination.

As a result, Don John and Aaron perform unforgivable crimes in means of revenge to obtain equality because they are disjoint from their society. Don John and Aaron engage in foul play to re-establish their status within their society. Don John devises a method to meddle with Claudio's and Hero's marriage as a mean to assert his social status, "Any bar, any cross, any impediment will be medicine to me. I am sick in displeasure to him, and whatsoever comes athwart his affection ranges evenly with mine. How canst thou cross this marriage?" (2.2. 4-8). In this excerpt, this is a method for Don John to establish equality but it is also a source of his medication to cope with the society. It is evident that any source of happiness