Why We Root For Some Antagonist Portrayed in Film, Literature and Article - 1

Why We Root For Some Antagonist Portrayed in Film, Literature and Television - Article Example The second example is the main character of the series Revenge, whose plot, regardless of whom it hurts, is aimed at selfish revenge. A different example, as reviewed by Cowden (2014) is the Ruthless killer in captain America, the movie. He is ruthless killer whose memory is frequently erased so that he lacks the emotions of regret. This is worse when he beats a friend he had. Throughout the movie, the watcher is still hopeful that his memory is regained to stop the evil nature. The big question is why do we secretly love and enjoy these kinds of characters yet they are schemers, evil, horrific and merciless? The first reason for hating while loving the antagonists is the fact that these characters are a reflection of who we are. If not for rules and the law, most people would be involved in evil and negative acts. Therefore, watching someone else do what we consider evil and hide within brings a sense of commonness and adventure to the viewer. Secondly, according to Langley (2012), the psychological mindset of reactance is also another reason.. He reports that the human always desires what is prohibited. Since the society is against actions of villainy, the psychological reactance makes us to root for the survival of the bad guy. Another reason for the love for villains is revenge. In most cases, villains are motivated by revenge. We understand and recognise their feeling and the spirit behind the revenge(Vivanco, 2012). Vivanco (2012) also explains the fundamental attribution error that makes us love the antagonists. It is noted once a person understands the need of a stranger they are likely to treat them as they would have desired to be treated. Another reason for the love of villains is the psychological mindset that beautiful is good. Most people view people that are physically attractive as good and hence are held in high regard. The villains in most of the films