Villains

Political history is far too criminal and pathological to be a fit subject of study for the young. Children should acquire their heroes and villains from fiction.
- Wystan Hugh Auden, 1907 - 1973

The tragic hero prefers death to prudence. The comedian prefers playing tricks to winning. Only the villain really plays to win.
- Mason Cooley

My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,
And every tongue brings in a several tale,
And every tale condemns me for a villain.
- William Shakespeare, Richard III

In the old days villains had moustaches and kicked the dog. Audiences are smarter today. They don't want their villain to be thrown at them with green limelight on his face. They want an ordinary human being with failings.
- Alfred Hitchcock, 1899 - 1980

In a novel a hero can lay ten girls and marry a virgin for a finish. In a movie this is not allowed. The hero, as well as the heroine, has to be a virgin. The villain can lay anybody he wants, have as much fun as he wants cheating and stealing, getting rich and whipping the servants. But you have to shoot him in the end.
- Herbert Mankiewicz, 1897 - 1953