From Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds to Agent Smith in
The Matrix, the best villain monologues illuminate a film's themes while also
providing actors with a feast of text to work with in order to create a
memorable character. Discover how to write a gripping villain monologue.
What Is a Villain Monologue?
A villain monologue is a lengthy speech delivered by the
antagonist, antihero, or "bad guy" in a screenplay. Monologues can
address other characters in the scene or be delivered by a single character to
themselves or the audience. In storytelling, monologues serve a specific
purpose: they provide more information about a character or the plot to the
audience. They can be used carefully to share a character's internal thoughts
or backstory, or to provide more specific details about the story. The term
"monologue" is derived from the Greek roots for "alone" and
"speak," and it is the inverse of the term "dialogue,"
which is derived from the Greek word for "conversation."
Villain monologues can reveal the speaker's inner humanity
or serve to highlight the bad guy's wickedness. Although strong actors can
bring these characters to life, movie monologues begin with a great
screenwriter.
How to Write a Villain Monologue
To create the best version of your villain monologue, follow
these steps:
1. Identify the goal of the monologue. Monologues can
advance the plot, explore character backstories, and much more. Understand how
your monologue works and how it fits into the overall structure of your script.
Make sure that every word you say is deliberate.
2. Listen to your monologue read aloud. When you've finished
writing your monologue, read it aloud and then have an actor or peer read it to
you. Consider how natural the speech sounds and whether your specific villain
would deliver this monologue.
3. Instill truth in your villain. Though your character
is made up, their evilness may be symbolic rather than realistic. Place the
villain in context. Beyond their malice, villains should have goals, reasons
for their actions, and a three-dimensional personality.
4. Experiment with various forms. Villain monologues come in
a variety of styles. There are origin stories (in which a character explains
why they act the way they do), torture descriptions (in which the villain
describes the violence they intend to commit), and appeals for sympathy (in
which a character expresses remorse for their wrongdoing).
5. Go over your monologue again. After drafting and hearing
your monologue, make any necessary changes. Some sections may be unclear or
overwritten; edit your writing until it conveys your intended message.
Tips for Writing Villain Monologues
These three pointers will assist you in writing lean and
powerful villain monologues for your script or screenplay.
1. Oppose your protagonist's characteristics or speech patterns.
If your protagonist speaks quickly and cheerfully, give your antagonist a dark,
measured cadence. Villains can act as foils to your main characters, and
monologues can highlight this contrast.
2. Position your villain monologue toward the end of
the narrative. In some stories, but not all, the antagonist is a supporting
character rather than the protagonist. As a result, you must allow the audience
or readers time to become acquainted with the character. Only after that point,
and often during a final confrontation, should your villain get their shining
moment to change or confirm the audience's perceptions of this character.
3. Create a catchphrase for your villain. The power of
threes is sometimes used by writers: Repetition is an effective tool, and
repeating a phrase three times in a story can assist audiences in following a
story's beginning, middle, and end. If your villain has a catchphrase, have
them say it near the beginning, rising action, and climax.
Examples of Great Villain Monologues
There are many great monologues for movie villains in
Hollywood. Some well-known examples from television and film include:
1. Apocalypse Now (1979): In his monologue,
Colonel Kurtz describes the horrors of war, including poisoning children with
polio. Kurtz concludes that the best soldier is one who is unable to feel and
instead transforms into a killing machine devoid of empathy.
2. The Matrix (1999): When Agent Smith
interrogates a captured Morpheus in the cyberpunk film The Matrix, he reveals
his plan to destroy Zion, the underground city where those who have escaped the
Matrix go to find freedom. The monologue emphasizes how Smith is Morpheus's
opposite: The latter seeks to break free from it, while the former has chosen
to live within a planned system.
3. The Incredibles (2004): Even an animated film
can have a great villain monologue. Syndrome, a character in The Incredibles,
tells his origin story: he was a fan of Mr. Incredible and wanted to be his
sidekick, but Mr. Incredible rejected him. Syndrome became enraged and
manifested artificial superpowers to wreak havoc on the Incredibles.
4. The Dark Knight (2008): This Christopher Nolan
film, which takes place between Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight Rises
(2008), features a few famous supervillain monologues from The Joker (2012).
The Joker first tells Bruce Wayne's love interest Rachel about his scars, and
then he tells Batman how similar the two are.
5. Inglourious Basterds (2009): Hans Landa, an
anti-Semitic SS officer, delivers a monologue disparaging Jews and the police
to hawks who must hunt rodents to keep the circle of life going. This film, set
in World War II, and Landa's monologue highlight the ideologies that led to the
persecution of countless lives.
6. Game of Thrones (2011“2019): Cersei Lannister
is a power-hungry character who receives numerous monologues throughout the
eight seasons of this hit HBO drama. She torments Ellaria Sand, who poisoned
Cersei's daughter, near the end of the series. Cersei explains the retaliation
she will exact on Ellaria's imprisoned daughter.
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