45 Master Characters (22 page)

Flaws:

• Obsesses about his career.
  

• Gives his attention only to those who can further his career.
  

• Has trouble expressing his emotions.
  

• Can be arrogant.
  

• Identifies with the aggressor when attacked and perpetuates the cycle of violence.
  

• Doesn't handle rejection well.
  

• Lacks spontaneity, hates chaos and is inflexible.
  

As a villain the Businessman is the Traitor. Work comes first to this man. If he sees his company facing disaster he'll go to extreme lengths to cover up any wrongdoing. He'll tell on his co-workers if they do something that threatens the company, even if the company is doing harm. His mental expertise bestows trust on him; many don't have a choice but to trust him because they don't have the knowledge to dispute him. This puts others at his mercy. When things go wrong he feels he's the one to dispense justice, and he does it with a cool but unfeeling demeanor. He can be without mercy because he's been lost for so long inside his head and away from his feelings.

When things get chaotic his emotions fly out of control making him do things he never thought he could. His logical mind holds his emotions at bay, but when situations defy logic his mind is pushed to a breaking point.

He uses rules and order to avoid his feelings. He's a perfectionist with a strong preoccupation for details, rules, lists, order and schedules, which interfere with him actually completing a task. He can't throw anything away. He has trouble letting other people help him with his work unless they submit to his way of doing things. He wants everything to be just so, and when others don't comply he snaps. He's like Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) in the movie
Speed
who plays with Officer Jack Craven (Keanu Reeves) by making him solve puzzles to get to the next clue. He loves to show off his inventions and expertise.

While it's true that most villains don't believe they're bad, this villain truly believes he's the good guy. Others are at fault; they caused the chaos, and he deserves better than that. He wants to show how valuable he is and will prove that they can't get by without him. He'll sell his inventions to the highest bidder because he feels he should get paid for his work.

• Feels undervalued.
  

• Wants respect and recognition for his efforts.
  

• Doesn't have any loyalty once he feels abandoned by the group.
  

• Will do whatever it takes to bring order back into his life.
  

• Wants to teach others a lesson and doesn't feel he's a villain at all.
  

• Can't sit still and accept rejection.
  

• Betrays only those he feels betrayed him.
  

• Is obsessive in his need to organize and work out his plan of attack.
  

• Views people as pawns in a game of chess.
  

• Likes long drawn-out attacks that challenge him as well as his opponent. He may even befriend his rivals.
  

Apollo in Action

Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and Dr. Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce) in
Frasier

Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk) in
Columbo

Roy “The Professor” Hinkley Jr. (Russell Johnson) in
Gilligan's Island

Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in
Star Trek

Richard Fish (Greg Germann) in
Ally McBeal

Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) in
Family Ties

David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) in
Independence Day

Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) in
Ghostbusters

Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) in
Wall Street

Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) in
Speed

Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) in
Jerry Maguire

Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) in
My Fair Lady

Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) in
Pretty Woman

Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) in
Annie Hall

Dr. Alan Grant in
Jurassic Park
by Michael Crichton

Sherlock Holmes in stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Young Goodman Brown in “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hercule Poirot in novels by Agatha Christie

Ebenezer Scrooge in
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens

Willy Loman in
Death of a Salesman
by Arthur Miller

Mr. Darcy in
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen

Macon Leary in
The Accidental Tourist
by Anne Tyler

George Babbitt in
Babbitt
by Sinclair Lewis

Joseph K. in
The Trial
by Franz Kafka

High on the hill overlooking the battlefield, all of the gods watch the war taking place below except for Ares. In full armor, he delightfully joins in the fight. He fights to satiate his lust for blood rather than to win a noble cause. Everything physical is joyous to him, and his passion leaves all in his wake breathless. He is known as the protector of the community and of families, but any reason to join in a brawl is a good enough reason for him.

The Protector is a man who lives in his body instead of his head. He feels everything intensely and craves physical activity of all kinds. He protects the ones he loves so fiercely it seems as if he's fighting for his own pleasure alone. He doesn't need much of a reason to fight or react harshly in a situation.

He lives on eggshells, as if everyone were out to get him. He's like a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. At the same time he can be fiercely loyal and protective, making women feel special and cared for. His sensual nature and bodily expertise make him a great lover. A strong need for spontaneity and risks will drive him in and out of people's lives, making him not someone to commit to.

Career goals aren't foremost in his mind; the future seems far away. His life is full of adventure and risks, and he likes it that way.

An example of the Gladiator archetype, Sonny Corleone (James Caan, third from left) in
The Godfather
has an impulsive, aggressive nature and is fiercely protective of his family.

What Does the Protector Care About?

The Protector loves to get physical. His body is everything to him; it's how he experiences life. Dancing, singing, laughing and fighting — that's him.

He cares about winning the fight whether it's on the football field or in the boardroom, though he's not really the corporate type.

He cares about his friends and family and will jump at any chance to defend them without worrying about the consequences. Every attack on his family and friends is seen as an attack on him. He may channel this intensity to protect others into a charitable cause and can be a great activist. He shines when it comes to battling for others' rights.

Travel and spontaneous women are his favorite pastimes.

What Does the Protector Fear?

There's nothing another person can do to him that would make him feel fear. He fears only losing touch with his body and his abilities. To be sick or paralyzed is the same as death to him. He feels everything intensely.

He fears not being able to protect those he cares about.

He would hate a job where he had to sit at a desk all day, and he doesn't understand men who do. He'd rather take a cut in pay to be a construction worker; at least there's some risk involved.

He hates having to use his mind too much. He prefers to jump to the physical solution to every problem that arises.

What Motivates the Protector?

His biggest motivator is survival. Every attack, small or large, is a threat to his survival. He lives each day on the edge. Any small threat can be the beginning of a larger one, and he'll nip it in the bud. Many harsh words people speak are just that — words — but he takes them very seriously. “Kill or be killed” is his motto. So is “an eye for an eye.”

Life without risk is boring to him. If he's not protecting and defending then he's searching for the next big challenge. He's the first one into the water and loves to make others feel silly for being afraid to follow him. He leads people to take risks with him and enjoy life.