Evil Male Characters in Drama?

[Rudy2]

I have been wracking my brain, and I cannot come up with a list of truly evil male characters. Perhaps the list of truly evil female character is short, too. Does anyone have any suggestions of characters I'm overlooking?

From my point of view, Danforth from "The Crucible" is not a true villain, because he truly believes what he's doing is right. That's not someone with evil intent.

I would think of Regina from "The Little Foxes" (as played by Bette Davis in the film, at least) as being a bascially evil character - not a trace of kindness or compassion seeps out of her. That's the basic idea.

[bobs3]

Iago.

“What makes Iago evil? Some people ask. I never ask.”
Joan Didion, PLAY IT AS IT LAYS

[AEA AGMA SM]

Are you limiting the question to non-musicals? Because I would say in Sweeney Todd both Judge Turpin and the Beadle are pretty downright evil characters.

[South Fl Marc]

Tennessee Williams has some great evil male characters.

Jabe in Orpheus Descending shoots his wife and then blames her lover and gets the townspeople to burn him to death.

Boss Finley in Sweet Bird of Youth.

[Queen of the Night]

This is familiar to me from the opera, but as it is based on a play, I would add Baron Vitellio Scarpia from Sardou's "La Tosca". He's pretty vile and he knows it and likes it that way.

Of course, Iago was the first person I thought of. He is evil incarnate.

[AEA AGMA SM]

I would also add Aaron the Moor from Titus Andronicus. He has little motivation other than his love of committing evil acts. He persuades Chiron and Demetrius to kill Bassianus in order to "woo" (i.e. rape) Lavinia. He is the false messenger who persuades Titus to cut off his hand to save his sons after being framed for the murder of Bassianus, when in reality he knew that it would not save them. Upon his execution his one regret is that he did not commit more evil acts during his life. Now that is evil.

[henrikegerman]

others from Shakespeare: Richard III, King John, Don John, Cornwall, Edmund

[artscallion]

Deathtrap

[NoName3]

Mephistopheles in Faust and the equivalent character in nearly every adaption of the Faust legend including Applegate in Damn Yankees.

Dracula.

Sweeney Todd. Until Christopher Bond gave him a sympathetic backstory in the 1970's (the basis for Sondheim's version), Todd had since the Victorian age traditionally been played as a demonic, bloodthirsty madman. His most famous early 20th century interpreter, Tod Slaughter, specialized in such roles during his later career.

Simon Legree in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Although the "evil villain" became a stock character in 19th century melodrama, UTC was originally considered a realistic depiction of slavery.

[DEClarke]

Macbeth, certainly Macbeth counts.

Dr. Frankenstein (he only tries to play God and then abandons his creation)

Uncle Peck in HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE (Maybe...)

Lestat (from LESTAT)

Creon (from ANTIGONE)

Laius (from OEDIPUS REX)

A lot of times, I think "evil" males are kind of seen as protagonists or given a reason to be "evil," so we may not think of them as truly evil. But they are malevolent none-the-less. Or they are minor roles...

[AEA AGMA SM]

I don't know how far from the source it veered, not being overly familiar with the show, but in every novel after Interview with the Vampire Anne rice went out of her way to show that Lestat was not evil, Louis was just giving a skewed account without realizing Lestat's true motivations. Even events from the first book are given a new spin in the later novels, particularly The Vampire Lestat.

[DEClarke]

I didn't see LESTAT either... I guess because of Interview, I always think of him as extremely malevolent.

[lenstersf]

Senator Joe Cantwell in The Best Man

[DEClarke]

Karl Linder from RAISIN IN THE SUN/CLYBOURNE PARK

[blaxx]

Deathtrap

Greedy to the extreme, maybe. But not evil.

[Jordan Catalano]

Lea Michele

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

I was going to mention someone specific to this board. Jordan... I love your selection. from RC in Austin, Texas

[Jungle Red]

I've read and seen a lot of theater and I don't know if anyone is intently evil. Lady Macbeth, maybe, but only in her ambition. The characters listed here all have good intentions. They don't know they're evil.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

The Picture of Dorian Gray has been dramatized. Does that count?

[Wynbish]

I'm sure there are parts in more melodramatic material or stories that are not as deep. Sheriff of Nottingham, for some reason, comes to mind.

[MKunkel]

Jonathan in Arsenic and Old Lace.

[Wynbish]

^ That is a good one. Even when he was a boy, he would torment Mortimer

[Gothampc]

Macheath and Peachum in The Beggar's Opera aka Threepenny Opera

[GlindatheGood22]

I don't think Macbeth is evil. His lady, maybe, but not him.

[Gothampc]

What about the Emcee in Cabaret? I guess he's open to interpretation.

[bobs3]

I disagree about Creon in Antigone. He believes in the law and is upholding the law whether one likes the law or not.