From Prince Hamlet to Mr. Darcy to popular culture’s Edward Cullen,
depressing male characters have been charming heterosexual women and homosexual
males for ages. There’s something about their sullen faces, pale skin, and “the
world is hopeless” attitude that just draws us in. Readers have always loved
their damsels in distresses; it’s time that we acknowledge that it’s just as
easy to fall in love with a tragic prince. Quiet, misunderstood, and with a
metaphorical rain cloud over their head, these male characters tend to do a lot
of thinking. They contemplate societal responsibility, life and death, and
aren’t buying the whole rosy-colored-glasses thing. Their deep thinking and
quiet nature make them come across as philosophical; they observe the world as
by-standers and point out the wrong being done. However, very few of them ever
rise up to be “the macho hero”; they often take the place of the outcast or
underdog. They don’t care for fame or money; instead, these characters thirst
for a different passion whether it is romance or knowledge or societal
acceptance. They don’t mind being invisible, and I think, as readers, we
identify with their need for love and acceptance. At the same time, we feel a
wave of pity and sympathy for these characters that have constant internal
conflict. Depressing male characters with a deep, dark secret are the most
alluring. Though not my favorite, Edward Cullen from the Twilight Series is a prime example. His “secret” is that he’s
really not a normal seventeen year old; other than the fact that he’s filled
with angst, he’s actually a vampire. This dark secret gives the character a
more sinister, animalistic side. It makes him “beast-like”. The internal
struggle of loving his damsel in distress counterpart, Bella Swan, and wanting
to eat her, makes him seem “tragic”, “deep”, and quite frankly, “dreamy”. But
this feature of deep inner turmoil is not unique to Edward Cullen; it’s
actually a spin-off of the Beast from Beauty
and the Beast. Prince Hamlet also “fights his inner beast”. Though this
Shakespearean character is not cursed by physical disfigurement or supernatural
abilities that set him apart from the rest of the human race, his passion and
“madness” (whether the madness is real or staged is up for debate) is the
“beast within”. He is torn inside, wanting to kill King Claudius to avenge his
father (this is the beast-like quality) but at the same time wanting to keep
his morality and rational (the human quality). His sorrowful soliloquies and
philosophical questions regarding the universe make him seem untouchable, and
therefore desirable. In turn, his conflict
with his own inner beast makes the reader want to “save” him. After all, every
manic pixie dream girl needs a depressing male counterpart (you’d understand if
you’ve read my previous blogs). Finally while these depressing characters lack
vivaciousness and seem mostly lethargic, their choice to sit back quietly and
think rather than to rally up the crowd to fight reveals something about
ourselves. It is not easy to be courageous and heroic, most of us are cowards
who see evil in the world but fail to change it, and we identify with their
apprehension to take action. It does not mean that we do not care; it does not
mean that we are heartless. It simply means that we are human. We fall in love
with these sullen male characters simply because they are human. They accept
that they are not fearless and that they make mistakes; this makes these
characters seem genuine, and therefore, lovable.
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