I've been thinking about villains again. You know, those bad guys (or girls) who make our stories interesting.
Yesterday in my Shakespeare class I discovered that the word villain comes from the same root as villager. The dictionary defines the common root as, "a rustic, a boor."
Huh? How did a person who lives in the country become an evil villain? Sometimes English words change meaning that way.
So I was thinking about villains, and how fun it would be to retell a fairy tale or folk tale from the point of view of the villain.
- "Little Red Riding Hood" from the point of view of the wolf.
- "Cinderella" from the point of view of the evil stepmother.
- "Hansel and Gretel" from the point of view of the witch.
You get the idea.
Pick your favorite tale and try retelling it. How does your villain see the world? Why does the witch want to cook Hansel and Gretel? In your story, you can find out!
