Abstract
The most effective Nemesis characters are those with a specific psychological connection to the Protagonist. Writers explore this possibility by asking the question: “What does my Protagonist fear the most?” Often, it is the shadow aspect of the Protagonist’s psyche representing negative impulses and repressed associations. If the Nemesis is the physicalization of the Protagonist’s deepest fears, the personal nature of this dynamic intensifies the story’s central psychological struggle. This chapter explores the Nemesis as Opposition, Conflict, and Shadow, citing dozens of examples from classic and contemporary movies and television series including The Shape of Water, Twin Peaks, Die Hard, Silicon Valley, Aliens, and the Dark Knight trilogy.
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Notes
- 1.
In The Shape of Water, there are two Mentor figures: Elisa’s friends Giles and Zelda. The Trickster is Robert Hoffstetler, a doctor at the military facility, who is in fact, a Soviet spy. Ultimately, he allies with Elisa as she orchestrates Amphibian Man’s escape from captivity.
- 2.
Syd Field, Screenplay: The Foundation of Screenwriting (Bantam Dell, 1984), p. 25.
- 3.
Scott Myers, Why do we find conflict entertaining, Go Into The Story, June 13, 2012, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/why-do-we-find-conflict-entertaining-5ec73b998972.
- 4.
Scott Myers, The Power of Conflict in Storytelling, Go Into The Story, February 19, 2020, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-power-of-conflict-in-storytelling-96b5acc6c3b9.
- 5.
Alien, screenplay by Dan O’Bannon, story by Dan O’Bannon & Ronald Shusett, Twentieth Century Fox, 1979.
- 6.
James Cameron, writer-director of Aliens, crafted a clever twist on the original movie. In Alien, the ship’s Science Officer (Ash) is revealed to be an android whose prime directive is to save the life of the Alien. In Aliens, Ripley does not trust the ship’s android (Bishop); after all, Ash attempted to kill her. However, Bishop turns out to be a staunch ally to Ripley. Thus, the android in Alien, who is a Trickster, is transformed in the sequel to be a Mentor figure. The Trickster role in Aliens is provided by Carter Burke, the crew’s representative of the Weyland-Yutani corporation.
- 7.
C. G. Jung, “Psychology and Religion: West and East,” Collected Works XI (Princeton University Press, 1969) para. 131, p. 77.
- 8.
C. G. Jung, “Alchemical Studies,” Collected Works XIII (Princeton University Press 1970), para. 335, p. 265.
- 9.
C. G. Jung, “Two Essays in Analytical Psychology,” Collected Works VII (Princeton University Press, 1981) para. 35, p. 130.
Further Study
The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro (author), Daniel Kraus (author), Feiwel & Friends, March 2018.
On Set For ‘The Shape of Water’: Guillermo Del Toro “Bled” To Realize His Most Ambitious Project Yet, Joe Utichi, Deadline, December 27, 2017, https://deadline.com/2017/12/guillermo-del-toro-interview-on-set-shape-of-water-1202232620/.
The Risk Always Lives: Words to Live by on the Set of James Cameron’s ‘Aliens,’ Tim Pelan, Cinephilia & Beyond, September 4, 2019, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/aliens/.
An Agency of Chaos: Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight,’ Tim Pelan, Cinephilia & Beyond, Feb 17, 2019, https://cinephiliabeyond.org/the-dark-knight/.
The Nemesis as the Protagonist’s ‘Shadow,’ Scott Myers, Go Into The Story, August 18, 2019, https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-nemesis-as-the-protagonists-shadow-32895902617b.
References
Cameron, J (screenplay), Cameron, J and Giler, D & Hill, W (story), O’Bannon, D and Shusett, R (based on characters created by) (1986). Aliens; Twentieth Century Fox.
del Toro, G & Taylor, V (screenplay), del Toro, G (story) (2017). The Shape of Water; Fox Searchlight.
Field, S, (1984). Screenplay: The Foundation of Screenwriting; Bantam Dell.
Jung, C. G. (1969). “Psychology and Religion: West and East,” Collected Works XI; Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1970). “Alchemical Studies,” Collected Works XIII; Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1981). “Two Essays in Analytical Psychology,” Collected Works VII; Princeton University Press.
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Myers, S. (2022). Nemesis. In: The Protagonist's Journey. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79682-2_9
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