Emma Tarpey 

The goal of my thesis is to illustrate how over time, fairy tales have shown a big shift in the values and ideals held by society, which is exemplified and reflected by the changing attitudes towards their villains. Throughout history, villains in fairy tales have been largely regarded as one note characters who are simply evil because the story demands it, they served their purpose effectively and were well received by the audience of the time. This can often highlight the attitudes and values of the society in which the story was written. However, over any length of time society can change drastically and this again, can be represented by the attitude towards the villains in fairy tales. In order to stay relevant, fairy tales have to shift and change to stay in keeping with societal values and maintain their appeal. This is a testament as to how adaptable they are.
For the modern audience, a villain needs to have much more depth to them than the classic one note evil for the sake of evil trope. A modern villain needs to have much more humanity and layers, making them relatable, as the modern audience expresses a desire to understand their motives and methods. This is highlighted through the example of Maleficent and her transition from antagonist to protagonist, being given her own version of the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Within the context given to Maleficent and the series of events throughout her life, her actions become understandable as the lines between good and evil are blurred. She is transformed from classic evil witch to a misunderstood tragic hero. This transformation has proven popular with the modern audience and has shown potential for other classic fairy tale villains to be given the same treatment. Furthermore, looking back at separate villains with this lens, there are sympathetic aspects that would portray them as simply misunderstood.