Fiction's Foulest Fiends: Literary Villains: Vol 1 Online Quiz | Literature

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. He may not have been the most mobile villain around, but even with just one leg he could certainly hop to it when bad deeds needed to be done. Which literary baddie had a pet of the psittacine variety?

Answer: Long John Silver

'Long John Silver' was a character in Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island'. He only had one leg and his constant companion was a parrot named after the pirate Captain Flint.
The novel was published in 1883 and was based on a serialization in the children's magazine 'Young Folks' in 1881 and 1882. 'Treasure Island' has been filmed numerous times and other literary works based on the characters have also appeared.
Silver was the quartermaster on a ship commanded by Captain Flint. Initially he seemed just to be a hard-working sailor, but his evil began to be seen as the plot unfolded.
'Long John Silver' was rated number 47 in 'The 50 Foulest Fiends in Literature', a feature in the 'Daily Telegraph' in September 2008.

2. She liked fur coats and hot things and had a strange hair style. She also disliked animals, particularly those of the canine variety. There were at least 101 reasons to hate this character. What was her name?

Answer: Cruella de Vil

'Cruella de Vil' first appeared in Dodie Smith's 1956 book 'The Hundred and One Dalmatians' and was later immortalised in an animated movie and two live-action films. Cruella liked pepper and fur coats and hated dogs. Dalmatians, she believed, had the perfect coat for fashion accessories and she wanted to capture and skin as many as possible. Cruella had a strange black hairstyle with a white streak.
'Cruella de Vil' was rated number 2 in 'The 50 Foulest Fiends in Literature', a feature in the 'Daily Telegraph' in September 2008.

3. Filial fondness was perhaps his weakness; and some found his affection for his twin sister a little bit too creepy. Which villain tried to cheer himself up by having his sister executed, but ended up driven insane with guilt?

Answer: Ferdinand

Ferdinand was a character in 'The Duchess of Malfi', a play by John Webster that was first performed at The Globe Theatre in London around 1614. It was loosely based on real events of a century before. This was a love story about a Duchess (Julia), who married beneath her rank, much to the dismay of her brothers, Ferdinand (The Duke) and Luigi (The Cardinal). Ferdinand eventually ordered a courtier, Daniel De Bosola, to execute Julia.
'Ferdinand' was rated number 16 in 'The 50 Foulest Fiends in Literature', a feature in the 'Daily Telegraph' in September 2008.

4. He claimed to be a count, and certainly craved social recognition, but which villain was also intent on hijacking nuclear missiles - regardless of the efforts of a man On Her Majesty's Secret Service?

Answer: Blofeld

Ernest Stavros Blofeld was a character in the James Bond books written by Ian Fleming. The character appeared in three James Bond novels, 'Thunderball', 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', and 'You Only Live Twice'; and seven movies, 'From Russia with Love' (1963), 'Thunderball' (1965), 'You Only Live Twice' (1967), 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (1969), 'Diamonds Are Forever '(1971), 'For Your Eyes Only' (1981), and 'Never Say Never Again' (1983). For Bond aficionados, yes 'NSNA' was not an official Bond movie and the character appeared only in a pre-title trailer of 'Eyes Only'. 'Blofeld' was placed at number 22 in 'The 50 Foulest Fiends in Literature', a feature in the 'Daily Telegraph' in September 2008.

5. He was the smiling face of Wall Street and enjoyed fine food and musical culture. But which financial whiz-kid had a darker side that included murder, rape and dismemberment?

Answer: Patrick Bateman

Patrick Bateman was a character in the 1991 novel 'American Psycho' by Bret Easton Ellis. The character was rated number 17 in 'The 50 Foulest Fiends in Literature', a feature in the 'Daily Telegraph' in September 2008.
The novel, and a later movie adaptation, told the story of Patrick Bateman, who seemed to be a normal investment banker in New York City. However, as the story unfolded it became clear he was a psychopath who delighted in murder and torture.
Christian Bale played Bateman in the movie version in 2000.

6. High birth meant nothing when you were born on 'the wrong side of the blanket'. Enraged by feelings of injustice at his illegitimate birth, which villain framed his brother and ordered the execution of a king?

Answer: Edmund

Edmund was a character in 'King Lear' by William Shakespeare. The character was rated number 19 in 'The 50 Foulest Fiends in Literature', a feature in the 'Daily Telegraph' in September 2008. Shakespeare is believed to have written 'King Lear' between 1603 and 1606 and to have based it on legend. Edmund was the illegitimate son of the Duke of Gloucester and formed a murderous, and loving, partnership with Goneril and Regan, the daughters of Kind Lear. Lear abdicated in their favour, but they fell out over their love for Edmund. Later, they faced invasion by a French army, led by their other sister, Cordelia, who wanted to restore their father to the throne. Edmund ordered Lear and Cordelia to be executed when their army was defeated.

7. She was "a blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained glass window" and left a bloody trail of victims in her wake. Which femme fatale had a secret past she tried to hide from a world-weary private eye?

Answer: Helen Grayle

Helen Grayle was a character in the 1940 novel 'Farewell, My Lovely' by Raymond Chandler. The character was rated number 50 in 'The 50 Foulest Fiends in Literature', a feature in the 'Daily Telegraph' in September 2008.
'Farewell, My Lovely' was the second Philip Marlowe novel. In it, the private detective was asked to locate Velma, the girlfriend of an ex-con. He was also tasked with recovering a necklace stolen from the beautiful blonde Helen Grayle. It turned out that Helen and Velma were one and the same person and had a murderous past.

8. He had a pious exterior and cloaked in clerical dress unsavoury urges. Which baddie succumbed to his lust for a temptress, and, after, followed a path that led to damnation?

Answer: Ambrosia

Ambrosia was a character in the 1796 novel 'The Monk' by M. G. Lewis. The character was rated number 7 in 'The 50 Foulest Fiends in Literature', a feature in the 'Daily Telegraph' in September 2008.
Set in Spain, this was the story of a well-respected monk, Ambrosio, who was seduced by a woman who posed as another monk. She - Matilda - then used magic to help Ambrosia ensnare another victim, Antonia, whom he murdered. Caught by the Inquisition, Ambrosia sold his soul to the devil for deliverance from the death penalty he faced.

9. He was careworn and cynical, yet also intelligent and sympathetic. When some people had no option but to spend too much time in front of the TV screen, which villain had the ability, if he wanted to use it, to spare their pain?

Answer: O'Brien

O'Brien was a character in 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' by George Orwell. The character was rated number 41 in 'The 50 Foulest Fiends in Literature', a feature in the 'Daily Telegraph' in September 2008.
Written in 1949, the novel was the story of a future society in which the Ministry of Truth existed to rewrite history and in which every movement of the people were monitored by CCTV and informants.
O'Brien was an agent who convinced the hero, Winston Smith, and his lover, Julia, that he was a member of the Resistance. They were captured by the Thought Police, and O'Brien, it turned out, was to be one of their torturers. One torture was to force prisoners to watch film clips of the sanitized history of the state, and only O'Brien had the power to end the viewings. Just as O'Brien had once been a free thinker and had been brain-washed into accepting the State's "truths', so too did Winston and Julia succumb.

10. He was the ultimate evil-doer. By specific name, or just by stereotype, he was known throughout history for hundreds of years. In one of his most famous literary outings, he was, some believed, actually God. Which villain had his own ideas of paradise, if only it could be found?

Answer: Satan

Satan was a character in 'Paradise Lost' by John Milton. The character was rated number 1 in 'The 50 Foulest Fiends in Literature', a feature in the 'Daily Telegraph' in September 2008.
Milton, incidentally, would probably not have agreed with the theory that Satan was God. Still his poem has given academics something to argue over for years.
'Paradise Lost' was a poem in blank verse (one with a regular meter, but no rhyme) and was written in 1667. It was a story of the fall of man from the days of Adam and Eve. Presented in 12 books, Satan - a fallen angel- was introduced in the first and was to be ever-present. Satan rebelled against God, and tried to influence others for evil. The central role of Satan provoked scholarly debate for generations.

Source: Author darksplash

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Fiction's Foulest Fiends: Literary Villains: Vol 1 Quiz

The good guys are always supposed to win in fiction, but quite often the baddies are just as memorable - and in some cases even more so. See how many you can identify.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>