Situations 49&50
REMORSE AND EMPATHY

“Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets.”

–ARTHUR MILLER

Remorse

Remorse is anguish arising from repentance for past misdeeds or bitter regrets.

This situation requires a Culprit, a Victim or Sin, and an Interrogator.

This situation is about an inner feeling of Remorse and Guilt that may or may not be suppressed.

If these feelings are suppressed, the Culprit won’t let his guard down. He refuses to think about or face what he has done. He needs people or events to open his eyes and prepare the way for his Remorse to come into his consciousness.

If these feelings are unsuppressed, he openly feels his Guilt and Remorse because the feelings are at the surface and accessible. He may also be afraid of punishment and therefore not be willing to confess. He may search for a way to justify what he did, especially if he was ordered to do it by a higher authority, like a soldier in battle.

The other characters around him act as a consciousness barometer. They may unknowingly make him feel guiltier through their casual conversations, driving him mad.

The Sin he commits is grave; it is not a Sin against a silly little societal custom but a Sin that he knows without a doubt to be wrong, such as:

• murder

• treachery

• treason

• lies

• destroying someone who didn’t deserve it

THE CULPRIT

The Culprit is someone who has committed some kind of Sin, whether there is a Victim involved or not. He knows right from wrong yet commits the act anyway. He may have been ordered to do so, but sometimes orders should be questioned.

If he suppresses his emotions, he is somewhat hard-hearted and out of touch with his feelings. He may feel the need to put on a strong front for others, especially if he is a leader of some sort. Perhaps he convinces himself subconsciously that he must push on for the good of his men, that he can’t dwell in the past and be an effective leader.

He may think he is above the law and shouldn’t have to feel any Remorse for what he has done, but it still eats away at him, little by little, until something makes him snap.

If he doesn’t suppress his emotions, he is in touch with his feelings and has no problem experiencing them. They may make him feel alive. It can be addicting at times to feel very passionately about something.

He knows what he has done is wrong and, even if he can justify it, still feels Remorse and Guilt. It may haunt him relentlessly until he confesses to someone, anyone. Even then it may not be enough to stop the intense feelings welling up inside of him. He may search and search for a way to relieve himself of this Guilt, but he knows he can’t undo what has been done. If there is a Victim available to forgive him and does so, he may find some peace with himself.

His whole life will change from this experience. If he can survive his Remorse and Guilt he will probably spend the rest of his life trying to do good for others to make up for it.

THE VICTIM OR SIN

The Victim or Sin relates to the regretful event for the Culprit. The character has either harmed someone in some way or has committed a Sin in his own eyes. The Sin may not seem bad to someone else, but to the Culprit it is a major offense. This is where his back-story may come into play—what roles or rules did his mother give him? Was he taught it was a Sin to talk back to elders? Perhaps he stays in a bad work relationship because he’s afraid to speak up to his boss—until one day he just snaps.

THE INTERROGATOR

The Interrogator pushes the Culprit to confess. He is usually only concerned with solving the “crime” and making someone pay for it, but he can also be an enemy of the Culprit who wants to punish him.

He may follow the Culprit around making his life miserable, interviewing all of his friends and relatives. He may spread rumors, trying to draw someone out of the woodwork to testify against the Culprit. He can be very ruthless, especially if he has a “holier-than-thou” attitude.

Whether Remorse is used as plot, subplot, or incident, the beginning, middle, and end are the same:

BEGINNING: A Culprit commits a Sin of some sort that he knows is wrong.

• Does anyone try to stop him?

• Will he experience his feelings of Remorse right away or suppress them?

• Is he ashamed to show his face?

• Do other characters know what he did?

• Does he want to undo it? Or does he justify it?

• Does he try to redeem himself right away to no avail?

• What happens to make him think about it more and more? Does a new character come into the picture to remind him of the deed?

MIDDLE: The Interrogator comes and pesters the Culprit.

• Is the Interrogator ethical? Or out for blood?

• How does the Culprit react to him? Does his mental state get worse?

• Will the Culprit try to avoid the Interrogator?

• Will other characters get suspicious now that the Interrogator is around? Will the Culprit start acting differently?

• How does the Culprit answer to the Interrogator?

• Is there a punishment at stake that keeps the Culprit from confessing?

END: The Culprit ends things.

• Will the Culprit end his life? Or lose his mind? Or will he confess?

• How does confession make him feel?

• Does he get punished?

• How do other characters react?

• Can the Culprit make amends?

• Will the Interrogator be exposed if he is an enemy out for blood? Will this make others take pity on the Culprit?

“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.”

–MERYL STREEP

Empathy

Empathy is deeply understanding and feeling another’s situation, emotions, pain, and motives.

In this situation the Culprit becomes the Empath who is unable to commit a “crime.” She feels things so deeply, especially another’s pain, she is just not capable of hurting anyone or anything. It would be like hurting herself. Compassion may come and go when things get tough, but true Empathy is something that never leaves.

She couldn’t kill a fly let alone a human being. Witnessing someone else do harm makes her feel sick. She just can’t understand how someone can hurt another living creature.

When she is ordered to do harm or is placed in a position to harm, she just can’t do it no matter the cost to herself. (Her parents may ask her to kill a pig for dinner, for example.)

Others can’t understand her behavior and she may feel like there is something terribly wrong with her at times. But when others need help or sympathy, she is the first one they come to. Most likely she won’t live in a culture that values her gift and she will suffer greatly for it. She may learn to criticize herself for being so sensitive, as most people around will probably do.

Her Sin is not against another but usually against herself. She may starve rather than steal food from another or put herself down for her compassionate nature. Sensitive people are not honored in this day and age.

She may also be in a position to watch a loved one or friend become self-destructive. This too is painful for her. She, hopefully, has developed the patience to deal with it.

Whether Empathy is used as plot, subplot, or incident, the elements of the beginning, middle, and end are the same:

BEGINNING: The Empath is asked to do harm and she refuses. Or she witnesses harm and wants to stop it.

• How did she get into this situation?

• Does she have the patience for this?

• Does she feel hopeless?

• Does she have any plan of attack on how to deal with this situation?

Has she done this before?

• Will she ask others for help?

• What do other characters think of her?

MIDDLE: The Empath is in trouble for refusing to harm or for trying to stop harm.

• What is at stake for her? Will she be punished?

• What does she do if someone else comes along and does the harm right in front of her (perhaps a brother comes in and kills the pig for dinner)?

• Will she feel like there is something wrong with her? Or with others?

• Does she have any special place to go to be herself? To be alone?

• Does she try to hide her sensitive nature when around peers?

END: The Empath wins or loses but usually remains true to herself.

• Does she win or lose?

• Did she remain true to herself or give in to what others expect of her?

Did she harden her heart?

• Is she happy about her decision and actions?

• What do other characters think of her now?

• Would she give up being sensitive?

EXAMPLES

Hercules, HOMER

REMORSE AS SUBPLOT— Hercules is the son of Zeus and a mortal woman. Zeus’s wife Hera is jealous and causes Hercules to go mad and kill his wife and children. The remorseful Hercules decides to use his superhuman strength to aid humanity.

The Fisher King, TERRY GILLIAM

REMORSE AS SUBPLOT— A talk DJ inadvertently convinces a psycho to blow away restaurant patrons and himself when the psycho calls in for advice. After three years of wallowing in his Remorse, he is attacked and almost set on fire, but a street person rescues him.

Seven Years in Tibet, HEINRICH HARRER

EMPATHY AS INCIDENT— This is the true story of Heinrich Har-rer, an Austrian mountain climber who became friends with the Dalai Lama at the time of China’s takeover of Tibet. The monks hold up the building of a temple to move worms out of the way by hand because they don’t want to harm them.

Resurrection, STEPHEN GYLLENHAAL

EMPATHY AS PLOT— After a woman is crippled in an auto accident, she suddenly develops the power to feel the pain of others and heal it.