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On July 20, 2024, Kasie and Rex continued the seven deadly sins with wrath. Here are the show notes:

Theme for the day

Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath

Agenda

• Quick Catch Up
• Seven Deadly Sins: what are they?
• Focus on Wrath

Segments 1 & 2

It’s been the summer of the Seven Deadly Sins series. This blog gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them. 

The Seven Deadly Sins (this link) in Roman Catholic theology, are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas.

The sins are:

• Pride
• Greed
• Lust
• Envy
• Gluttony
• Wrath
• Sloth

What is wrath? Anger? Hate? Straight to the source, Christianity.com says this about wrath: 

Wrath can be summarized as strong vengeful hatred or resentment. The warnings of wrath in Christianity arise from the consequences of vengeance in human relations. We can become consumed by rage and revenge to the point of acting irrationally and immorally. This is the wickedness of wrath and why it is included as a deadly sin.

Some books where wrath plays a critical role (link):

• Lord of the Rings – Sauron – “evil scourge of Middle Earth” says enough
• The Wonderful World of Oz – the Wicked Witch of the West sends all the things to kill Dorothy 
• The War of the Roses – a couple’s failed marriage turns into spite and wrath
• The Godfather – Michael’s almost entirely motivated by wrath of the vengeance variety
• Harry Potter – certainly Voldemort (Tom Riddle) but also Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius Black, and Severus Snape all act out of wrath
• Bond books – specifically supervillain SPECTRE leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld (featured in three Bond novels and six films) is one wrathful guy—and arguably the most diabolical of all of Bond’s nemeses
• Moby Dick – personifying wrath as vengeful God (i.e. nature) and Ahab’s tireless quest
• Othello – we know the revenge, the manipulation but Iago’s actions come from a place of deep hatred for Othello, he weaponizes his hate
• Stephen King gives us It and Carrie, both wrath-driven title characters

Wrath is a “sneaky” sin because it can simmer for years before a character takes action. It can also fuel microaggressions and show itself only in a slow drip, not a tornado invasion.

ProWriting Aid’s series on character traits is useful (we’ve used it the last two episodes). They list these as possible causes of anger or wrath (link):

• Chronic stress or anxiety
• Genetics or family history of anger issues
• Feelings of injustice or unfair treatment
• Inability to manage emotions effectively
• Learned behavior from family or peers
• Personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder
• Frustration with life circumstances or feeling powerless
• Traumatic experiences such as abuse or neglect
• Substance abuse or addiction

Here are some of the character behaviors for an angry character (link):

• Making sarcastic or cutting remarks
• Pointing fingers or shaking fist
• Flushing or sweating
• Breathing heavily or fast
• Frowning or scowling
• Interrupting or talking over others
• Raising voice or yelling
• Clenching fists or jaw
• Stomping or slamming objects
• Glaring or giving dirty looks
• Pacing or restlessness

Segments 3 & 4

Two pieces critical here – 1) determine the source of your character’s anger and develop it enough to make it legitimate (justified) or make it obvious the rage is overblown or exaggerated; 2) determine if this is a slow-boil manifestation or an explosion of rage.

Some rage-y behavior is fueled by substances, so keep in mind a steroid rage or being an angry drunk are not exactly the same thing as a wrath-driven character.

Can your protagonist be wrath driven? Is this a relatable, likable character motivation?

How do characters resolve their wrath? Is this a journey to begin with it and come off it? Or is the building of it (i.e. Michael Coreleone) a better approach?

How does the character’s anger affect others? Does it alienate them? Does it infect them? Is your anger visible enough to be a contagion like an angry mob?

What defeats wrath? Does the character have to pursue inner peace to overcome their rage? Or will the act of vengeance soothe it?

Where is the anger directed? At another person? At a circumstance? At a “big bad” like government? At an immovable force like nature?