The Disgrace

Alternate Titles: Brat, Golden Boy, Catamite

The wanton boys of Gloucester's complaint are a perfect image of the classic Disgrace: a boy who imagines himself to be a sort of minor god, casually destructive, with a corpulent face and full, greedy lips. In children's tales, this is the character who wants nothing but to sit at table, stuffing himself with sweetmeats and crying in brutish frustration whenever his tiny will is thwarted. In adult literature he becomes more nuanced: a young man crumbling in the suffocating embrace of family ties, a failed disciple undone by resentment of discipline, a shining paragon of manly promise broken on the rocks of his own ambition.
The Disgrace is often first presented as a man of unusual beauty, charm, skill and intelligence. Much has been given to him, and much is expected -- sometimes too much. Nursed on stories of his own grandeur, he becomes narcissistic and self-obsessed. He sees success as his birthright, and becomes lazy and unmotivated, flying into a rage or flinging himself wearily onto the nearest sofa every time that he is confronted with even a minor obstacle. He is easily seduced by flatterers, and comes to resent or hate those who give him wiser, more level headed advice.
An alternative approach is to have the Disgrace begin as a man of poor or meagre means who dreams grand dreams, but ultimately lacks the discipline and conviction to carry out his ideals. Anyone whom he manages to convince with his wild story-telling risks being sucked along in the wreckage of his illusions.

Archetypal Events: Give Up, Indulge, Self-Pity

Common Plots:

The Seductive Wiseman: A promising young man is wooed by the fine words of an older, more experienced man of the world. He is plied with bad philosophy and good food and is groomed into a consumate narcissist or a braying ass.

Smothered: The Disgrace is the beloved son/lover of a clutching Medea or Parasite who tries to control every aspect of his life, to turn him into her private Golden Boy. This leads to his eventual destruction.

Just Desserts: The Disgrace persues a career of arch-disgracefulness, willful, self-indulgent, dismissive of wise council, etc. until he runs out of chances and is promptly destroyed.

The Lousy Apprentice: A Magus tries to teach his secrets to the Disgrace. The Disgrace is consistently contemptuous, disobedient and wayward. He learns nothing and squanders the Magus' teachings.

The Golden Litter: The disgrace wishes to be bourne upon the shoulders of the world. The litter is an appropriate home because it represents his transitory state, but also suggests the fact that he is unable to support himself. The litter may be transformed into an inherited mansion which bears him up until he squanders it.
2nd Chances: A common theme in Disgrace tales is a limited number of chances (I'll give you three chances to be good, or I'll turn you into a goon). Once they are used up, the Disgrace reaps the fruit of his lassitude.
The Treacherous Dagger: The Disgrace is fundamentally cowardly if he is required to fight. In murder mysteries, a dagger or stilletto, usually in the back, is a good representation of this sneaking treachery. This may be transformed into an underhanded or illegal move in a competition, abstracted to a simple betrayal, or be a sword concealed in a dandy's walking stick.
The Ruffled Bib: The Disgrace wears a special piece of finery so that when he stains his fancy clothes with blood and porridge, all the world will not see it. A monogrammed neckerchief, a giant's bib, a high lace neck-ruff,  or a ruffled poet's blouse will all serve the purpose.
The Mirror Image: A strong persona is necessary for the Disgrace to continue receiving the laurels and applause that he covets. He is often deeply enamoured with this perfect self-image, preening and adoring it while his inner self decays.
And the Moral of the Story is...: Disgraces are popular heroes for morality plays: the standard "young man who goes bad and falls to ruin" trope. The moral is ideally inscribed on his tomb-stone, but it will do just as well on the last page of the story-book.
Minor Symbols: Wind

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