A tragic villain is a character, usually an antagonist that does not truly intend to be a villain. They are perhaps misled or not entirely in control of their feelings and/or actions, or pursuing morally ambiguous logic. This archetype originates as an antithesis to the more classic tragic hero of Aristotelian tragedy which continued into use as a basis for Shakespearean plays. In most cases, the character can be referred to as a sympathetic villain, someone who the audience can empathize with or have pity for in spite of their bad deeds.