Week 3 Day 1: Clarice and Hannibal Character Structure – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMB

[Susan]

Silence of the Lambs

Clarice’s Journey:

• Introduction

Clarice is a young fairly inexperienced FBI trainee who is asked to speak to Hannibal Lecter, a horrible murderer, in order to get insight into a present serial killer who she know will never stop unless he is stopped. She is being spooked by people ahead of time for her meeting with Hannibal e.g. “Don’t let him get inside your head.” She is being used as bait, she doesn’t know why she is talking with Hannibal.

• Act 1 Turning Point

Clarice meets Hannibal Lecter and he is terrifying. He agrees to help her.

• Midpoint

Clarice is on the trail of the serial killer and sees Hannibal again, he draws her in to his mind and only gives her help for something in return (telling him about her personally). She doesn’t want to do it, but feels she must in order to catch the serial murderer.

• Act 2 Turning Point

She is told it is rare to capture a pure psychopath alive. The serial murderer continues killing with even more heinous Hannibal psychoanalyzes Clarice in a destructive way. She only has the information she has gotten from Hannibal to help her. Clarice figures out who the killer is.

• Climax

Then Hannibal captures and murders a guard/s (someone Clarice knows personally) in the prison… and escapes!

• Ending

Hannibal is free and contacts Clarice. Will he come to kill her… he says not. She is on her own, but Hannibal continues to haunt her.

Hannibal’s Journey:

• Introduction

An erudite psychopathic murderer who eats his victims, loves are and music and believes he is better than ANYONE else. He is in prison for his crimes.

• Act 1 Turning Point

A young FBI agent comes to visit him supposedly without an agenda (maybe she doesn’t know why she is there), but Hannibal knows the FBI has a reason. He also knows about this new serial murderer who is vicious and skins his victims.

• Midpoint

Hannibal becomes obsessed with Clarice, as she is on the trail of the serial killer and comes to see him again, he draws her in to his mind even more, and only gives her help for something in return (telling him about her personally). She doesn’t want to do it, but feels she must in order to catch the serial murderer.

• Act 2 Turning Point

He finally gives her the information she needs to catch this murderer.

• Climax

Hannibal concocts a scheme to escape from prison and murders two guards so he can be free and continue to play mind games with Clarice.

• Ending

Hannibal is free and planning his next moves

What makes each of these character’s great from a writing perspective?

Clarice: Is young and has a lot to learn, but she is highly intelligent and

Hannibal: is totally berzerk, and a vicious masochistic psychopath who eats humans. Just to explore that kind of insanity alone what makes him great from a writing perspective… there are so many areas to dip into: power, control, impulses, planning, incentives, needs, wants, you name it!