User blog:694244/PE Proposal - Gaston LeGume (2017)



Presenting Gaston LeGume from the 2017 film Beauty and the Beast.

Who is he and what he has done?
Gaston LeGume is a tavern owner in the village of Villeneuve and acts as the town hero due to his extravagant charms and past history as a former army captain who fought against the Portuguese. He hopes to aim for the local bookworm Belle, planning to have her as his wife by any means necessary.

Upon hearing that Belle's father Maurice making ravings about a Beast taking Belle prisoner in his castle (in which nobody wants to believe in), Gaston offers to help him, though this is only to gain Maurice's favor in receiving Belle's hand in marriage and not out of genuine concern. When Maurice learned about Gaston's true colors and furiously rejected Gaston's proposal, Gaston punched out Maurice and left him in the woods, hoping that wolves will devour Maurice so that Belle will fall under Gaston's grasp. Even when Maurice was rescued by the local hermit girl Agathe and accused Gaston for his attempted murder, Gaston used his charm to fool everyone into believing that Maurice is insane and must be sent to an insane asylum, even getting his buddies to torment Maurice while delivering him to the asylum carriage.

Eventually, Belle learns about her father's predicament and the Beast allows her to go free so that she can clear the misunderstanding. To that end, Belle uses the magical mirror that the Beast gave to her to prove the Beast's existence to the villagers. However, knowing that his true colors would be exposed, Gaston angrily turns the tables by claiming that the Beast is a threat to society and playing off the villagers' fear of monsters to manipulate them into joining him in killing the Beast. To that end, he ordered Belle and Maurice to be locked up in the asylum carriage while heading towards the Beast's castle. When a fight was instigated between the villagers and servants, Gaston leaves the villagers to their fate instead of helping them out; even using LeFou as a human shield before leaving him for dead, which prompted LeFou to defect with the servants.

Following the retreat of the villagers, Gaston spotted the Beast on the tower and shoots him down, claiming that Belle sent him and mocking the Beast over his love for Belle. Even when an angry Belle arrives to the Beast's rescue by breaking Gaston's arrows and calling out to the Beast, Gaston angrily states that once he’s done killing the Beast, he will force Belle to marry him and hang the Beast's head on their wedding wall, all just to spite her. Even when after being beaten by the Beast and was given mercy to leave the castle, Gaston used his gun to shoot down the Beast two times, right before the drawbridge breaks down, leaving Gaston to fall down to his death.

Heinous Standards
Unlike his 1991 animated counterpart, Gaston was known to be far more sociopathic as he relishes on happy thoughts of blood, explosions and countless widows due to his past life as a bloodthirsty army captain as described by LeFou; there was even a portrait in the tavern detailing Gaston standing over the corpses of fallen soldiers. He also relishes on the fact that he hunts animals down only for sport through inhumane methods as described in his number ("When I hunt, I sneak up with my quiver, and beasts of the field say a prayer. First, I carefully aim for the liver. Then I shoot from behind! (LeFou: Is that fair?) I don't care!"), all just to seek glory from the entire town; even using his courtship with Belle and jealousy towards the Beast in hunting metaphors as he considers them to be his own 'prey' for his own reputation.

To satisfy both his ego and homicidal urges, Gaston was willing to leave Belle's father Maurice to the wolves so that he can grasp Belle for himself when she has no one else to rely on. Even when Maurice survived and accused Gaston for his attempted murder, Gaston used his charms to have Maurice locked away to save himself, even silencing an uneasy LeFou (who witnessed the event) to keep him mouth shut. Even when Maurice's sanity is proven by Belle, Gaston countered this by manipulating the villagers into attacking the Beast's castle unprovoked and turning a blind eye towards their own fates; even betraying LeFou before leaving him for dead. He would later try to kill the Beast by demoralizing him for his love towards Belle and claiming that Belle sent him over to kill him. Even when Belle proved this wrong by arriving to the Beast's rescue, Gaston sadistically vowed that once he kills the Beast, he will force Belle to marry him and hang the Beast's head on their wedding wall, all just to spite her for her refusal against him ("When we return to the village, you will marry me.... and that Beast's head will hang on our wall!"). Given to the level of such sadism, it was quite unspeakable.

Given to the idea that he has caused so much trouble all just to have a girl (who doesn’t even like him) for himself, Gaston's actions were taken seriously in the 2017 film compared to the 1991 cartoon.

Freudian Excuse
None. His actions was nothing more than to satisfy his own ego and homicidal urges.

Moral Event Horizon
He tried to murder Maurice by leaving him to be devoured by the wolves in response for Maurice's rejection of receiving Belle's hand in marriage. When Maurice survived and confronted Gaston for this, Gaston tried to have him tormented and detained by the villagers in order to cover up his crime and save his own skin. When Belle managed to prove Maurice's sanity, Gaston deduced Belle's feelings for the Beast and rallied up the villagers into believing that the Beast is a threat before locking up Belle and Maurice in the asylum carriage to prevent them from warning the Beast. During the fight between the castle servants and villagers, Gaston leaves the villagers to their fates, even flat-out betraying LeFou by using him as a human shield and leaving him for dead. After confronting the Beast, Gaston shoots him down after claiming that Belle sent to kill him. Even when Belle arrives to the Beast's rescue, Gaston sadistically declares that he will force Belle to marry him and mount the Beast's head on his tavern wall. After being defeated by the Beast in combat and given a chance to live, Gaston uses this opportunity to fatally shoot the Beast in the back twice, right before he falls to his death.

Individual Capability
He used his own charms to manipulate the villagers into believing that Maurice and Beast are menaces to society, all just to satisfy his own needs of having Maurice’s daughter Belle (who clearly dislikes him for his true nature) just for himself.

Moral Agency
He is aware of the fact that Belle won't show any interest in him, but refuses to take a hint as he still intends to make her his wife by any means necessary; even ignoring LeFou's advice to charm other girls in the village. He is also aware of the fact that he uses inhumane methods of hunting animals, but relishes on the idea because it gave him a reputation among the villagers that he would later exploit into enacting his plan to get what he wants. Even when seeing that Belle was right about the Beast’s peaceful nature while confronting him in the castle, Gaston didn’t care as he still intends to kill him just to have Belle for himself; even swearing to hang the Beast's head on his wall out of spite against her.

No Groups
None, as he works alone; even using his friends and villagers as pawns to satisfy his selfish needs.

Redeeming Qualities?
None. Even when holding a seemingly genuine friendship towards LeFou for cheering him up during their musical number, their friendship was considered one-sided as Gaston only used LeFou as a tool; this was evident when Gaston threatened LeFou twice by keeping his mouth shut from vouching for Maurice and threatening to chuck him into the asylum carriage alongside Belle and Maurice when LeFou tried to object. He even used LeFou as a human shield to save his own skin before leaving him for dead.

No Sympathy
None, as he enjoys hunting down animals and killing enemies for pleasure. He is also misogynistic in nature as he believes that women’s sole purpose is to obey and serve men.

Screen Time
Appeared in the film "Beauty and the Beast" as the main antagonist.

Worst
Compared to most villains in the film (who were either bloodthirsty predators, misguided villagers, or arrogant tyrants), Gaston is a deplorable human who is willing to satisfy his ego by any heinous means necessary.

Story Type
He made himself a scoundrel due to his selfish plot of having Belle as his wife, even willing to murder both her father and the Beast, as well as putting the other villagers' lives in danger (including his own best friend LeFou), all just to have Belle for himself.