# Whence the Evil Laugh?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-evil-laugh/810079>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 5, 2018, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-evil-laugh/810079 "2018-03-05T21:05:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-evil-laugh/810079/1 "2018-03-05T21:05:09Z")

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Wifey and I were wondering the other day:  
What’s the earliest appearance of the stereotypical Evil Laugh? you know, the MWAHAHAHAHAH!!! type…

any ideas?

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**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-evil-laugh/810079/2 "2018-03-05T21:15:37Z")

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Simon Legree (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)?

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**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-evil-laugh/810079/3 "2018-03-05T21:27:10Z")

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Probably Simon Legree. I’ve been told I do a pretty good evil laugh, but I don’t claim to do the first one.

Great for scaring the cats though.

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-evil-laugh/810079/4 "2018-03-05T23:21:25Z")

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How about in (sound) movies?

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**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whence-the-evil-laugh/810079/5 "2018-03-06T00:40:57Z")

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It probably comes from the stage, where actors had to exaggerate things in order to be seen and heard by the audience in the cheap seats. The role of King Herod was famous for scenery-chewing. In _Hamlet_, Shakespeare mentions it.

Anyone know of any good, over-the-top villains from Greek or Roman theater?