The Three Roles of the “Drama Triangle”: Hero, Villain, Victim
In the world of narrative psychotherapy, we might imagine that there are certain stories that play out time and time again. Stories are often dramatic, meaning they include some dynamic element of conflict. Conflicts aren’t uncommon, in fact, they can be rather normal in relationships, but sometimes conflicts escalate when people get caught in the vicious “Drama Triangle”.
The Drama Triangle (also known as the Drama Cycle) pushes and pulls people between three roles based on stories that we tell ourselves about ourselves and others when we are in conflict:
Role #1: The Villain
In any drama, there is a “bad guy”. The villain is the persecutor and is often targeted as the “cause” of the drama to begin with. The villain rarely identifies themselves as a “bad guy” and the villain is rarely if ever acting from a place of maliciousness. Instead, they are trying to enact their own version of righteousness; either seeing themselves as the victim of some bigger injustice or seeing themselves as the hero of their own story.
The villain feels justified in asserting, punishing, or seeking retribution against “the Victim” through blame and criticism. This can be passive, such as making a dispassionate judgment of others, or active, such as actively casting blame…
