Have you ever heard the old proverb “hoisted on their own petard”? It’s actually a line from William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and it literally means to be harmed by your own hand or plan.
It happens all the time in Hollywood , you just have to know how to spot it. See what I’m talking about and check out these 10+ movie and TV characters who were their own worst enemy .
RELATED STORIES
Walter White in *Breaking Bad*
Walt may have begun his journey with the noblest intentions but in the end, all he wound up doing was paving his own road to hell.
Bit by bit, Walt sold his soul to the devil — until all that remained was Heisenberg.
Ariel from *The Little Mermaid*
Perhaps if Ariel had listened to the counsel of friends like Flounder and Sebastian, she could have avoided a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety.
Ariel is a perfect example of what can happen when spontaneity and impulsivity go off the rails.
Sheldon Cooper in *The Big Bang Theory*
As we’ve come to learn through Young Sheldon , Dr. Sheldon Cooper didn’t have the easiest upbringing.
Still — that doesn’t negate the fact that he’s an immensely annoying leech of a human being with borderline sociopathic tendencies.
Julianne Potter in *My Best Friend’s Wedding*
Julianne is selfish to the point of being destructive. She takes what she wants with little to no regard for the emotions and feelings of others.
In reality, Julianne never really wanted Michael —she just didn’t like the idea of another woman having him.
Dexter Morgan in *Dexter*
You had it all Dexter: a beautiful wife who adored you; an adorable young son; a gorgeous apartment in Miami with a well-paying respectable job.
And you threw it all away just because you couldn’t control your “Dark Passenger.”
Alonzo Harris in *Training Day*
They often say that pride comes before the fall. I know that’s a bit of a dusty old chestnut, but it certainly holds true for Alonzo Harris.
Alonzo’s hubris led him to believe that he was untouchable. He was sorely mistaken.
Eddard Stark in *Game Of Thrones*
Quite simply, Ned Stark refused to play the “Game of Thrones.” His unwavering morality and blind trust are what cost him his head that fateful day on the Sept of Balor.
Nice guys finish last, Ned. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that?
Marion Silver in *Requiem For A Dream*
All we are is the friends that we choose to keep. Marion’s insecurities are what led her to Harry in the first place.
Her addiction drives her into a pit of sexual depravity in one of the most truly disturbing scenes in movie history.
Gemma Teller-Morrow in *Sons Of Anarchy*
Throughout the series, Gemma’s temper would often cause her to lash out and express her emotions violently.
She signed her own death warrant when she mistakenly murdered her own daughter-in-law for a crime she didn’t commit.
Nina Sayers in *Black Swan*
To aspire towards perfection is a fool’s pursuit, for a wise man (or woman) knows that no such thing exists.
Nina’s convoluted and outrageous expectations cause her psyche to break, inevitably driving her into a murderous rage
Christopher Moltisanti in *The Sopranos*
Chris rose through the ranks to the upper echelon of the DiMeo Crime Family. He had his uncle’s ear and was well on his way to being groomed as boss.
In the end, he chose the needle over his family and paid the consequences.
Ennis Del Mar in *Brokeback Mountain*
I can’t even think about Brokeback Mountain without welling up. Ennis and Jake’s love story is truly one of the greatest that’s ever been told.
Why couldn’t Ennis just get out of his own way and choose to be happy?
Pierce Hawthorne from *Community*
Over time, it became difficult to discern where Pierce Hawthorne ended and Chevy Chase began.
Both men were abhorrently racist , misogynistic, and just downright offensive. It didn’t take long before Pierce’s behavior, both on and off-screen, caught up with him.
Harley Quinn in *Suicide Squad*
Harley says it best after breaking a glass display case in Suicide Squad : “we’re bad guys — it’s what we do.”
She just can’t help herself. Give Harley Quinn enough rope, and inevitably she’s going to try and hang someone with it.
Michael Scott from *The Office*
It’s interesting how quick we are to overlook so many of the horrible qualities possessed by Michael Gary Scott.
Somehow his ignorance gets passed off as “cute” and we wind up empathizing with an annoying man child in a perpetual state of arrested development.
