If We Were Villains

At the beginning of the novel, Oliver describes himself as a “secondary character” in the scheme of things. In the context of the rest of the novel, do you think his assessment is accurate? Why or why not?

In the Author’s Note at the end of the novel, M.L. Rio says, “the fourth-year thespians speak a kind of Pidgin English so saturated with Shakespearean words and quotes and turns of phrase that it could be classified as a new (and there is no denying, exceptionally pretentious) dialect”. What does this say about the Dellecher students? How does the use of this dialect bring them together, and how does it set them apart?

Which are the four Shakespearean plays that the fourth-years perform during their last year? How are the themes of the plays reflected in the real-life drama of the fourth-years?