LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in If We Were Villains, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Fate vs. Free Will
Identity and Disguise
Love and Sexuality
Theatre and Corruption
Summary
Analysis
The fourth-year drama students attend a Convocation along with the rest of the Dellecher student body, which includes dance, philosophy, studio art, music, and language students. Dean Holinshed greets the assembled students with the Dellecher motto: ad astra per aspera, which Oliver translates as “Through the thorns, to the stars.” In his speech, he asks the students to be bold, take risks, and seize the moment. He warns them that Dellecher demands success.
Like Gwendolyn, Dean Holinshed urges the students to compete with one another and warns of the difficulties that the year has in store. They’re supposed to fight and confront difficulty, but the faculty have no idea what power struggles actually lie ahead. The scene builds tension and serves as a reminder of the immense pressure the students are under.