Ellen Parsons
Encyclopedia
Ellen Parsons is a fictional character
on the American legal thriller series Damages
. Portrayed by Rose Byrne
, the character serves as the show's deuteragonist
. The relationship between a mentor and a protegee being the main motive for the show and the changes a character will undergo because of that relationship were the basis of the character.
Ellen's transformation from ambitious, idealistic and even, to some degree, naïve law school graduate to a sophisticated, vindictive attorney is one the main themes of the show. Her relationship with Patty gradually changes from that of a employer-employee when Patty orchestrates Ellen's murder. After the failed murder attempt Ellen begins working as an informant
for the FBI to bring Patty down, which helps her complete her goal and finally quits working for Patty only to find herself wondering if she should come back working for her.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the American legal thriller series Damages
Damages (TV series)
Damages is an American television drama series created by the writing and production trio of Daniel Zelman and brothers Glenn and Todd A. Kessler . It is broadcast in the United States on the DirecTV channel Audience Network after originally airing on FX and is produced by the creators' own...
. Portrayed by Rose Byrne
Rose Byrne
Mary Rose Byrne is an Australian actress.Byrne made her screen debut in 1994 with a small role in the film Dallas Doll...
, the character serves as the show's deuteragonist
Deuteragonist
In literature, the deuteragonist is the second most important character, after the protagonist and before the tritagonist. The deuteragonist may switch from being with or against the protagonist depending on the deuteragonist's own conflict/plot.-History:Greek drama began with simply one actor,...
. The relationship between a mentor and a protegee being the main motive for the show and the changes a character will undergo because of that relationship were the basis of the character.
Ellen's transformation from ambitious, idealistic and even, to some degree, naïve law school graduate to a sophisticated, vindictive attorney is one the main themes of the show. Her relationship with Patty gradually changes from that of a employer-employee when Patty orchestrates Ellen's murder. After the failed murder attempt Ellen begins working as an informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
for the FBI to bring Patty down, which helps her complete her goal and finally quits working for Patty only to find herself wondering if she should come back working for her.