Line #14 LargeHam/Literature


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13	Large Hams are always going to be found somewhere in a book series. These are frequently fan favorites.
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17	* ''Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo'':
18	** Gustav II Adolph and to a lesser degree, his Danish counterpart [[HamtoHamCombat King Christian of Denmark]]. The hamminess is cranked to epic levels when the two are in the same room [[spoiler:after the Danes are defeated and frogmarched into the Union of Kalmar]].
19	** "[[MyNameIsInigoMontoya My name is Ruy Sanchez de Casador y Ortiz]]. PrepareToDie."
20	** Mike Stearns can turn this on and off. Normally, he keeps it off, but put him in front of a crowd (or in a room with Gustavus Adolphus) and watch the ham flow.
21	* In ''Literature/AlexAndTheIronicGentleman'', the aging actor and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin large cephalopod]] Extremely Ginormous Octopus is, predictably enough for his career, tremendously hammy.
22	* ''Literature/AmeliaPeabody'': No matter how much he grumbles, Emerson ''loves'' the elaborate "Exorcisms" he throws to convince his superstitious local workers that they can excavate without fear of Afrits, Demons, and Djinn. He usually manages to throw in some special effects.
23	* ''Literature/AngelaNicely'': Angela is very dramatic, often shouting, throwing her hands up when frustrated, and making theatrical assumptions like Mr. Monk being a burglar.
24	* Snowball and Squealer from ''Literature/AnimalFarm''. Fitting, because they are not only pigs, but based off Trotsky and Molotov, respectively
25	* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'':
26	** '''Marco'''. Especially during a BreatherEpisode.
27	** Forget Marco, Visser Three. The number of times he goes for the SoftspokenSadist approach can be counted on one hand (the one he just chopped off).
28	* Creator/AynRand's style is notoriously hammy.
29	** Francisco d'Anconia from Atlas Shrugged has a habit throughout the book of strolling into whatever scene is happening and utterly hijacking it, particularly in Part II with his 'Money Speech.'
30	** He is only upstaged in the final part of the novel by John Galt, who is basically the anarcho-capitalist Jesus and has an eighty page (that's right, eighty page) speech towards the end of the book.
31	* ''Literature/CiaphasCain'', the titular character, '''[[FakeUltimateHero HERO OF THE IMPERIUM]]''' is actually a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]] of the LargeHam. He puts on one ''hell'' of a show for the average Imperial citizen, in reality, he just wants to get away from it all. He privately admits that he's ''never'' averse to being the center of attention when it doesn't involve incoming fire.
32	** However, during his confrontation with a Chaos Warmaster (being recorded by said Warmaster and broadcast to the entire planet), he says he has no problem hamming it up.
33	* {{Ambadassador}} Varg from ''Literature/CodexAlera'' has a great moment near the end of the series. The [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Vord Queen]] is using [[{{Whatevermancy}} watercrafting]] to project images of herself to all the water in range, promising mercy if they surrender and basically just doing her best to demoralize her enemies. So Varg borrows a helmet, scoops her head off the water image, downs the whole thing and yells:
34	--> I AM STILL THIRSTY! WHO WILL DRINK WITH ME?
35	* Wajet in ''Literature/TheDawnhounds'' moves through the world with the grace of a cannonball, and drags half the cast along helplessly in his wake.
36	-> “GODS-DAMNED JELLY-ARSED MISMATCHED GALLOWS-BIRD,” boomed Wajet. “COWARD! WEAKLING! ARISTOCRAT! I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU, SIR.”
37	* In ''Literature/DeathStar'', Admiral Motti has a hammy OhCrap when he realizes the title battle station is about to blow.
38	* Eddie from ''Literature/DecomposingAngel'' is this. He is compared to Creator/BrianBlessed by a character in the story.
39	* [[BigBad Jupiter]] in Creator/RobinJarvis' ''Literature/DeptfordMice'' trilogy is as hammy a villain as they come.
40	-->"I AM YOUR LORD!"
41	* In ''Literature/DinosaurVs'', Dinosaur treats everything he does like it's some sort of amazing challenge.
42	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
43	** Archchancellor Ridcully, wizard of wizards is another candidate to be played by Creator/BrianBlessed in any live-action adaptation, although in the ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'' movie they went with Joss Ackland.
44	** This trope is given a rather amusing nod in ''Literature/WyrdSisters'' when Granny visits the theater. While investigating the relative reality of theater, she catches a luckless former corpse backstage, still very much alive, and eating a ''ham sandwich.''
45	** Otto von Chriek, the vampire photographer, deserves to be mentioned as well. Especially during the moments in ''Literature/TheTruth'' where he has to fight his addiction. And because he is from {{Uberwald}}, his more dramatic lines often get accompanied by equally dramatic thunderclaps.
46	** Mr. Boggis is in danger of being killed by the god of Over-Acting in ''Literature/{{Thud}}''.
47	** Wolfgang from ''Literature/TheFifthElephant''. May be justified in his case, he is a werewolf who cares little for human culture or normalcy. His personality may be based on the speaking version of an annoying, constantly barking dog.
48	** [[AC: Are You Forgetting [[TheGrimReaper Someone]]?]]
49	* Orson Gregory in ''Literature/TheDreamsideRoad'' weaponizes this behavior to trick his way through sticky situations and to infuriate his enemies. He’s at his hammiest when in danger, especially during his duel with Master Nine.
50	* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' novel ''Small Favor'', Harry hams it up when he's performing some carefully-controlled magic in front of a group of {{Muggles}} while evil faeries are assaulting the room they're in. Immediately afterward, [[KnightInShiningArmor Michael]] switches the ham up when he breaks down the door, and his holy sword ''Ammorachius'' erupts in white light so bright it blinds everyone watching and disintegrates the light-sensitive faeries while screaming a prayer to God in Latin that is literally being channeled from Heaven.
51	-->'''"LAVA QUOD EST SORDIUM! IN NOMINE DEI! SANA QUOD EST SAUCIUM!"'''
52	** In other words, [[IncrediblyLamePun Heavenly Ham.]]
53	** In ''Turn Coat'', BigFriendlyDog Mouse loads on the ham when he takes a bullet for Molly due to her poor judgment, and she has to dig it out and clean the wound. The entire time he makes pitiful whines at the slightest touch, and treats the wound as something terrible and debilitating. When Molly is done and has to leave, Mouse promptly springs back up, apparently completely fine. Even Harry is impressed that Mouse was smart enough to deliberately ham things up to drive home the point to Molly.
54	** ''Changes'' has a moment where [[spoiler: Murphy]] is apparently channeling the voice of the ArchangelMichael as she pronounces heavenly doom upon the Red Court.
55	-->''"False gods! Pretenders! Usurpers of truth! Destroyers of faith, of families, of lives, of children! For your crimes against the Mayans, against the peoples of the world, now will you answer! Your time has come! Face judgment Almighty!"''
56	** Harry Dresden goes around burning down buildings, slaying vampires, riding a zombie T-rex down Michigan Avenue, leading the Wild Hunt, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking dressing like he's on the set of ''El Dorado.'']] He may not realize it, but the man is just as hammy in his own way as anyone else in the series.
57	-->DON'T MESS WITH A WIZARD WHILE HE'S WIZARDING! [[ItMakesSenseInContext Now get me that Snoopy doll!]]
58	* Commissar Ibram Gaunt in the ''Literature/GauntsGhosts'' novels does this all the time. He leads from the front and when inspiring his troops he usually yells "MEN OF TANITH!! DO YOU WANT TO LIVE FOREVER!!"
59	* Hank of ''Literature/HankTheCowdog'' is this most of the time. He loves showing off his supposedly amazing charm, bravery, and intellect whenever he gets the chance.
60	* Gilderoy Lockhart, in ''Literature/HarryPotter'', who constantly assumes everyone in the world is asking for his autograph. Whenever Harry makes a mistake, he automatically assumes he did it for attention, like himself, and gives him advice about media and popularity.
61	** It's fairly understated, but Draco Malfoy always gives the impression of playing to the crowd whenever he's taunting Harry, especially when he's described as drawling (which is fairly often). And Snape gets in on the act too, with his introductory speeches to Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts, or when he gets ''really'' angry and starts to rival Harry's own infamous love affair with CAPSLOCK. Then there's Voldemort's love of dramatic, long speeches... apparently, the Slytherin qualities are cunning and [[IncrediblyLamePun hambition]].
62	** Lest we forget, MOTORBIKES DON'T FLY!
63	* Hercules in ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus''. Promptly gets a surplus lampshade in form of [[ItMakesSenseInContext being drowned in ham.]]
64	* The titular character of ''Literature/HowlsMovingCastle''. In fact, he really needs Sophie and co. to calm him down.
65	%%* Effie Trinket from ''Literature/TheHungerGames''.
66	* The meat monster in ''Literature/JohnDiesAtTheEnd''. Extremely fitting as the creature is essentially a possessed pile of meat, making it a Large Ham in more ways then one.
67	* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': Remho the Trickster is found of {{Big Entrance}}s, dramatic statements, and explosions. He announces the start of auditions with a pyrotechnic display that reads "Auditions are Open".
68	* ''Literature/KnavesOnWaves'' has a justified example in Carnage, who learnt to speak primarily from old, exaggerated plays. As such, he is rather verbose.
69	%%* Professor Challenger in ''Literature/TheLostWorld1912''.
70	* ''Literature/MacdonaldHall'': Bruo and Cathy love rallying people into action, and view tact and social grace as things to worry about later. Cathy sometimes commandeers the school loudspeaker to announce unusual events.
71	%%* The Trunchbull in Roald Dahl's ''Literature/{{Matilda}}''.
72	* Spiro in the BBC adaptation of ''Literature/MyFamilyAndOtherAnimals'', it helps also that he was played by Creator/BrianBlessed.
73	* The Hooded Man from ''[[Literature/ElsabethSoesten No Good Deed...]]'', [[spoiler: aka, Lord Cuncz]], particularly his fondness of lingering in shadows and wrapping himself in his cloak to play up his mysteriousness.
74	--> "Well, what have we here? A whore, a friar, and an abbot all walk into an abbey. Hmm, I am sure you all have heard that one before, so let us forget the jokes."
75	* Nicholas van Rijn, interstellar entrepreneur in Creator/PoulAnderson's ''Literature/PolesotechnicLeague'' stories. If these were made into movies, he'd have to be played by Creator/BrianBlessed. He talks and acts Big Ham, certainly, but is also large and fat, just so you don't miss the point.
76	* ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice'': Lady Catherine du Burgh in any incarnation, but especially as played by Dame Judi Dench in the film version.
77	* The titular character of ''Literature/{{Psmith}}'', ridiculously.
78	--> "Do I look as if I belonged here? I'm the latest import. Sit down on yonder settee, and I will tell you the painful story of my life. By the way, before I start, there's just one thing. If you ever have occasion to write to me, would you mind sticking a P at the beginning of my name? P-s-m-i-t-h. See? There are too many Smiths, and I don't care for Smythe. My father's content to worry along in the old-fashioned way, but I've decided to strike out a fresh line. I shall found a new dynasty. The resolve came to me unexpectedly this morning. I jotted it down on the back of an envelope. In conversation you may address me as Rupert (though I hope you won't), or simply Smith, the P not being sounded. Compare the name Zbysco, in which the Z is given a similar miss-in-balk. See?"
79	* A lot of ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'''s hares, particularly Ballaw and Florian who are actually actors by trade. Also, in ''Salamandastron'', two {{Mooks}} are caught trying to sneak into the Abbey and their response is to throw laughably overblown crying fits.
80	* ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'': Doctor Impossible, when he's in MadScientist mode. Leads to some amusing scenes where he seems visibly annoyed that the heroes are forcing him to put on his game face and rant when he'd rather [[VillainsOutShopping kick back and relax with a latte]].
81	* Several characters from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
82	** Aeron Greyjoy, AKA Damphair: NO GODLESS MAN MAY SIT THE SEASTONE CHAIR!
83	** Viserys Targaryen: I AM THE BLOOD OF THE DRAGON! I'M THE DRAGON!
84	** HODORHODORHODORHODORHODORHODORHODOR!
85	** Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne would like you to admit that you murdered his sister ''EEEEEEEEEEELIAAAAAAAAAAAA!''
86	** The Lords of the Seven Kingdoms like to stick Ham into their titles:
87	*** King Balon Greyjoy, Iron King of the Isles and the North, Lord-Reaper of Pyke, Son of the Sea Wind and King of Salt and Rock
88	*** King Robert I Baratheon, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm
89	*** The crown of hammy titles has to go to: Queen Daenerys I Targaryen, [[spoiler: Queen of Meereen]], Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, Stormborn, [[spoiler: Breaker of Shackles, Breaker of Chains,]] Princess of Dragonstone and [[spoiler: Mother of Dragons.]]
90	** Tormund Giantsbane, [[TheMunchausen Tall-talker]], Horn-blower and Breaker of Ice, Husband to Bears, the Mead-king of Ruddy Hall, Speaker to Gods and Father of Hosts. All of which are self-styled titles. He has the most boisterous, hammiest laugh in the series and he loves talking about anything to do with his member.
91	** "[[ThirdPersonPerson STRONG BELWAS]] NEEDS [[TrademarkFavoriteFood LIVER AND ONIONS]]!"
92	*** Belwas is a better-justified example than most, being a professional entertainer (gladiators are primarily entertainers and showmen) in a time and place where subtle, nuanced performances were not just looked down on, but technically impossible to pull off. It isn't so strange that he [[ChewingTheScenery chews scenery]] and liver and onions with the same gusto.
93	* Lloyd Henried and the guy he was on a crime spree with, in the beginning of ''Literature/TheStand''. Randall Flagg got into it in a darker, creepy way, too, later on.
94	** And the girl who had sex with Nick Andros and then started shooting at the two of them.
95	* ''Literature/StrengthAndJustice'':
96	** One character announces his own arrival this way, and then proceeds to boast about his martial arts training and everything else in the same tone, with NoIndoorVoice to boot. "IT IS I! WILLIAM NARL THE SECOND!"
97	** Everyone who goes "haywire" has their speech bolded and incredibly melodramatic. "'''If I can't have you!'''"
98	** Dan Dynamo sounds a bit too emphatic and over-the-top when it comes to his dyna-swapping powers.
99	* Trebla the Terrific from ''Literature/SuperMinion''. His crimes tend to include on over-the-top monologues, and fights where he focuses as much on putting on a show as actually defeating the heroes. He also goes to great expense to capture everything with film-quality cameras so that he can post videos of the fights on his website. According to Ifrit, he actually performs many of his crimes at a loss and has other sources of income to pay for them.
100	* In Creator/ThomasMann's works
101	** The tall, exuberant Dutchman Mijnheer Peeperkorn in ''The Magic Mountain''. (He was modeled after RealLife German author Gerhart Hauptmann.)
102	** Alois Permaneder, the Bavarian in ''Buddenbrooks''.
103	* In ''Literature/TimeAndAgain'' a conversational duel between two nineteenth century {{LargeHam}}s is observed by a time traveller from his twentieth century perspective: "And now [[spoiler: Pickering and Carmody]] were acting their roles in a time when the melodramatic conventions of the stage were largely accepted as reality. Deadly serious, meaning every word, each of them, I think, was also appreciating his own performance."
104	* ''Literature/TheTravelersGate'': Alin talks, as Simon puts it, as if he is in a storybook. This becomes more fitting once he turns out to be a mythical prophesized hero, but Simon and Alin's sisters still find it annoying.
105	* Tigerstar and Brokenstar, main villains from ''Literature/WarriorCats'' both qualify. It helps that there's a meeting every month where they can give hammy speeches, but when they [[spoiler: die and go to the Dark Forest]], they feel obliged to hold these meetings, just so their trainees know that a ham is in charge.
106	** Oh, god, where to start with Hawkfrost? "We shall taste victory soon!" just speaks for itself...
107	* ''Literature/VillainsByNecessity'': The unicorn mostly speaks very loudly in FloweryElizabethanEnglish, usually with AllCaps.
108	* "Excuse me! [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Elassar_Targon Elassar Targon]], Master of the Universe, reporting for duty!" A pilot in the ''Literature/XWingSeries'', Elassar has the odd distinction of always ''reacting'' hammily.
109	** [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Garik_Loran Face Loran]] is a former child star turned X-Wing pilot, and is a past master as unleashing the right amount of ham in the right place at the right time. Then there's the time he had to [[FalseFlagOperation impersonate]] ''another'' LargeHam, [[SmallNameBigEgo Captain Darillian]].
110	-->''Thank you, thank you. Performances every hour, on the hour. Imperial madmen a speciality.''
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Context LargeHam / Literature