Evil Doesn't Play by the Rules

Deciphering between good versus evil, when really simplified into their basic structures, isn't as clear cut as it would appear to be. What one considers good or evil is most certainly not what someone else might consider, and from this stems the controversy over the difference of the fundamental basics of wholesome and malevolent actions. Looking at popular movies for aid in attempting to distinguish between the two, I chose two examine The Princess Bride and The Shining. For the first, the rivalry between the two forces is evident with Prince Humperdinck being the vicious ruler and Westley acting as the hero of the story by saving Princess Buttercup. With the latter though, this distinction isn't as obvious. In The Shining, one could argue that the force of evil was the murderous father who attempted to kill his family and the good forces were the mother and the boy who worked together to try and stop the father. But if one chooses to analyze the plot even further, as I have, an argument could also be formed for the source of evil being not the father but the malicious forces of the house that acted upon the father and forced him to perform the actions we deem as "evil". In that case, is the father truly evil? But what constitutes an "evil" action? Is it the infliction of pain or death, is it social disruption or cheating? In that same light, one could also question what the root of good is. Is it employing a sense of honesty or friendliness towards someone, providing help, or simply not indulging in what is deemed and evil action (i.e. self-restraint)? Seeing as how our society is so deeply embedded in these two values that we judge all actions, our own or those of others, by their standards, I don't believe that we could ever foster a definition for either nor could we function as a proper society if these two values were removed. I would consider both good and evil two gray areas of human life that will permanently remain that way, never to be defined, for as we as a people continue to grow, so do our beliefs and values and they will forever continue to change our perspectives on the two topics because wherever there is one, the other will shortly follow.