The victimisation for me, seems to be much more present in the heads of the audience than in the actual story. I guess, because it is just more convenient to have a big bad to hate. Gale is his own worst enemy, but that's a story that doesn't leave much room for any righteous anger against some villainous figure on his behalf. If you reduce Astarion and Shadowheart's tales to overcoming their oppressors their tales are also much more simple than if you read them as reflections on fear & safety or on the meaning of identity in Shadowheart's case.
