Heroes and VillainsHercules, Jesus, James Bond, Luke Skywalker, Gandalf, Frodo, Harry Potter, Buffy Summers, Spiderman, Batman, Captain Kirk, Dr. Who, Darth Vader, Sauron, Voldemort, Lex Luthor, Dr. Doom, the Daleks, the Borg. Almost anybody living in the developed West would be able to group these individuals into two camps: the heroes and the villains. However, what criteria they may use to do this is less clear. Mike Alsford introduces us to a range of heroic and villainous archetypes on a journey through film, television, comic books, and literature. On the way, he addresses questions such as: What is a true hero? What is a true villain? Have we misunderstood these terms? What kind of societal values do our mythical heroes and villains represent? In trying to understand the extremes of hero and villain we are made more aware of our own ethical standards and given a space in which to explore contemporary concerns over notions of right and wrong, good and bad. |
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... Jedi master Yoda explains the difference : ... YODA : A Jedi's strength flows from the Force . But beware of the dark side . Anger . fear aggression . The dark side of the Force are they . Easily they flow , quick to join you in a fight ...
... Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence , never for attack.21 The villain coerces , imposes and seeks to destroy anything that it cannot bend to its will . The hero takes the more dangerous path , the one that always runs the risk ...
... Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and ultimately redefines him as the sinister Jedi Darth Vader . 12 In Michael Moorcock's classic Elric saga the anti - hero Elric of Melniboné , the albino ruler of the decadent city of Imrryr , requires a ...
Contents
Myth and Imagination | 1 |
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Copyright | |
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