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. |
From inside the book
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... Ring ' , the weapon of the enemy . While the Ring is clearly understood to be a weapon of incredible power - certainly enough to overthrow Sauron and end the present war - the cost of making use of such a resource is considered , by ...
... Rings , for example , where both Sauron , Saruman and the Ring itself are seen as exerting a powerful seductive force ... Ring : that you know now ; but I give you my word that I do not desire to keep it ... You can say I was too strong ...
... Ring , Chapter 11 , ' The Council of Elrond ' . 19. Murray , R. H. , Individual and State , Hutchinson & Co , 1946 , p.143 . 20. ibid . , p.144 . 21. cf. Karl Popper , The Open Society and Its Enemies , vol . 2 , Chapter 11-12 Routledge ...
Contents
Myth and Imagination | 1 |
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Copyright | |
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