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
Results 1-3 of 5
... beasts that lurk within us , says Plato : bestir themselves in dreams , when the gentler part of the soul slumbers , and the control of Reason is withdrawn . Then the wild Beast in us , full - fed with meat and drink , becomes rampant ...
... beast of burden , which renounceth and is reverent ? - To create new values that even the lion cannot yet accomplish but to create itself freedom , for new creating - that can the might of the lion do . - To create itself freedom , and ...
... beasts must be and indeed can be controlled by the exercise of will and reason . When the beast does emerge it is generally seen as slipping free during a weak moment , as with Professor Morbius , when reason is no longer fully in ...
Contents
Myth and Imagination | 1 |
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Copyright | |
2 other sections not shown