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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... hand and maid Marion tucked neatly under one arm , or Luke Skywalker invading the Death Star with a smile on his face , a light saber in one hand and Princess Leia tucked neatly under one arm , or Spiderman invading the lair of Dr ...
... hand , suspicion , and , on the other hand , as having a unique value within our culture . The decline of the imagination Classical literature as well as religious texts such as the Jewish scriptures , exhibited a considerable respect ...
... hand in hand with a sense of responsibility and conscience . Both Angel and Spike , once ensouled , find the memories of the evil they have inflicted almost impossible to bear . Indeed , it is this sense of remorse that can be seen to ...
Contents
Myth and Imagination | 1 |
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Copyright | |
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