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 13
... possible to allow as many to join in the debate as possible – not only those with a classical education . In drawing upon current heroic and villainous characters from sources such as The Lord of the Rings , Buffy the Vampire Slayer ...
... possible to allow as many to join in the debate as possible - not only those with a classical education . In drawing upon current heroic and villainous characters from sources such as The Lord of the Rings , Buffy the Vampire Slayer ...
... possible to deploy considerable economic , political and social power from the relatively safe confines of our homes and offices . What we know and understand about the workings of the world and the people who inhabit it provides us ...
Contents
Myth and Imagination | 1 |
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Copyright | |
2 other sections not shown