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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... referred to earlier - that between power and responsibility . Any parent will appreciate this particular dilemma as they seek to achieve a balance between the exercise of supportive power on behalf of their children , and the often ...
... referred to back in Chapter Two . The understanding of the human condition that identifies morality with the exercise of the rational will over our baser instincts . - Anakin Skywalker – portrayed within episodes one to three of the ...
... referred to Superman's alter ego , the very ordinary Clark Kent . It is as Kent that Kal - El becomes incarnate in the world , establishes his humanity , and prevents himself from becoming a distant and remote figure dwelling in his ...
Contents
Myth and Imagination | 1 |
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Copyright | |
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