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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... true , it's just a myth ' The products of the imagination are considered , for various reasons which we shall consider shortly , somehow less ' real ' , less ' true ' and thus less ' relevant ' . On the other hand , in certain contexts ...
... true that Buffy possesses super powers beyond those of ordinary human beings - mega strength , enhanced reflexes and agility – it is not these that make her heroic , many less heroic figures possess similar abilities within the series ...
... 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 ...
Contents
Myth and Imagination | 1 |
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Copyright | |
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