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 Luther, Dr Doom, the Daleks, the Borg.Almost anybody living within the developed West would be able to group these individuals into two camps: the heroes and the villains. However, what criteria they might use to do this is less clear.Mike Alsford introduces us to a whole 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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Page 64
... George Bailey considers his apparently - unremarkable life . As he comes to the conclusion that his life is valueless and prepares to end it by throwing himself into the river , divine forces intervene and an angelic being is sent to ...
... George Bailey considers his apparently - unremarkable life . As he comes to the conclusion that his life is valueless and prepares to end it by throwing himself into the river , divine forces intervene and an angelic being is sent to ...
Page 65
... George is granted his hasty wish and lives , for a short time , in a world in which he had never before existed . In this George - less world - perhaps overly emphasised for effect – all is not well . The many people whose lives George ...
... George is granted his hasty wish and lives , for a short time , in a world in which he had never before existed . In this George - less world - perhaps overly emphasised for effect – all is not well . The many people whose lives George ...
Page 152
... George Allen & Unwin Ltd , 1938 Russell , B. , A history of Western Philosophy , George Allen & Unwin Ltd , 1975 Sabin , R. , Comics , Comix and Graphic Novels : A History of Comic Art , Phaidon , 1996 Sartre , Jean - Paul , Being and ...
... George Allen & Unwin Ltd , 1938 Russell , B. , A history of Western Philosophy , George Allen & Unwin Ltd , 1975 Sabin , R. , Comics , Comix and Graphic Novels : A History of Comic Art , Phaidon , 1996 Sartre , Jean - Paul , Being and ...
Contents
Heroes and Otherness | 23 |
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility | 63 |
Villains Monsters and Evil Masterminds | 95 |
Copyright | |
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ability absolute alien Anakin Skywalker argues armour Batman beast become behaviour Boromir Buffy Summers Buffy the Vampire Campbell Chapter character Christian Clark Kent classic concerning confronts consider course culture Daleks dark side DAVROS DC Comics death DELENN Doctor Doctor Doom dominate encounter Enlightenment ethical evil example existence existential experience explored face Fantastic Four fear feel Fichte fight film force freedom friends Galactus George Hegel heroes and villains heroic Hyde ibid imagination individual issue Kant Kid Marvelman kill knowledge lives Lord Luke Skywalker Marvel Comics Matrix means moral nature never Nietzsche notion ourselves parents person philosopher Plato portrayed possess rational reason recognised responsibility Ring Saruman Sauron seen sense simply Skywalker social soul Spiderman Spike Stan Lee story stranger super hero super powered Superheroes Superman theme things thinkers transcendence truth Vampire Slayer