Much like how Greco-Roman heroes reflected the cultural values of the societies that produced and sustained them, comic book heroes have also continued to reflect the values of contemporary society. In particular, Marvel’s The Punisher is a vital source of insight in our society’s moral perception of criminals. This is because his acceptance to mainstream pop culture is a reflection of the social values and moral codes that have been discreetly popularized by members of our society. This popularity, which is grounded in our resonation with The Punisher and his belief system, is a product of our unfiltered individual moral desires, as well as the institutional ills that many believe characterizes our justice systems. To understand these …show more content…
The perpetrators, seeking to eliminate witnesses, murdered most of the bystanders, including Castle’s family and almost Castle himself. Although upon recovery Castle was able to identify the perpetrators to the police, corruption in the department prevented any action from being taken. For that reason, and wanting justice for his family, Castle became the vigilante known as The Punisher. He has since waged a one-man war against crime and corruption by mercilessly hunting and killing those he consider criminals. This backstory alone provides insight into the Punisher’s moral foundations and motivations. However, further interpretation is necessary to understand the depth of his moral structure and motivation and there resonation with members of our society. In regards to his motivation, it has been made explicitly clear that revenge is the principle source of his crusade against crime. Not only does the author of his comic offer this evidence to us, but a basic psychological inquiry would make this clear as well. Nonetheless, as a result of his moral structure, Punisher is an immensely complex character that strays from the simplistic vengeful paradigm. This structure, which is maintained by his vision of making the world a better place, can be characterized as a consequentialist belief that eradicating criminals in the world is a necessary evil. This moral structure is crucial because within The Punisher’s individual rationality, the ethical framework
Who is the best example of a hero? Hercules. He is the mortal son of zeus. Hercules is the strongest hero of all time. Not only does he have incredible strength, but he is very caring of his family and mortals. Hercules is not just one of those basic, amatuer heros, he has so much experience since he had performed 12 labours. These are some of the reasons why Hercules is known as the greatest hero of all time.
Hero, the word strikes a universal chord making us think of exceptional and spectacular stories or deeds that far surpass any common feat. To the Greeks and many other cultures, the birth of these heroes is important. The birth of a hero sets them, apart often even before birth, from common mortals in Greek mythology. Birth is the first of many major events in our lives, our entrance into the world (Leeming). For heroes, that entrance must be as special as their lives will prove to be. A mundane birth is simply not an option for a hero, whether by the machinations of the gods or prophecies from an oracle, even the events surrounding their conception must be spectacular. From Perseus and Danaë to Theseus and Aethra, the myths
A hero is universally seen as a selfless individual who puts the needs of others before themselves. Heroes usually hold the same values; honor, nobility, integrity, and strength. Now what happens when a person does not hold those heroic values? What if their motivations did not have good intentions? These are the questions that will be answered using the deconstruction critical lenses. “Today, it is much harder to detach the concept of heroism from morality; we only call heroes those whom we admire and wish to emulate.” (Lebarge web) The Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur has evolved into the modern trilogy of Batman which, when deconstructed, reveals how the selfish motivations of
The concept of a hero has been around for many generations, and the meaning of a hero is defined in ways people grasp its idea. A hero can be a person who has a superpower and is willing to make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of others or can be an ordinary everyday person who just wants to help people out of his or her own heart. Linda Seger’s article, “Creating the Myth,” tackles the idea of a “Hero 's Myth,” and shows the ten steps of how heroes are transformed from an ordinary person to the Savior. On the other hand, Robert B. Ray piece titled, “The Thematic Paradigm,” emphasizes that in modern films, it is either having an “Outlaw Hero or an Official Hero,” which he uses three stages to demonstrates how they are different each other in the way they perform in the society. Further, the article, “Out of Character: Wonder Woman’s Strength Is Her Compassion - What Happened?” by Stevie St. John, explains how Wonder Woman was viewed as a compassionate woman in the 1940s and 1950s, and in the 2000s she changes into a more violent person. In this essay, I argue that a hero is subjective, and is defined by the villain or event that they had to adapt to suddenly.
American Heroes were inspired by Greek Tragic Heroes, yet both are very different from each other, but American Heroes have very similar traits to those who are Contemporary Heroes. An American Hero is a person who seeks justice and always defeats the enemy which results in all people having the justice they deserve. American Heroes also tends to protect all and has the tendency to fall in love with the “ damsel in distress”. This type of hero goes about his daily life, just like anyone else would, until it is time to fight, and at that time, their “supernatural” powers shine through in their fighting techniques. On the other side, all Tragic Heroes possess a flaw that will change their life from a life of happiness to a life of pain and despair. Ordinarily, Contemporary Heroes have nearly the same traits as American Heroes. Contemporary Heroes save and protect many individuals from violence and harm and lives a normal life until they have to face another obstacle. Both American and Contemporary Heroes are able to celebrate their victories, while Tragic Heroes can not do so because they are not victorious.
In the United States alone, 92% of the children (ages 10 - 17) say that their heroes include their parents. As well as 73% saying that their heroes include professional athletes, and 72% saying that their heroes include teachers. (National) What are some of the traits that might be influencing this generation to look up to a certain sect of people? Power, intelligence, drive, empathy, all of the above? What does it mean to be a hero in today's society, and would the ancient Greek heroes Hercules, Theseus, and Perseus still be considered heroes to modern day societal rules. Theseus and Perseus would still be considered heroes in modern day society. However, Hercules has bad qualities that overrule the ones that might be considered heroic.
Achilles, having been a famed and valiant soldier, was sought after and loved by all, except his adversary Agamemnon. He was a prominent warrior known for his great strength that actually caused the Acheans to win many battles. But what was it that caused Achilles to be such a hero? Consider the definition for the word, “hero.” A hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” This gallant warrior is all three of these points in the definition, plus more. Achilles’ honorable attitude for his loved ones, bravery in times of adversity, and as the definition states, “outstanding achievements” make him a hero beyond recognition.
the inventor of the bridle, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow,
Hercules, or known in Latin as Heracles, was the greatest of the Greek heroes, a paragon of masculinity. In art, Hercules was portrayed as a powerful, muscular man wearing lion's skin and armed with a huge club. He was also described as being a macho man buffoon, who was very impulsive. Hercules’ home and birthing place is in Thebes, Greece. Thebes is a city in central Greece. It plays as an important setting in many Greek myths, such as the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and many other important roles in Greek Mythology. The demigod, Hercules has an interesting origin, he is most famous for his 12 labors, and leaves a legacy in words and expressions.
Heroes are prevalent in everyone’s life. Whether someone’s hero is a living person or a fabled character from a movie, everybody has come into contact with some sort of hero. In fact, the concept of heroes has existed for hundreds of years, dating all the way back to Ancient Greece. Over time, heroes have drastically changed. As society has evolved, our heroes have evolved with it. Their goals and motivations have changed to coincide with the views of modern society. Modern day heroes have less selfish motives, better qualities, and are portrayed differently than ancient heroes.
all the commotion was about, she was amazed at the sight of her infant son
In the book The Iliad, by Homer, the main character, Achilles, is a Greek warrior who is part divine and part human. During the story, Achilles undergoes the steps in becoming a hero. Each of these steps prepares him for the final moment, when he becomes a hero. Achilles is a hero because he goes through many of the steps necessary in the path to becoming a hero.
In the battle between Hector and Achilles, there was more on the line than winning the war. Until the end of the poem, it can be argued that both Achilles and Hector fit the role of an epic hero, but there can only be one. The battle represented who would ultimately be determined the epic hero. In Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, Achilles is crafted into an epic hero throughout the poem by the illustration of the qualities of an epic hero: a great warrior, help from the supernatural, an epic flaw, and an epic journey.
The heroes in Greek and Roman mythology had the characteristics of violent masculinity and bravery, the ideology of a patriarchal society in which all the men were elite than the women. According to Kampmen in Gender Theory in Roman Art, “Roman society evolved in such a way as to enable elite men to establish and maintain power over everyone else, ” such men included heroes like Hercules, Achilles, and Pentheus (1996, p.152). They represented the elite males who had stable physical attributes that emphasized their masculinity and heroism. Heroes like the ones mentioned above had been idolized and worshiped with cults due to their works in helping their societies to fight monsters, the gods also favored them. Gender is emphasized by one 's appearance, dressing being the primary attribute. The mythic narratives of Achilles on Scyros, Hercules and Omphale and lastly Pentheus and Dionysus give a rather strange definition on the characteristics of heroes when they crossdress. In this essay, I shall discuss how male heroes characteristics become subverted than emphasized due to the myths of cross-dressing.
The criminal justice system proves ineffective in providing justice for Castle’s family. Consequently, Frank develops an alter ego known as the Punisher, a cold-blooded killer without morality (Abnett, Lanning & Eaglesham, 1995). With his newly established morals, he takes matters into his own hands seeking justice eliminating everyone he sees as a threat to society.