Antihero

This article is about the character type. For the 1999 action film, see Anti-hero (film). For the punk band, see Anti-Heros.

In fiction, an antihero (sometimes antiheroine as feminine) is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're supposed to be one. Some consider the word's meaning to be sufficiently broad as to additionally encompass the antagonist who (in contrast to the archetypal villain) elicits considerable sympathy or admiration. The term dates to 1714, although literary criticism identifies the term in earlier literature.

History

There is no definitive moment when the antihero came into existence as a literary trope. The antihero has evolved over time, changing as society's conceptions of the hero changed, from the Elizabethan times of Faust and William Shakespeare's Falstaff, to the darker-themed Victorian literature of the 19th century, such as John Gay's The Beggar's Opera or as a timid, passive, indecisive man that contrasts sharply with other Greek heroes to Philip Meadows Taylor's Confessions of a Thug. The Byronic hero also sets a literary precedent for the modern concept of antiheroism.

Distinction from unlikely heroes

The traditional hero type is classically depicted to possess an image that is larger than life. They are generally expected to be more physically attractive, stronger, braver, more clever or charismatic than the average everyman. Unlikely heroes are simply characters who may not be conspicuously flawed, but simply ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances.

Unlike traditional heroes, antiheroes are not as fabulous as the traditional ones. They are generally corrupt, oppressive, etc. They are not villains but not nescessarily heroes. They may do bad things but are not evil. They usually fight villains, but not for the reason of justice. Their actions are motivated by their own personal desires, such as revenge. For example, an antihero may steal, vandilize, and perform other "bad" acts but may do so for a good cause.

"O Malandro"

A typical kind of Brazilian stock character who is often depicted as a trickster who lies, steals, and has little qualms about manipulating even his best friends. Despite this rather negative and villainous attitude, the malandro is often depicted as a hero because, in contrast to his methods, he does not use his cunningness for true harm and malice. Rather, he uses it to prevail against the adversity that surrounds the character, and his actions may actually have positive effects on the others, even if unintended, thus making him a sort of Lovable rogue.

In popular culture

Modern-day heroes have enjoyed an increased moral complexity. In 1930, originally introduced as a mysterious radio narrator by David Chrisman, William Sweets, and Harry Engman Charlot for Street and Smith Publications, The Shadow was fully developed and transformed into a pop culture antihero icon by pulp writer Walter B. Gibson. Mid-20th century playwrights such as Samuel Beckett and Tom Stoppard showcased antiheroic protagonists recognizable by their lack of identity and determination. Pulp fiction and noir detective stories of the mid-20th century saw characters such as Sam Spade, who lacked the glorious appeal of previous heroic figures, become popular. Influenced by the pulps, early comic books featured antiheroic characters such as Namor the Sub-Mariner (who would just as soon conquer humanity as try to save it). Marvel Comics most prolific antihero is perhaps The Punisher, who is more than willing to kill those who he views as deserving of death. Sergio Leone's "spaghetti westerns" showcased a wandering vigilante (the "Man with No Name" played by Clint Eastwood) whose gruff demeanor clashed with other heroic characteristics. Frank Miller said that Sin City character Marv is said to be the story's equivalent of an antihero. One of the more famous female antiheroes is Catwoman, who was historically a supervillainess foe of Batman. Her usual crime was burglary, but she is not evil as she has her own moral code, and abhors killing. Catwoman has even, on occasion, helped Batman fight crime and villains in East End.

Heroes in the modern world also frequently show villainous characteristics. One such example is the BBC science fiction/crime drama Torchwood in which two dominant male heroes, Owen Harper and Captain Jack Harkness commit villainous deeds. In this TV series, Captain Jack frequently mistreats his prisoners and team members, (They Keep Killing Suzie, Sleeper, Cyberwoman, Everything Changes, and Adrift) and on more than one occasion makes terrible sacrifices that hurt many people (Small Worlds, Torchwood: Children of Earth). Owen, on the other hand, is frequently cynical, nasty, insensitive, and commits vengeful and retributive deeds (End of Days, Meat, Ghost Machine). Another example of this villain playing hero is Riddick from several movies and video games. A convict and murderer fighting the evil bigger than him, often just for his own survival.

Many modern antiheroes possess, or even encapsulate, the postmodern rejection of traditional values symptomatic of Modernist literature in general, as well as the disillusion felt after World War II and the Nuclear Age. The continuing popularity of the antihero in modern literature and popular culture may be based on the recognition that a person is fraught with human frailties, unlike the archetypes of the white-hatted cowboy and the noble warrior, and is therefore more accessible to readers and viewers. This popularity may also be symptomatic of the rejection by the avant-garde of traditional values after the counter-culture revolution of the 1960s.

In the postmodern era, traditionally defined heroic qualities, akin to the classic "knight in shining armor" type, have given way to the "gritty truth" of life, and authority in general is being questioned. The brooding vigilante or "noble criminal" archetype, seen in characters like Detectives Vic Mackey and Dirty Harry, is slowly becoming part of the popular conception of heroic valor rather than being characteristics that are deemed unheroic.

See also

• Antagonist
• Byronic hero
• Tragic flaw
• List of fictional antiheroes
• Tragic hero
• Vigilante
• Villains
• False hero
• False protagonist
• Archenemy

References

• Nobel e-Museum: The Nobel Prize in Literature 1976 Presentation Speech by Karl Ragnar Gierow
• Thomson Gale e-research and educational publishing:Glossary A

External links

• Begley, Louis (May 15, 2000). l "Anti-heroes". Salon.com. http://archive.salon.com/books/bag/2000/05/15/begley/index.htm l. 
• The Gallery of Anti-heroes and Villains: What is an Anti-Hero?
• Simmons, David (2008). The Anti-Hero in the American Novel: From Heller to Vonnegut. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0230603238. 
• The Gallery of Anti-heroes in Science Fiction Movies --- Explore-Science-Fiction-Movies.com