Is Batman a Vigilante or a Hero? In the world of superheroes, there are many that believe they are heroes, while in actuality, they are merely vigilantes. This is most prominently seen in Batman. Batman presents himself as a hero, while he is only an over imaginative vigilante. He is more a vigilante than a hero because he has the ability to stop crime but doesn’t, he only does things for his own benefit, and he helps the law but isn’t part of it. These are only a few ways Batman is a vigilante, instead of a hero. These are mainly based upon the idea of him trying to hard to right his own past. Batman is more of a vigilante than a hero because he has the ability to stop crime but doesn’t. He goes about “protecting” the city …show more content…
While Batman was still Bruce Wayne, his parents were killed by a soon to be supervillain, this caused him to have an alternative motive to become a “hero.” For example Captain America fight crime and serves the city for the people not for his own benefit. Batman might seem like he is doing what hero is supposed to do, but he is merely trying to avenge his parents death. “ Police are perplexed, worried the group will turn into vigilantes and doubt that the superhero policy is ever stopped any crime,” (source A). This is the same with Batman; the police do not know what to make of him but are worried that he will get himself in trouble. Batman might seem like he is doing things for others, yet he does them for himself. Though Batman tries to be portrayed as a hero, he is only a vigilante because he helps the law, but is not a part of it. This means that he goes around fighting crime, but is not a member of the police force or other civil duties that go around vanquishing crime. While he wants to be acknowledged as a hero that saves the day and is praised for his work he only gets in the way of actual civil officers who are trying to do their jobs. “ Our concern is if it goes badly, then we end up getting called anyway, and we may have additional victims,” (source A) and “ Obviously law enforcement officials don’t recommend bystanders “clock” supposed to bank thieves, (source D). In both of these instances the police
Batman is a depiction of hope. Batman was the answer to a lot of people’s problems in a place where nobody felt safe like they should in their home. He was like the rain after a long, dry spell for
Is this modern concept much different than other stories we have grown up watching from an early age? I believe there are many similarities in stories of superheroes and comic many of us grew up reading and watching on Saturday mornings. Batman, a well-known super hero, fought crime in Gotham and was the “Dark Knight” that restored peace in his community. While Batman did not kill the criminals he was chasing after he did bring them to justice!
Batman originally began as a DC Comics' detective a superhero quite different from the one envisioned by Nolan and company today. Batman was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in 1939 for Detective Comics, and for more than two decades it depicted a hero defined by his mystery-solving techniques and cast of quirky characters against whom his braininess and eccentric costume could be balanced (along with his knack for solving crimes). Needless to
There are many other reasons as to why Bruce Wayne is not just a superhero but rather a person who has a disorder. When he "switches" from Bruce Wayne to Batman, he does not even notice. It is almost as if it is automatic. Nobody realizes that the respectable businessman Bruce Wayne is Batman by night. It appears that he is Batman for many reasons but a major one is that he fears that something terrible will happen to other people just like it happened to him when he was younger. He tries to save others from getting hurt from outlaws and evildoers.
In batman series, he fights with criminals as a masked vigilante whose alter ego is Bruce Wayne, an American billionaire and industrialist. His dual identity known to his partner robin, Alfred- the butler and city police Commissioner Mr. James Gordon. Every episode start with a crime committed in the city followed by Commissioner Gordon briefing information about the crime to batman and after solving the case they was appreciated by the Commissioner Gordon and entire police staff. As a result, it represent that he works as a secret agent within the law enforcement and because of that he has a heroic image in public. Similarly, the green hornet is also vigilante crime fighter whose alter-ego is Britt Reid, a billionaire and owner and publisher of the newspaper “The Daily Sentinel”. His dual identity was known to his partner Kato and district attorney Mr. Frank P Scanlon. But, unlike the batman, they are wanted criminal in police records. They themselves spread this news through his newspaper. So, that they can get close to the criminals and take advantage. Clearly, the batman and the green hornets both are crime fighters and both share same mission to protect the city and people from criminals but, their image as vigilante differ from one another, as one portrayed as a hero and another as a wanted criminal in the police
Vigilantes. People who take justice into their own hands.Though vigilantism is common in the annals of history, and the kingdom of literature/arts, there are few who truly define what it means to be a vigilante. Wilhelm Tauber and Bruce Wayne are two of those few. 16-year-old Wilhelm “Wilm” Tauber lives in Leipzig, Soviet-occupied East Germany, in 1947. Living with his bitter, unipedal accountant father who has a death wish, his hardworking mother, and his traumatised sister Anneliese, who was raped by four Schutzpolizei (Schupos). The Schupos’ reign of terror fuel Wilm’s hate for the status quo of the city. At night, with the help of his friends Karl, Georg and Ruth, Wilm humiliates his Soviet oppressors as the Marionette Wolverine. One night, he throws a live grenade in a barrack which he thought was empty, only to be met by the screams of the soldiers sleeping. Now a fugitive, he escapes to U.S occupied West Germany with his friends and sister. Meanwhile in Gotham, U.S.A, billionaire Bruce Wayne has taken up the mantle of Batman to cleanse his city of crime. He did so because about two decades ago, he witnessed a common thief kill his parents. Batman takes on criminals, both powerful and petty, with the hope that no child will see his/her parents slaughtered before him/her. With
Batman contradicts his morals while he is fighting the mutant leader and when he is about to shoot him he stops himself with “though that means crossing a line I drew for myself thirty years ago”. While Batman did not kill the mutant leader, earlier on Batman shoots a mutant grunt with a machine gun and faded blood is splattered behind the criminal holding a baby captive (Miller, 64). Later on in the novel Batman says to the joker “a gun is a coward’s weapon, a liars weapon” (Miller, 149). Batman has power to stick to his morals, to take on the evil of Gotham City, and to make the decision to deliver justice no matter whose side of the law he is. However, in the novel he has clearly stated that killing someone crosses his morals and that he despises guns yet he uses them to kill criminals. Batman crosses his golden rule of not killing criminals and shows that he will go above his own moral code of justice.
Another way in which Batman displays himself as a Byronic hero is his function as a subversive character which refuses to submit to demonic forces. He tries to appear to be a man who is morally upright. However, Batman is unable to separate himself from the pain of his parents ' untimely death, which gives him a new identity as a mysterious masked crime fighter. In most books and films, he tries to put this tragic incident behind him without much success. As Peter J. Tomasi indicates, “instead we see a presentation of Batman’s powers by exacting strange acts in the name of justice like teleporting hotheaded” (1).
If criminals are not immediate threats, they 'll be let go. Beowulf follows a similar code. He says to Unferth, “You murdered your brothers, Your own close kin. Words and bright wit/ Won’t help your soul.” (320-323.) Beowulf would not harm anyone unless they would harm innocents. They are also both committed to battling corruption. Beowulf travels many miles from home to aid Hrothgar and fight Grendel. Beowulf knows his heroic duty calls him to protect the people of Daneland, even if they aren 't his. Batman feels it’s his responsibility to fight evil in Gotham. He battles criminals regularly and ultimately ends the Joker 's reign. Batman is not threatened by these enemies, but the people of Gotham are, and thus he fights for them. Batman and Beowulf bear the burden of heroic responsibility well.
Batman’s violent actions in Frank’s Miller comic book demonstrated the darkness of his heroic personality. After ten year retirement, Batman became more troubled to Gotham City turning to a crime-ridden and a fugitive. According to Joseph Campbell words “everything begins with a story”. The beginning of Batman’s story started after the death of his parents. They were shot by some criminals because they were going to steal and hurt them. Having to experienced this horrible scene on his childhood, traumatized Batman
Though Batman tries to be portrayed as a hero, he is only a vigilante since he helps the law, but is not a part of it. This means that he fights crime, but is not a member of the police force or other civil duties that
The Dark Knight (2008), directed by Christopher Nolan, demonstrates the idea of good versus evil. Batman is known as the protagonist, and Joker is known as the ultimate villain. The representation of crime in the film is seen from the actions of both characters. The film essentially depicts the act of deviance meaning, “behaviour that violates social norms, including laws”. In normality the government would have the greatest amount of power, but in the Gotham city, power is complex. There is minimal structure of law and order in Gotham city due to powerful people like Batman and the Joker. Citizens of Gotham city can no longer fight for themselves in a world filled with supernatural powers. Therefore, the only hope that citizens have rest in the hands of Batman. Although Batman attempts to save Gotham city from Joker’s criminal intentions. Batman, however, also plays a role in deviant activity while attempting to catch the Joker. Realistically, Batman violates the moral code due to destructive behaviour, and putting the lives of citizens at harm. He does not care for social norms, nor whether his acts are of legality. He is devoted to combat organized crime with Harvey Dent, a district attorney in Gotham city. Batman is in fact, the definition of crime, he understands but does not abide to individual rights and social contracts which make up the rule of law. In addition, the man behind Batman, Bruce Wayne also portrays a form of deviance by disguising himself as Batman.
This personality can help him to find the ways to complete whatever he thinks that it is important. For instance, Batman is catching the criminals continuously as this is what he wanted to do when he started to be Batman. Batman is a rule-oriented person. This can be good because Batman would not easy to be seduced by any person with any offer as he barely break his own rules. Hence, Batman is considered as a thoughtful person as he would think about any possible consequences before he takes any action. And yet, this may become his weakness. It is because he would be inflexible in his life whenever he is facing problems and situations. For example, a few people died because of Batman indirectly. It is because he could not fulfill the Joker’s request which he has to show his real face to the public. He suffered and almost surrender to the
If he gets shot by a gun, he’s dead and if he gets stabbed by a knife in a vital area, he’s dead. Batman is too easy to kill and he is a very emotionally unstable guy, which causes him to think very deeply and ponder if he’s a good or bad person.
Batman is one of the many fictional superheroes which appears in the “American comic books” that is published by the DC comics. The character is a secret identity for Bruce Wayne, the only heir to Wayne Enterprises. Bruce Wayne swore an oath of vengeance when he witnessed the death of his parents;Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne (Diamond, 2015). Bat man combats criminals in Gotham: a fictional city, with assistance from various characters, for example, his butler Alfred and Gordon; Gotham city police commissioner. Unlike many of the superheroes characters, Batman possesses no powers .Bruce Wayne trained himself intellectually and physically .it is from dedication to training he possessed the useful traits of physical prowess, martial arts skills, detective skills and indomitable will to fight for justice. Though his motive is to combat crime and protect people of Gotham city from criminals, the justice system in most of the times views Batman as a villain and vigilante. He can inflict fear to Gotham city criminals thereby bringing calmness to the city. I identify myself with the Batman character through his selfless will for justice, his strong determination to do good