Vampire as Hero and Vampire as Villain
Order ID 53563633773 Type Essay Writer Level Masters Style APA Sources/References 4 Perfect Number of Pages to Order 5-10 Pages Description/Paper Instructions
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Topic: M5D2: Vampire as Hero/Vampire as Villain
Paper details:M5D2: Vampire as Hero/Vampire as Villain
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How important is self-control? Can this concept move a character typically categorized as a villain into the realm of the hero? This discussion question asks us to consider whether or not a vampire’s ability to exercise self-control is enough to change the way he/she is viewed, from the archetype of villain to the archetype of hero.After reading Chapter 44, return to page 778 of your text, particularly the paragraph regarding “vampiric feeding,” and review your notes from the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “Angel” that was assigned viewing for this module. Return, also, to your notes on heroes from previous modules to help you complete this activity.
In your initial post, discuss the difference between the vampire as hero and the vampire as villain. Explain how this compares with our concept of the “hero” from previous modules, and evaluate whether the vampire can be truly considered a hero as defined in mythology. Use our readings and the required episode “Angel” as evidence for your analysis.
Read:
Required:
Chapter 25: African and African American Trickster Stories, pgs. 467 – 480
Chapter 44: The Vampire as Hero
Module Notes: Tricksters from Africa and African American Mythology and Villains Re-Imagined
View:Required
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “Angel,” Season 1, Episode 7 (April 14, 1997)We have spent time with heroes, and we have met one of the most popular tricksters in mythology – Loki. Now, we are moving to a different region for more trickster tales, and we are exploring another archetype – the villain. Within that archetype, we consider vampires in literature and film. As with most things in literature and mythology (and life), we find examples that at times do not fit neatly into one category or the other.
When we consider the trickster of African and African American mythology, we find a character who sometimes acts in the role of a hero, but who is not heroic. We find a character, instead, whose primary characteristic is guile (Links to an external site.).
The trickster is predictable in that he forms a relationship with the dupe (Links to an external site.), and the other characters in the tale act as “power brokers” and enforce punishment. In the end of these tales, there is not peace; instead, there is disharmony.
African American mythology came to North America with the slaves from Africa. Epic stories with elaborate performances did not survive with the transplanted African slaves. Why not? Elaborate performances could not be hidden from slave owners. Slaves were discouraged from maintaining their religious practices. Many stories that did survive depict adventures of tricksters whose behavior can be laughed at, but they can be learned from, too.
The plot lines of African and African American myths tend to reflect experiences of the storytellers. These particular tales tend to have anthropomorphic characters. They present a grim world. Think back to the types of worlds the Norse tales and Greek myths reflected. For example, in the Norse mythology of the Prose Edda, we find a world that will end with death and destruction through a great war. In the Greek myths we have discussed previously, we find heroes who met gruesome deaths and leaders who were motivated by pride and greed to lead armies of men to early deaths. In African and African American myths, we also find pride and greed as motivating factors, as well as destruction and chaos.
Trickster tales flourished as a response to scarcity and hardship. Privation reflected the injustice of the slaveholding system. In Africa, shortages were due to natural disasters and war. In North America, shortages came from slavery and those in power keeping the abundance for themselves. Looking at the relationship between the trickster and the dupe shows us a reflection of the power struggles and power inequality in the cultures that produced these tales. The stories do not favor either trickery or trust. Instead, the tales capture the most important ethical dilemmas of both the individual and society—for instance, slavery. These stories give the reader and listener moral distance to analyze situations with more objectivity and offer them space to evaluate challenging issues.
For example, in the myth Why They Name the Stories for Anansi, p. 475-476, we see an example of a myth that gives readers the opportunity to reflect on some of the dilemmas imposed by slavery. The character of the “Master King” can be linked to the plantation owner. Nansi, the spider, is the trickster character in the myth. Reading how he goes about tricking the character of the black snake, we see how a character that is weaker and lesser in stature can “trick” another character by appealing to pride and greed. If we view Nansi, the spider, as a representation of slavery in America, we see how the characters who held the power could be overthrown, at least temporarily, through cunning and trickery.
The trickster is part of society, but at the same time, functions at society’s limits. He lives between nature and culture. Tricksters possess a dual identity, and they are able to hide behind their mask and also unmask when needed. This ability of theirs is what they use to cause chaos. Tricksters seem almost insignificant to the characters with whom they interact. They may border on invisibility, but it is this trait of going almost undetected that allows them to learn the secrets of the other characters, to unmask the hypocrites, and to undermine people.
Looking at the myth of Why the Hare Runs Away, p. 386-387, we find that, initially, the other animals play the dupe to the hare, but at the climax of the myth, we find that the hare becomes the dupe, as he is tricked by the “image” created by the other animals.
Because of their origins, as noted above, trickster tales are often set in an environment of scarcity. They often anthropomorphize creatures, such as a raven, spider, or fox. (You may already be familiar with Brer Rabbit.) But this is not always the case. In one of the stories from your assigned readings, “A Boarhog for a Husband,” we find a tale that is the opposite of the fairy tale, The Frog Prince, and are given the opportunity to view the trickster not as an anthropomorphic character, but as a slave, functioning at the margins of society. In others, such as tales of Anansi, the spider, the trickster Anansi is imagined as a trickster who is able to outwit more powerful characters. It is his trickery that earned him the notoriety of being the master storyteller in African and African American mythology.
In this module, we read tales of Anansi, the spider, and discover the connection between the trickster Anansi and the symbol of the spider and his web.
After we have delved into an exploration of the trickster through African and African American mythology, we move on to an analysis of vampires and attempt to classify them as hero, anti-hero, or villain.
When we encounter a character who never dies or ages, who is intelligent, who usually is attractive, what’s not to like? Unfortunately, there is another dimension to this particular character that makes it much less attractive: It is undead and feeds on the blood of others! Can a character that falls into this category be heroic? How might Dracula compare to Achilles or Hector? When we consider this, we find that the issue of self-control seems to influence how we define a hero. This is a new facet of our discussion of heroes.
There are avid fans of vampire lore, waiting in line for the latest vampire book or movie. Many of us seem to identify with vampires. Is this a modern concept? Looking at the history of vampire mythology, we find that stories with vampires who appear similar to our modern versions can be found as far back as 1819 in the story of The Vampyre by John Polidori. Then, in 1897, the most popular story of vampire mythology was published, and the world met Bram Stoker’s Dracula. This story gave rise to our modern vampire myths. In one of the most popular vampire stories, the Twilight series, we see the concept of self-control and how this leads us to change our view of the vampire from the traditional villain to a hero because he can control his impulses.
Now that we have looked more carefully at the trickster and met one of the most famous types of villains, the vampire, let’s consider what types of behavior are acceptable from the trickster.
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