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	== History ==		== History ==

			The ] of ] features anti-heroes like ],<ref> Adams, David (2001). ''A Dictionary of Asian Mythology'' (page 104) . Oxford University Press: ISBN 0195120523. </ref> who exhibits traits rarely associated with the ideal hero.<ref><blockquote>Karña is the son of Sûrya, the Sun, and the Pâñèava queen, Kuntî. He was conceived and born before Kuntî was married and is thus technically a bastard, pâraåava, although he is never actually called this. He was born wearing an impenetrable breast-plate and with dazzling ear-rings. We hear the account of how his birth occurred four times in the course of the Mahâbhârata. There is something about this tale of origin which is extremely important for the narrative. No other heroic genesis receives such repeated consideration, nor is it that its retelling is being used to frame episodes. After being born he is immediately abandoned and exposed to the river Gaògâ, to be found and brought up by a sûta, that is, a member of the chariot driving and poet caste. Hence Karña is often referred to by the patronym, ‘son of a sûta’, when in fact he is the eldest born of Kuntî’s sons, and arguably — if not legally first in line for the throne - then certainly in possession of the cachet of seniority; Yudhiæøhira recognises this in his valedictory speech at the conclusion to the Strî parvan.</blockquote>
⚫	There is no definitive moment when the anti-hero came into existence as a literary ]. ]' ''Argonautica'' portrays ] as a timid, passive, indecisive man that contrasts sharply with other ] heroes.<ref>{{cite journal\| author=Haggar, Daley\| title=Review of ''Infinite Jest''\| journal=Harvard Advocate\| year=1996\| volume=Fall 96}}</ref> The anti-hero has evolved over time, changing as society's conceptions of the hero changed, from the ] times of ]'s '']'' and ]'s ], to the darker-themed ] of the 19th century, such as ]'s '']'' or ]'s '']''. The ] also sets a literary precedent for the modern concept of the anti-hero.

			<blockquote>Being someone of such extreme, if not invincible martial abilities, from the beginning of the poem Karña projects a highly charged enmity against his one possible equal, that is Arjuna, the champion of the Pâñèavas. In book five, Saäjaya, officiating as an emissary, tells his king that Arjuna speaks of how he will slay Karña and the sons of Dhëtarâæøra. For Arjuna the principal opposition is only Karña</blockquote>

		⚫	- McGrath, Kevin (2004). The Sanskrit Hero: Karna in the Epic Mahabharata (pages 1-2). BRILL: ISBN 90 04 13729 7</ref> There is no definitive moment when the anti-hero came into existence as a literary ]. ]' ''Argonautica'' portrays ] as a timid, passive, indecisive man that contrasts sharply with other ] heroes.<ref>{{cite journal\| author=Haggar, Daley\| title=Review of ''Infinite Jest''\| journal=Harvard Advocate\| year=1996\| volume=Fall 96}}</ref> The anti-hero has evolved over time, changing as society's conceptions of the hero changed, from the ] times of ]'s '']'' and ]'s ], to the darker-themed ] of the 19th century, such as ]'s '']'' or ]'s '']''. The ] also sets a literary precedent for the modern concept of the anti-hero.

	== Contemporary literature ==		== Contemporary literature ==

Revision as of 04:32, 18 April 2008

In fiction, an anti-hero is a protagonist who is lacking the traditional heroic attributes and qualities, and instead possesses character traits that are antithetical to heroism.

The word anti-hero itself is fairly recent, and its principal definition has changed through the years. The 1940 edition of Merriam-Webster New International Dictionary listed anti-hero, but did not define it. Later sources would call the anti-hero a persona characterized by a lack of "traditional" heroic qualities.

History

The Sanskrit literature of India features anti-heroes like Karna, who exhibits traits rarely associated with the ideal hero. There is no definitive moment when the anti-hero came into existence as a literary trope. Apollonius of Rhodes' Argonautica portrays Jason as a timid, passive, indecisive man that contrasts sharply with other Greek heroes. The anti-hero has evolved over time, changing as society's conceptions of the hero changed, from the Elizabethan times of Christopher Marlowe's 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 Philip Meadows Taylor's Confessions of a Thug. The Byronic hero also sets a literary precedent for the modern concept of the anti-hero.

Contemporary literature

In modern times, heroes have enjoyed an increased moral complexity. Mid-20th century playwrights such as Samuel Beckett and Tom Stoppard showcased anti-heroic 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 anti-heroic characters such as Batman (whose shadowy nature contrasted with their openly "heroic" peers like Superman) and Sub-Mariner (who would just as soon conquer humanity as try to save it). 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. Spider-Man has been considered the most influential antihero archetype in the superhero genre.

The young, flawed, and brooding antihero became the most widely imitated archetype in the superhero genre since the appearance of superman.

Bradford W. Wright, Comic Book Nation: The transformation of Youth Culture in America 212

Superman on the Couch by Danny Fingeroth 151

Many modern anti-heroes 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. It has been argued that the continuing popularity of the anti-hero 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 Batman is slowly becoming part of the popular conception of heroic valor rather than being characteristics that are deemed un-heroic.

Notes

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition, 2004
American Heritage Dictionary of the American Language, 1992
Adams, David (2001). A Dictionary of Asian Mythology (page 104) . Oxford University Press: ISBN 0195120523.
Karña is the son of Sûrya, the Sun, and the Pâñèava queen, Kuntî. He was conceived and born before Kuntî was married and is thus technically a bastard, pâraåava, although he is never actually called this. He was born wearing an impenetrable breast-plate and with dazzling ear-rings. We hear the account of how his birth occurred four times in the course of the Mahâbhârata. There is something about this tale of origin which is extremely important for the narrative. No other heroic genesis receives such repeated consideration, nor is it that its retelling is being used to frame episodes. After being born he is immediately abandoned and exposed to the river Gaògâ, to be found and brought up by a sûta, that is, a member of the chariot driving and poet caste. Hence Karña is often referred to by the patronym, ‘son of a sûta’, when in fact he is the eldest born of Kuntî’s sons, and arguably — if not legally first in line for the throne - then certainly in possession of the cachet of seniority; Yudhiæøhira recognises this in his valedictory speech at the conclusion to the Strî parvan.

Being someone of such extreme, if not invincible martial abilities, from the beginning of the poem Karña projects a highly charged enmity against his one possible equal, that is Arjuna, the champion of the Pâñèavas. In book five, Saäjaya, officiating as an emissary, tells his king that Arjuna speaks of how he will slay Karña and the sons of Dhëtarâæøra. For Arjuna the principal opposition is only Karña

- McGrath, Kevin (2004). The Sanskrit Hero: Karna in the Epic Mahabharata (pages 1-2). BRILL: ISBN 90 04 13729 7
Haggar, Daley (1996). "Review of Infinite Jest". Harvard Advocate. Fall 96.
Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics #211
Erickson, Leslie (2004). "The Search for Self: Everyday Heroes and an Integral Re-Visioning of the Heroic Journey in Postmodern Literature and Popular Culture". Ph.D Dissertation. University of Nebraska.
Lawall G, (1966). "Apollonius' Argonautica. Jason as anti-hero". Yale Classical Studies. 19: 119–169.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

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