At 8:51 AM -0500 3/22/0, Patricia H. Latham wrote:
>Evan Rosenfield wrote:
>
>Isn't an evil hero impossible?
>
>Evil heroes, while less usual than non-evil ones, are not impossible.
>
>Two examples:
>
>Richard III (1996) or any other version, has held popular imagination since
>the late 1500's because the audience finds a guilty pleasure in the
>treachery of Richard III.
>
>The Talented mr. Ripley (1999) has much the same appeal. Tom Ripley, as
>intended by Patricia Highsmith, his creator, is an almost noble esthete
>whose life-style is supported by fraud, treachery, and murder, all of which
>are disregarded by the audience.
>
>Peter Latham
>


Isn't this all just a confusion/conflation of the terms "hero" and
"protagonist"?   The protagonist is the main character; a hero is to be
admired and even emulated.  If "protagonist" is substituted for the word
"hero" in the original message, I don't think anyone would have any
problems with the question.

--Richard Leskosky

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