Beyond Good and Evil: The Characterization of the Villain in the Joker Franchise

Abstract

Cinema is considered to be a powerful means in storytelling captivating audiences by depicting complex characters. The villain is one of these characters. Originally known by the embodiment of evil opposing the hero in his journey. However, this research work is an attempt to deal with the development of the villain as a character throughout literature, comic books and movie adaptations. It examines the typical roles of the villain using comparative approach and studies the development of such character psychologically, as well as its changing perception and its influence on audience perspective. This comparative study deals with the character of the Joker in the TV show Batman TV Series (1966–1968) - and film adaptation Joker (2019) in order to further inspect the new role of the villain.