Why So Psychotic? A Psychoanalysis of The Dark Knight &The Clown Prince of Crime

This paper is going to psychoanalyze (constructing theories on the relations between conscious and unconscious psychological processes) the popular comic book characters Batman and the Joker and how their behavior has impacted society, including politics. Both the Joker and Batman's stories display that a traumatic accident can change an entire life. Most Batman and Joker fans overlook that the two seemingly opposite characters are very much alike: They are both the textbook definition of a psychopath. Both characters are unemotional, violent, and lack a lot of empathy which are three leading indicators of a psychopath. There are various environmental and biological factors to Batman and the Joker's psychopathy that will be explained. Unfortunately, it takes incidents like James Holmes' attack on the Colorado movie theater to bring the negative influence these characters have on fans to light. Many argue that Batman cannot be a psychopath because of his fatherly love and care for Robin and his heroic lifestyle; however, recent research is showing that psychopaths may have the mental capacity for small amounts of empathy. In conclusion, while viewers and readers see Batman and Joker as psychopaths, they also fit the scientific description of a psychopath as well.