Analysis Of Diogenes And The Joker

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The synonyms for madness are insanity or lunacy. This word madness can be defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a state of being mentally ill, especially severely. It can also be defined as acting extremely foolish or being in a state of frenzied or chaotic activity. It is important to explain what madness is and what the word in a modern voice emcompasses. By using Diogenes attempt to live an honest life I plan on writing about how the Joker from DC comics holds similar traits in his life. Both deny authority because the way they see it there is no true authority there is only an illusion of authority. This courage to be face value is important to these men and they both show this with effortless role reversals. There is also a transparency …show more content…

“The school of Euclides he called bilious, and Plato’s lectures waste of time, the performances at the Dionysia great peep-shows for fools…(Diogenes 27).” Diogenes continues on saying that he respects individuals who work hard for the sake of learning and bettering themselves but he disregards wealth and believes that it puffs up a person 's ego. By working in society our reward is money therefore is it not always the aim that individuals are working toward? This cannot always be the case. Starting out working in a Chemical plant as an Engineer, the Joker wanted to become a comedian (“The Back Story…”). This can be viewed as a unmasking of this true self and striping himself down from this ego into a form of himself that is so vulnerable. This vulnerability is seen after he gets hurt that he wasn’t able to make it as a comedian. This hurt is his fuel that eventually brings him to become the Joker by breaking into the Chemical Plan and disrespecting the rules set in place. This character break is something that could have possibly happened to Diogenes as well. Diogenes was a bankers son who “Adulterated the coinage (Diogenes 23).” Diogenes was given the chance to become a working facet in society but he chose to be an outcast. The life that Diogenes and the Joker place before them in some sense is madness …show more content…

He is known for being tragic, a beggar, wanderer, and a homeless exile. All of these words is how society or those who are sane described him as. There is a sense of freedom that encases how he lives. He does what he wants wherever he wants and enjoys himself without the anxiety or shame that is incorporated with his private activities. You can see this when he, “...Behaves indecently in the market place (Diogenes 47).” This sort of acting out is his way of speaking the truth and being an honest person. When there is a need you have why do you wait? There is a sense of urgency to his life that he makes sure to act on. This life is fleeting and he lives every second of it making sure it does not pass by. He describes that living a life you have two things to always keep in mind, mental well being and physical (Diogenes 71). He makes sure to do things like eat raw meat (Diogenes 37), and to put himself through unbearable situations so that even the most boring things will bring him pleasure. This sort of thinking of total chaos this something that the Joker abides by. He lets his emotions rule and doesn’t worry about the past or his future. He focuses on what would pleasure him in each moment. The difference between the Joker and Diogenes is that the Joker attempts to make everyone else like him when he tries to bomb the city with laughing gas (Peaslee). Diogenes is content living and doing as he

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