![]() Manhattan” due to his god-like character and the moral middle ground that he represents (Kreider). However, if he were to choose a “true hero of the piece, it may be Dr. After detailing the various philosophical and moral ideals each character represents, Kreider concludes that Watchmen does not offer a “correct” answer to the classic dilemma through its characters. Evan Kreider takes a look at the moralities of these characters in his article “Who Watches the Watchmen?” In it he explores the characterizations of Rorschach, Manhattan, and Ozymandias and how they would handle the fundamental question: “Is it ever morally acceptable to sacrifice the interests of a few for the greater good of the many” (Kreider). What seems to set them apart is their morality, their mind: their own need to be a hero is what ultimately pushes them to become one. Most do not have any sort of powers beyond the norm. The characters are eerily human for the genre. Unlike other classic comic books, Watchmen does not have a clear protagonist or antagonist. ![]() Simply put, Watchmen’s display of different views on the morality of murder demonstrates that there is no ethicality to killing, only the justifications that individuals place upon it. Piecing together the unique positions collected in Watchmen gives way to a completely new meaning to the innovating comic book. While it is important to recognize the different ideas and perspectives represented through the graphic novel, the ramifications of the work as a whole cannot be ignored. Most current analyses settle on a single outlook, simply following a single character through the bleak, chaotic world of Watchmen. However, at its conclusion, no final verdict is seemingly passed as the world’s future is left in the hands of a young, unkempt newspaper assistant. ![]() More specifically, Watchmen looks at the morality of murder, the ultimate judgment of death, and its implications in the grand scheme of the world. Throughout its story, Watchmen presents several takes on the boundaries of authority and the lengths that those in power can justifiably go to. At the center of its plot sits the classic heroic notion of the greater good. In 1986, Alan Moore’s revolutionary graphic novel, Watchmen, took the comic book world by storm, redefining the entire genre and pushing the bounds of what is considered great literature. The Greater Good: Analyzing Morality in Watchmen
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