Concept in Definition ABC

Every individual has an idea of ​​justice from which he values ​​from the point of view moral if the truth is respected and if each one receives what is really due.

From the perspective of law, the figure of the judge is the one who must interpret some facts based on what the legal codes say. If a person has a strict sense of justice and wants crimes to be punished rigorously, it can be said of that person that he is a vigilante.

Difference between vigilante and judge

The vigilante has his own criteria on what is just and unjust. The personal valuation of him does not necessarily coincide with what the laws dictate. On the other hand, the judge can only attend to the established laws and should not be guided by his personal criteria and subjective.

The character of the vigilante in fiction

In the world of fiction, especially in the literature and the movie theater, the character of the vigilante appears frequently. He is usually someone who is dissatisfied with the conventional mechanisms of justice and for this reason feels the

moral obligation to set himself up as a judge to impose justice where he considers it necessary.

Normally these types of characters act for two reasons: revenge and thirst for justice. With these two principles he adopts a firm and determined position to confront the one who has committed a crime and who has not been adequately punished by ordinary justice.

The vigilante can be a citizen current or a policeman. For them procedures Established laws to combat evil are not effective. This conviction leads him to act on his behalf and on many occasions outside the law.

Dirty Harry and Robin Hood characters as vigilante archetypes

Inspector Callahan, also known as "Dirty Harry," has been portrayed by actor Clint Eastwood in five films. Despite being a policeman, he has his own approach to what justice is. In this sense, he considers that the law has too many loopholes and bureaucratic obstacles.

As a consequence, offenders are not punished. To prevent this from happening, Dirty Harry becomes a ruthless vigilante who is willing to pursue criminals without respecting the rules of the police.

While Dirty Harry is a symbol of the vigilante contemporary, there have been other characters that represent the same concept.

Robin Hood is another classic fictional vigilante. In this case, the medieval hero considers that the poor are being mistreated by the greedy nobles and for this reason he decides to rob the nobles and distribute their wealth among the poor.

Dirty Harry and Robin Hood are characters who break the laws, but despite this they arouse sympathy because they both have a high sense of justice.

Photos: Fotolia - Stokkete / WoGi

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