according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary.
Insanityas defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary asexhibiting serious and debilitating mental disorder. Serial killers are seen by most people as beinginsane. This is not the case. Some of the most famousserial killers were some of the smartest and cleverindividuals of their time. Many serial killers,though wrong in what they do, are some of the mostintelligent people to have lived. Jack the Ripper is the most elusive and mysteriousserial killer who has been recorded.
He was amurderer in London in the late 1800s. He murderedprostitutes in the early hours of many mornings. Hewas never caught which helps show his elusiveness. Hewas a very intelligent man as well as being elusive. The intellect he has is shown through his murders. After killing his victims, he cut them open and toyedwith their anatomy.
To the untrained eye it looked asthough he butchered his victim with no goal in mind,but to the keen eye it is the work of a genious. Whenthe best known detective agency in the world,Scotland Yard, fails to catch a serial killer itscares the city, nation, or even the world. The world would have a problem of its own in the1940s: The Ill Reich. Adolf Hitler was a man ofgreat power. This man had developed his power on hisown. He was very manipulative and creative and usedhis wit to gain power among the Germans.
Hitler wentfrom an low ranking infantry man to the leader of thecountry by his own intellectual talent. He had manyfollowers, even though he was just an ordinarymurderer. He was one of the most underestimated menby the United States in history. Nobody knew what oneman was capable of.
His intellect almost led him tocomplete world conquest. The plans he developed: howto defeat almost all of Europe and not deplete hisforces. His cunning kept him in power with little tohold him back. Hitler was an intelligent man but hadan anger and an obsession that burned deep withinhim.
This obsession was Hitlers downfall. Trying toannihilate an entire race of men was too much for anyman but he kept trying. He was too greedy to stophunting Jews. Many different depictions of serial killers areused in movies and books. There is a differentstereotype that coincides with entertainment. Veryfew movies or books go beyond these stereotypes anduse more realistic, humanized characters.
Silence ofthe Lambs is a good example of the less typical butmore realistic serial killer. Hannibal Lector is aserial killer in a mental ward, helping a detectivetrack down a killer. The reason for his imprisonmentin a psychiatric ward is because of his cannibalism. His intellect is more advanced than what is perceivedby most of the characters except the detective thathe is helping. Detective Clarice Starling is awarethat he is a brilliant man.
She seeks his helpbecause she knows of his intelligence. This movie isclose to reality and created so that it can bebelieved. Silence of the Lambs has won many awardsdue to its realistic attitude. It won five AcademyAwards in 1991 including best actress, best actor,and best picture.
These awards are just a few of themany awards that help show how this movie ispolitically correct. Many serial killers, though wrong in what they do, aresome of the most intellectual people to have lived. Thereare many different angles that sanity can be viewed from. Cannibalism, murdering, or world conquest do not promoteinsanity but show how such people have bad morals.
Forexample, to almost achieve world domination is a feat initself. To be one of a handful of people to almostaccomplish a task such as Alexander the Great, Ghengis Kahn,and Napolean shows the intelligence required to perform sucha task. .
