Hannibal Lecter Character Traits

Hannibal Lecter is one of the most widely known serial killers in recent memory. A fictional character that took the world by storm nearly thirty-five years ago, still wreaks havoc on the minds of many individuals. Hannibal was first introduced to the world in 1981 when the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris was published. Since then he has been featured in three more books by Harris and has been featured in a numerous amount of television shows, and movies, in which he was famously portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the movie “Silence of the Lambs.” While many people are taken back by the numerous deaths Hannibal causes, more often than not, the audience is found rooting for him rather than against him. Not only is the audience attracted to him,
In his early childhood he was raised in a very intense, war torn area in which the Nazis took many prisoners. Two of those prisoners, and eventual death victims were Hannibal’s mother and father. After the death of both his parents the only person left was his sister, and the two of them were forced to live on their own. Hannibal grew very close to his sister and became very protective over her. They were both eventually kidnapped and forcibly put into a “shelter.” While at this “shelter” the two, along with other children were slowly picked apart and slaughtered every day. Each child would be selected to “play” and never return. One day, it was finally Hannibal’s turn to be selected, but his sister was taken over him because she had more fat on her. Hannibal fought as hard as physical possible, for he knew what lead ahead. "They chose his sister Mischa and led her away. To play they said. No one who was led away to play ever returned."(Gregory) “Hannibal fights with all his might to hold onto Mischa, trying to pull her away, until the deserters slam the barn door on him, cracking a bone in his arm.” (Gregory). "The
This is perfectly exemplified in Harris’s book Red Dragon when we Hannibal Lecter murders a hunter. During this time Hannibal had been working as an emergency room physician and help treat this patient for a arrow that had gone through his leg. As time progresses Hannibal once again has a psychotic break. He is brought back to the memory of the dead deer. In his mind the only way to undo what was done to that deer, that is now associated with an innocent hunter, is to kill him and that is exactly what he does. The interesting thing about this murder however, is that he did not eat him but rather carved a specific pattern into his body. It is believed that “This display of wounds may also be Letter's attempt to reproduce Christ's crucifixion, since the bow hunter has died for the sins of the roving deserters who killed and ate his sister.” (Klein). This is not the only time that Hannibal is seen crucifying individuals. In the movie “The Silence of the Lambs” there is a very famous scene in which he breaks out of jail, murdering two police officers. The swat team and FBI are brought in to capture him and as they break down the door, one of