Dr. Hannibal Lecter is easily one of the most controversial fictional characters. Created by author Thomas Harris for his crime novels, Lecter has also appeared in several movies and TV series—sometimes as the lead character and sometimes as a supporting one.
In all versions, it’s his twisted sense of justice, morality, and self-righteousness that distinguishes him from any other psychopath we’ve ever seen.
The fact that Lecter is a highly educated man adds to his complexity.
In this article, let’s understand Lecter’s psyche through his iconic quip from the TV Show, Hannibal: “Cruelty is a gift humanity has given itself.”
Analyzing Hannibal Lecter as a Psychopath
'Hannibal'Credit: NBC
Lecter was born into nobility; however, World War II changed his life forever. His sister Mischa was not only killed by the Nazi collaborators, but they ate her too—a trauma that eventually triggered Lecter’s cannibalism.
After losing his family, Lecter went to live with his uncle and aunt in France, where he completed his education to become a doctor while plotting to avenge his sister's murder.
Lecter successfully avenged his sister’s brutal murder, but he didn’t stop there. He gave in to his cannibalistic instincts and started moonlighting as a serial killer with a moral code. (He only kills those who are rude.)
Analyzing Lecter’s Defense for Cruelty
To call violence a gift is indicative of Lecter’s psychopathic mind.
Psychopaths are incapable of feeling emotions, compassion, or empathy. Therefore, they tend to be impulsive in their decisions and hardly ever feel remorse for their actions.
It is said that humans are born with both a light and dark side. As we grow up, we make a conscious decision about which side we belong to.
When Lecter says, “Human emotions are a gift from our animal ancestors. Cruelty is a gift humanity has given itself,” he is emphasizing that conscious decision.
Interestingly, while psychopaths may not feel emotions, they have the conscience to differentiate right and wrong.
So, while they understand the consequences of an action as much as we do, they choose to act on their violent instincts, and so they’re doing it in complete awareness. Especially when it comes to high-IQ psychopaths such as Lecter.
Now, cruelty is referred to as a gift because, on the surface, it feels like a boon to both a psychopath and a non-psychopath.
Cruelty is the expression of buried rage, angst, and insecurities. It gives you a sense of power. It makes you feel bigger than you actually are. Only, we fail to realize that we’re deriving that false sense of power by being unfair to those who are weaker than we are, so it doesn’t really count as power.
Cruelty is also a gift because, ironically, it’s pleasurable. Sadism is a part of our soul. Somehow, we tend to find pleasure in others’ misery.
From a colleague getting fired to hitting a stray animal, sometimes we seek pleasure in things that have nothing to do with us. Think about it, what are gifts? When it comes to selecting a gift for ourselves, most of us tend to give the most useless things to ourselves, because in that moment, utility doesn’t matter. In that moment, what matters is that the item is making us happy.
Isn’t that the same way we direct our cruelty?
Only a rare few have genuine motives for cruelty, because motivated cruelty often leads to confrontation. And who are we kidding? A genuine confrontation needs courage, and most of us who practice cruelty lack that one thing. Most of the time, we’re cruel because it’s fun.
Lecter is one of my favorite antagonists because he is so self-aware. It’s the same reason why he’s deadlier than most antagonists out there.
Do you agree with Hannibal Lecter?
