The Role and influence of ‘The Joker’ (as portrayed by Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix) in ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Joker’

''In each comic book, movie or animation series The Joker has always been the negotiator between the states of pure sovereignty and pure joy/innocence. He often struggles between keeping those two states apart from each other, and seems to unintentionally succeed in experiencing both states at the same time over and over again. The circumstances in which he seems to experience joy and sovereignty again and again are mostly self-created. These self-created circumstances or ‘events’ are often played out at the thin line of life and death; because of this, people tend to perceive The Joker as someone inhumane or evil, but nevertheless very close connected to the truth behind what needs to be done to feel and experience the above mentioned states.''

''The Joker is being portrayed as the perfect example of someone who succeeds to experience both innocence and sovereignty at the same time.''

''1. The Joker interrupts a gang meeting and proposes to do a ‘magic trick’ he places a pencil straight on the table and eventually slams someone’s head onto it, making it disappear in his head, the act is closed by telling a joke.''

''3. The third moment which clarifies that The Joker functions very well between violence and joy happens while he’s being pursued by the police into a very crowded subway. Due to the shooting of the three men, a lot of people wear a Joker mask out of respect for standing up for himself. The Joker vanishes into the crowd by wearing the same mask so the police has a though time to track him down. Eventually he succeeds in letting the police make a fatal mistake by accidently shooting an innocent citizen, which results in the cops being beaten to death by the people in the subway. The Joker walks away laughing and satisfied while lighting up his cigarette.''

''5. Batman throws The Joker down a building and The Joker can’t stop laughing while potentially falling to his death.''