Walter Benjamin writes about the "Great Criminal" in 'Critique of
Violence', which was written in 1921, so it looks like you'll have to
go further back than that for the concept and the phrase. His idea is
that the great criminal is a folk hero whose actions undermine the law
not simply by breaking it, but by demonstrating that another code of
behaviour alternative to the law may exist. Robin Hood is one example,
as is Michael Kohlhaas (in Kleist's version of the story), but neither
of these is mentioned by Benjamin.
On 4 May 2010, at 21:28, Henry M. Taylor wrote:
> Apologies for cross-posting
>
>
> Does anyone know when and where the figure of the master criminal
> originated? (And please don't reply, the devil, or Richard III, or
> the like ...) Or who indeed coined the term?
>
> Thanks for all pointers!
>
> Henry
>
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