An exploration of romanticism in the world of the caped crusader with reference to the work and ideas of Goethe and Schopenhauer. Characteristics of Goethe’s Romanticism present in Batman: • Heroic despair – isolation of Batman, melancholy that leads to the creation of Batman prominent feature in Romanticism. • Attraction to the darkside – evil forces in Gotham City hold a mystifying hold over Batman. • Nightmare landscape – Gothic architecture, Gotham is a physical manifestation of Bruce’s fears. • Wasteland – Wayne manor is the wasteland representing some aspect of lack in Batman’s world. • Ambivalence – present in the ordinary citizen in Gotham City, resolved themselves to a life where crime and fear are a major factor. • Villainy – endless supply of villains and arch-enemies in Gotham City. • Murder – Bruce Wayne’s parents are murdered when he is a child. • Death – death of Bruce’s parents marks the death of his innocence. • Impossible love – Bruce’s lack of relationship is a source of sorrow and insanity. Relevance of Schopenhauer in Batman: • Batman is unable to achieve happiness because it is something that does not exist. • Suffering is an essential part of life. • Batman displays a great amount of sympathy for others and is particularly sensitive to their pain, characteristics of Schopenhauer’s good man. • However, he has not quite freed himself from his will and as such will never achieve any value in his life according to Schopenhauer. Only in non-existence can he seek refuge.