Vanessa Joy S. Estelon Mr.

Tecson
BS HRM 1Y1-12 VE103 August 27, 2010

I. CHARACTERISTICS OF JOKER IN THE DARK KNIGHT MOVIE

Origin and early life

No one knows who the Joker really is. Little can be confirmed regarding his early life before he turned to a life of crime. Despite his

capture, no traces could be found on his fingerprints, dental records, or DNA matches against the GCPD's databases.

The Joker's own testimony, while normally quite true when it came to carrying out threats, seemed at times contradictory, and he

was known to lie at times when describing past events in his life. One of his anecdotes told of an extremely abusive and alcoholic

father, stating that after attacking his mother with a knife, the blade was next turned on the young man, creating his mutilated smile.

If the statement was at least partially true, it could account for both mental and physical scarring that would give rise to the

sociopathic and homicidal clown.

The catch is that the story conflicts with another one the Joker told later, stating that he once had a wife. Locked in a debt with loan

sharks, enforcers came and cut his wife's face. In a desperate effort to assure his wife that he did not care about the damage to her

appearance, the future Joker took a razor to his cheeks to produce his Glasgow smile. But the disturbing image instead caused his

wife to leave him, possibly damaging his psyche.

It is widely speculated that one story or the other is a lie, or that perhaps both are falsehoods. It's also not impossible that both

stories could actually be somewhat true, in that the Joker hinted to scarring on his left side when his knife was pressed to Gambol's

mouth, while the scene with Rachel Dawes alluded to damage on the right side. The Joker's body language during these stories

would suggest that certain truthful elements were in both tales, but that much of it was a fabrication. The powerful contradictions

however, leave the Joker's background as is: completely unsolved. To enhance the popularity and mystery of the Joker's character

and personality, his creators may never wish to reveal, or create, a true backstory explaining many aspects of his origins as his

criminal reinvention as the Joker, including his cheek scars.

Possibly the most telling truth about his past is a comment he made to the Manager of Gotham National Bank. When asked what he

believed in, the Joker stated that he believed "whatever doesn't kill [a person] simply makes [them] stranger". This would seem to

suggest that a violent attack or other incidents he suffered through helped to damage his mental health, and if attacked, possibly

inflicted the cuts that would become his cheek scars.

However, what is more probable is that the Joker origin stories, while perhaps containing some truth, more importantly display one

of the few consistencies in his character. The Joker asks on three occasions to different individuals (Gambol, Rachel Dawes, and

Batman), "Want to know how I got these scars? ...," as a prelude to action. In Gambol's case, the Joker tells his story and then kills

him. With Rachel Dawes, the Joker ascertains that she might know Harvey Dent's location threatens her, but is interrupted by

Batman before he can do anything to her. In the third case with the bombs on the ferries, the Joker is interrupted by Batman before

he can blow up the ferries and even before he can tell another story about his scars. Perhaps this is homage to Jack Nicholson's
Joker, who says before shooting Bruce Wayne, "Have you ever danced with the devil in pale moonlight?" a line recited by the

Joker/Jack Napier before killing or exacting harm on his victims including, in Bruce's recollection, Wayne's parents.

It is also possible that the Joker's scar stories, while containing some truth to his past, are also tailored to the person whom he's

telling/threatening. In Gambol's quest, the question "Why so serious?" may be directed at Gambol himself, based on his excessive

rage at the Joker during his meeting with the mob bosses. With Rachel Dawes, the story about his wife, whom the Joker says to

Rachel was "beautiful, like you," and her resultant fear of him when he deliberately mutilated himself, might be directed at Rachel

herself, who is visibly frightened by the Joker. The stories could thus be seen as frightening jokes, funny to the Joker, about his past

related to current situation.

Arrival in Gotham

Shortly after the death of Ra's al Ghul, Batman discussed with Lieutenant James Gordon the effect that he had made on Gotham

City since his appearance. Gordon then revealed that a criminal with "a taste for theatrics" recently committed a double homicide

and an armed robbery, leaving behind a Joker playing card as a "calling-card". Gordon also warned that just as escalation occurs in

terms of the police force against crime, so might the scale and style of criminality change in reaction to Batman's appearance.

Some time later, the Joker would orchestrate the theft of a large shipment of ammonium nitrate from the Gotham Docks. The

explosive chemical was saved for storage in the Gotham General Hospital and on two passenger ferries some time later.

Bank Robbery

Several months later a group of bank robbers, (Grumpy, Happy, Dopey, Chuckles, Bozo and an unidentified bus-driver) under the

direction of the Joker, robbed Gotham National Bank which was used as a money-laundering front for Gotham's gangs. The clown

mask wearing robbers whittled down their own numbers within minutes in a series of calculated betrayals. Finally only "Bozo"

remained, who revealed himself as the Joker to the manager of Gotham National Bank, who had earlier confronted the robbers with

a shotgun. The Joker then escaped with the bank's cash in a yellow school bus, concealing his identity by driving within a convoy of

other buses.

Shortly following the bank robbery, Italian crime boss Sal Maroni mentioned the Joker's recent theft of Mob owned cash to his fellow

crime leaders at a business meeting, dismissing him as a threat and saying that he was a "nobody" wearing a "cheap purple suit

and make-up". The Joker, overhearing this comment and the plan presented to the Mob by Chinese mobster, Lau, arrived

unannounced at the meeting while faking a laugh, as he saw their "so called plan" as a bad joke. He also described the meeting as

a "group therapy session". The mobsters were at first unwilling to even hear him out, and Gambol, one of the crime lords who

seemed to take the most dislike for the Joker when setting eyes on him, sent one of his men to take him out by force, but the Joker

unexpectedly said he was going to perform a magic trick by making a pencil "disappear" and embedded the pencil in the table, and

then when Gambol's goon was about to grab him, the Joker quickly countered his attack and shoved him head-first into the pencil

where it indeed disappeared inside the man's head via eye socket, instantly killing him. The Joker also mentioned that his suit

wasn't cheap and that they ought to know this since they bought it, which meant that he used the money he stole at the start of the

film to buy his suit. He proposed that it was Batman's interference that had resulted in idealistic leaders like Harvey Dent rising in

popularity, and offered his services to kill him for half of all the money that Lau, an illegitimate Chinese accountant, took away from
Gotham for safe keeping. He also warned them that Lau would betray them if arrested, claiming to know a squealer when he saw

one. While the Bratva mobster, the Chechen, and Maroni were interested, Gambol, angered by the Joker's lack of respect,

attempted to attack him, forcing the Joker to reveal his insurance policy: several grenades hidden under his coat, allowing him to

make a quick escape. Frustrated, Gambol proceeded to put a bounty on him. The Joker later took revenge that night by having his

men come to Gambol, claiming to have killed the Joker. In a bit of unintended tragic irony regarding the fate of his actor, the Joker's

'dead' body is brought inside in a garbage bag before attacking Gambol and proceeding to tell him the origin of his mouth scars as a

way of psychological torture and intimidation, then when Gambol is most terrified and shaken, the Joker proceeds to kill him with the

knife. Then with the remains of Gambol's men overpowered and at his mercy, he takes a pool stick and breaks it in half, making it

sharp-like and says that there is only one spot open at the moment to join his "team", then throws the piece of sharp stick at the

middle of Gambol's scared men and has his gang, made up mostly of mentally-ill and unstable vicious crooks escaped from Arkham

Asylum who seem to have taken the Joker as their leader, to make Gambol's men fight to the death with the stick until only one is

left, and advising them to "make it fast".

The Joker's Threat

Eventually, realizing that Batman had retrieved Lau from Hong Kong and that the police had struck a deal to testify against them,

Sal Maroni and the Chechen relented, finally hiring the Joker to kill the Batman. The Joker first kidnapped a Batman impersonator,

filmed his murder and hung the body, complete with white make-up and a Joker scars, outside the mayor's office. In the murder tape

he sent to the media, the Joker viciously mocks Brian Douglas (batman impersonator) as well as terrorize him to the point of leaving

him absolutely frozen and weeping, as well as taunt his beliefs and his actions. Then when finished humiliating him and disturbing

him into terror, he proceeds to give Gotham a ultimatum. Batman must take off his mask and turn himself to the authorities and

every day the Batman refuses to do so, he will murder innocent people day after day. As a result of the Batman not turning himself

in, the first major victims were Janet Surillo, the judge presiding over Dent's indictments, and then Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb.

Later the Joker and his gang stormed a fundraiser at Bruce Wayne's penthouse to kill Harvey Dent and was confronted by Batman.

The Joker only managed to escape by throwing Rachel Dawes out a window, who Batman then lept after and saved.

The killings then continued with two innocents and an attempt on the mayor's life at a memorial for the murdered police

commissioner. The Joker appeared in public without makeup, impersonating one of the Honor Guards, and shot his rifle

at MayorAnthony Garcia, Lt. James Gordon was struck in the back after willfully leaping in front of Garcia, in order to fake his death

to avoid any future attempt by the Joker of attacking him with his family at home. As a result of this, Batman told Dent to call a press

conference so he could reveal his identity and stop the killings. In a surprise move, Dent instead claimed to be the Batman himself

and was subsequently arrested.

While being transported the Joker and his gang attacked the caravan of police vehicles to kill Dent with his machine gun, a

shotgunand even a rocket-propelled grenade. Batman soon arrived to stop the assault, but stayed his hand at killing the Joker. The

Joker prepared to unmask Batman but Lt. Gordon, newly resurrected from his hoaxed death, stepped behind him and aimed his

shotgun at his back, saying "We got you, you son of a bitch." The Joker was sucessfully jailed at MCU, and as a direct result, Lt.

James Gordon was promoted to Commissioner by the Mayor.

Assault on Gotham
With the Joker in custody Gordon and Batman believed his madness was over, but became alarmed when informed that Harvey

Dent had gone missing. Desperate, Gordon let Batman torture the Joker for information, but the Joker seemed unshaken by the

pain. Instead, he gleefully told Batman his view of people as selfish and violent, only needing a little pressure before descending to

madness. He also admited he could never kill Batman, considering him his only equal. Dent's kidnapping was part of a test, to see if

Batman would save him or Rachel, whom the Joker could tell Batman cared for. The Joker willingly told him where both were

located. After most of the police were gone, the Joker took his guard hostage and escaped by detonating a phone-activated bomb

he surgically planted in the stomach of one of his men who was arrested with him, with Lau in tow. Gordon was disheartened when

he realized the Joker wanted to be captured.

Dent and Rachel each awoke tied to chairs with barrels of explosive material surrounding them and a speakerphone hooked up to

the other's location. Rachel confessed her love for him and agreed to marry him. Harvey fell on the floor and his left side was

completely immersed in turpentine. Batman arrived but found Dent instead of Rachel. He realized that the Joker had lied about

Rachel and Dent's whereabouts to further crush Batman's morale. Batman rescued Dent as the building exploded and Harvey's face

was badly burned, while Gordon was unable to rescue Rachel before the explosion. In the hospital Harvey was driven to madness

over the loss of Rachel, and blamed Batman, Gordon and the Joker. This act caused Sal Maroni to tell Gordon the Joker's location,

finding him and his craziness "too much" for business. The Joker later met the Chechen in a container ship with Lau and was given

his reward: half the mobs smuggled money, which he casually burned along with Lau. He then betrayed the Chechen and took

control of his men.

The Joker then made a call to a news program where Coleman Reese was threatening to go public on the news with information

about Batman's identity. He was interrupted by the Joker who stated he had changed his mind, believing Gotham to be too boring

without Batman. To "give others the fun" he threatened that if someone didn't kill the employee in sixty minutes he would blow up a

hospital. Gordon then abandoned his ambush on the Joker to focus on evacuating all city hospitals

Contact with Harvey Dent

During the mass evacuation, The Joker poorly disguised as a nurse (still wearing his trademark face paint), entered the hospital

room of Harvey Dent. He first apologized to Harvey, maintaining that he was not responsible for Rachel’s death as he lacks any idea

for the repercussions of his actions, while the restrained Harvey attempts in vain to kill him. The Joker introduces Harvey to his view

of the world that his time in Gotham has introduced him to, that people, or "schemers" as he calls them, are the truest form of evil in

the world, as it is them who lay out the plans of society, including when human lives are expendable. To prove his argument, he

points out that if his threats were aimed at 'gangbangers' or 'soldiers', then people wouldn't really care as society trains them to see

the death of such people as acceptable. Thus, he turns the disillusioned Dent against society and against the "schemers" who put

his and Rachel’s life in danger, namely the corrupt cops who kidnapped them, as well as the "schemers" who viewed Rachel's life to

be expendable, namely Batman and Gordon. Giving Harvey a gun, the Joker advised him to break away from the law that failed him

and turn to anarchy and chaos, which the Joker describes as the only truly fair system, as the fate of everyone would be only

decided by chance, without the interference of the flawed laws of Man. Dent responded by flipping a coin to decide the Joker's fate,
giving him the same chance Rachel had. Soon after Dent left, Joker detonated the Gotham General Hospital, skipping merrily away

(pausing and hitting his detonator when most of the bombs temporarily fail to blow). He and his men then steal one of the nearby

evacuation buses and kidnapped the TV reporter and his crew inside.

The Ferries

The Joker declared that he would rule the streets and that anyone left in Gotham would be subjected to his rule. He told people they

could leave now but that he would have a surprise for them in the tunnel and on the bridge, which people then avoided, using

instead two ferries, one ship full of ordinary civilians and one of criminals, as Gordon feared the Joker would want to recruit them.

However, the Joker had loaded each of them with explosives. In hopes of showing everyone how evil and corrupt they can be, he

gave the passengers of each ship the detonator to the bombs to the other and offers both survival if they detonate the other ferry. If

they didn't choose by midnight, the Joker would blow up both ships.

Batman discovered not only the Joker's location at an unfinished skyscraper, but that the majority of his "gang" were actually

hostages wearing clown-masks with unloaded guns taped to their hands and that the people dressed as hostages were the actual

criminals. Batman was forced to fight not only the Joker's men but the SWAT teams as well to save the hostages. He finally

confronts the Joker, which led to final battle between the Joker and Batman (with the Joker using two crowbars and a knife). But

Joker manages to get the upper-hand and pins batman under the scaffolding. He gleefully waited as the ferry's deadline neared,

and was visibly disappointed when both groups of passengers refused to kill the other to save themselves. The civilians voted to

blow up the other ferry, but could not bring themselves to actually do so, while one of the criminals stepped forward and, taking the

detonator, threw it out a window, saying that the cops should have done that from the start. As the deadline passed, Batman asked

the Joker if he was trying to prove that everyone was as ugly as him deep down, bluntly informing the Joker that he's alone in his

corruption and insanity. Before he could detonate both ferries, Batman hit him with his shooting wrist-blades and threw the man over

the edge. The Joker starts to laugh as he falls to die, but Batman, refusing to kill him, instead caught him with his grapple gun and

leaving him hanging for the police to capture, much to the Joker's anger.

With this act, the Joker acknowledged that Batman really is incorruptible but that Dent is no longer the "White Knight"; he's

unleashed the scarred man on the city. Joker states that Dent was his "ace in the hole" in his plan to show the people of Gotham

that everyone is corruptible, thus undoing Dent's work before his transformation into Two-Face. Batman angrily left the Joker to

dangle helplessly as he was approached by the SWAT team. As they approached him at gunpoint, he laughed maniacally, swaying

on the line.

Incarceration
The circumstances of the Joker's arrest and incarceration have remained unrevealed. The MCU and GCPD would likely be afraid to

harbor him, so Arkham Asylum was possibly used as his place of internment, if it had been reopened yet. Another likely place he

was imprisoned in would be Blackgate Penitentiary.

Psychological Profile

The Joker claimed to not be insane, but rather just "ahead of the curve". This may have been legally true, yet he still exhibited many

symptoms of varying failings of mental health. The Joker was also described as having "zero empathy", which is shown throughout

as being true. When Batman is throwing the Joker around the room and attacking him, demanding for the location of Rachel and

Harvey, he takes the assault with pleasure as he laughed while being beaten by the Batman. Along with being extremely sadistic,

the Joker seems to have very little care for his own safety, such as when he was telling Batman to run him over with his Batpod, and

when Batman threw him off a skyscraper building to his supposed death and he did nothing but laugh (only for Batman to save him

with his grapple gun). Though both could have also been due to the Joker believing that Batman would not directly murder him.

He exhibits various symptoms of an antisocial personality, blatantly disregarding laws and social norms far beyond standard deviant

behavior. The Joker also has a low level of inhibition, which allows him to plan accordingly with complex and impossible plans. Much

of his behavior could also be attributed to histrionic personality disorder which presents with an extreme attention-seeking

appearance (his theatrical dress and make-up), inappropriate assumptions of close relationships (Batman "completes" him), and

publicizing his plans on several occasions.

While The Joker does attempt to take control of the city, recruits unemployed mob henchmen, and refers to himself as a "better

class of criminal", it should be noted that he appears to hold his anarchist philosophy of chaos higher than himself. He describes

himself as merely an "agent" of chaos (though he probably just said that just to get Harvey Dent to try and go against his beliefs so

he could prove in his ultimate plan that even the most noble of men can sink down to the Joker's level).

Abilities

The version of The Joker in The Dark Knight displays a genius level of planning, or is at least very good at improvising criminal

activities. He is shown to be incredibly intelligent, always staying one step ahead of everyone, including Batman (for a while) and the

police. His unique (if rather disturbed) view of life and the world, as well as the complete mystery surrounding his identity also give

him an edge. Having no connections, friends, former identities or family to be traced back to makes him very difficult to predict, track

down, or even understand. He is also shown to be a skilled and unpredictable fighter, taking on mob henchmen and cops with ease;

and was even capable of holding his own against Batman and trapping him near the climax of the film (although he had assistance

on both occasions when fighting Batman). The probable reason for the Joker's effective fighting ability seems to be in his psychotic

personality: the Joker doesn't really fear physical damage to himself like a rational person would, and even when brutally injured

laughs at his own pain as a bad joke. The result is that he takes extreme, reckless risks that a sane person wouldn't attempt, so

most people just don't expect his attacks coming, i.e. walking into a room full of armed mobsters and casually impaling a pencil into

one's eye. The Joker's insane inability to recognize much less fear danger, ironically, nullifies what is usually Batman's greatest

weapon in combat: his ability to inspire sheer terror in low-level thugs.

Appearance & Clothing

Quite tall though notably shorter than Batman, dressed in a custom tailored suit consisting of a elegant, purple coat with matching

pants, (Kept up by suspenders rather than a belt) underneath it he wears a shirt and vest. Almost always seen wearing white make-

up, greasy green-dyed hair unkempt and wild on his head only further implies his unstable psyche.
This outfit and make-up gets increasingly worn throughout the film, showing that the Joker indeed cares little for just about anything.

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF Sr.Insp.Rolando Mendoza

Captain Rolando Mendoza, 56, is a bemedalled cop who was months away from his mandatory retirement from his
police service as revealed by the records of the police authorities. As revealed by the DPRM(Director of Police
Records and Management,Mendoza should have been an honorable retiree cop who obtained a total of 17 police
service medal and a commendation for excellent job performance. Among the awards received were: Medalya ng
Papuri; PNP Badge of Honor; Medalya ng Kasanayan; Medalya ng Kagalingan; and Medalya ng Paglilingkod. He
was a graduate of thePhilippine College of Criminology who entered the law enforcement service through the PC-INP
in 1981. Police service apparently runs in the veins of Mendoza's Family.

Hence, it shows that Captain Rolando Mendoza was a dedicated policeman who worked hard during his entire period
of service as a policeman. Based on his records, he was a good man who wanted to serve the public.

Despite winning an award as Jaycees International’s Ten Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines (TOPP) in 1986,
the police officer who held hostage a busload of Chinese tourists from Hong Kong in Manila was dismissed from the
service earlier this year for extortion and for forcing a chef to swallow “shabu.”

According to records in Camp Crame, Senior Inspector Rolando Del Rosario Mendoza was dismissed by Office of the
Ombudsman early in January together with four other policemen. They were stripped of their retirement benefits.
Mendoza was also disqualified from holding any position in the government service.

Along with Mendoza, also dismissed were Police Officer 3 Wilson Matic Gavino, Inspector Nelson Ubano Lagasca,
Senior Police Officer 1 Nestor Reyes David and Police Officer 2 Roderick Salva Lopeña.

The Ombudsman found Mendoza and the others guilty of grave misconduct for allegedly extorting P20,000 from
Christian Kalaw, a chef of the Mandarin Hotel.

According to records of the case, Mendoza and the other policemen accosted Kalaw for illegal parking, driving
without license and use of illegal drugs two years ago in Manila.

On April 9, 2008, Kalaw parked his car along Vito Cruz and was accosted by the policemen. They accused Kalaw of
being a drug user and tried to extort P3,000 from him. The records also said Kalaw was forced by the policemen to
swallow a sachet full of shabu while they were trying to extort P20,000 from the chef at the headquarters of the
Mobile Patrol Unit of the Manila Police District.

Administrative charges against Mendoza were filed on April 25, 2008, after which he was relieved as chief of the
Mobile Patrol Unit.

But on October 17, 2008, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Internal Affairs Service (IAS) recommended the
dismissal of the case after Kalaw failed to attend the dismissal proceedings.
In August of the same year, the Manila Prosecutors Office Eighth Division also dismissed the case after Kalaw failed
to appear during the preliminary proceedings of the case.

In 1986, the Jaycees International awarded Mendoza its Ten Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines (TOPP)
award.

According to his personal data sheet, he has garnered 17 awards and commendations from the PNP, including
multiple citations of the Medalya ng Papuri (PNP Medal of Commendation), the PNP Badge of Honor, the Medalya ng
Kasanayan (PNP Efficiency Medal), Medalya ng Kagalingan (PNP Merit Medal) and the Medalya ng Paglilingkod
(PNP Service Medal), and a Letter of Commendation.

Mendoza lists his address inside the Camp Ricardo Papa police camp in Bicutan,
Taguig.

He was born on January 10, 1955 in Naic, Cavite. He has two sons and a daughter with wife Aurora, who are now
based in Banadero, Tanauan, Batangas. He was supposed to retire next year. One of his sons, Bismarck, is deputy
chief of the Bangued police station in Abra with a rank of inspector. He was reported to have taken a trip to Manila
when he heard of the hostage-taking.

Mendoza graduated from the Philippine College of Criminology with a BS degree in Criminology.

He entered the PNP in April 1981 as a patrolman through the defunct Integrated National Police (INP). In January
1991, he was absorbed into the PNP with the rank of Senior Police Officer 3 with the Western Police District (WPD),
now known as the Manila Police District. He was promoted to Inspector in May 2002 and as a Senior Inspector in
August 2005.

In June 2008 a few months after Kalaw filed charges against him, Mendoza was shipped out to the provincial police
office of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). But this reassignment never materialized as he
served a 90-day suspension.

III. MY CHARACTERISTICS ^__^

My name is Vanessa Joy S. Estelon, 18 years old, born on June 22, 1992 Marikina City. Live UNION
Subd. Antipolo City, I am now taking BS Hotel and Restaurant Management. Tagalog is the word I
speak. I considered my self as an average Language Learner. I Have a good memory, I easily
remembered and memorized what I've read.

I have a merciful heart, diligent, hardworking student, good son and brother and above all
prayerful person.

I love to help others and I also learned to be generous. I like to sing. I'm good at cooking too. I
also excellent drawings.

I want to finish learning to fulfill my dream. I'm the type of person that what I like, I'll do everything
just to achieve this.
I want to make my parents proud and I want them to know that I love them very much. I strive to
fulfill my dream upnag life.

I'll Try and Try until I succeed.