carlita

I would say by the end of the series, Angel isn't really the hero, or at least he is not the hero Buffy is, the one for whom sacrifices (like Ben, in "The Gift") must be made to preserve the appearance of virtue and honor. Angel is, at the very most, a tragic hero, one who is destroyed by the flaw of his hubris in thinking that he could change anything at all. If he had involved other people in the planning stages, they might have come up with a better plan. (Then again, maybe not. See: let's release Angelus because he has memories Angel doesn't have! Because that makes sense within the context of the gypsies' curse, which is only the fundament of the goddamned character.)

I think Angel is less likely to react with calm and clear reasoning than anyone, because more than anyone he has seen exactly how much nothing ever changes.

There. Have my .02, even though you didn't ask for it. *g*