Hercules: How Modern Adaptations Retell Ancient Myths
Student Paper for Credit in HIST 2210, LC
Written by: N. Dang
In the wise words of Salem Ilese, “I’m Mad at Disney”. Contrary to what I believed growing up, upon conducting my own academic research, I have come to the startling realization that similar to most things in life, the original ancient myth of the mighty Hercules was more of a tragedy than the heroic tale depicted by Disney. (Papadimitropoulos, 2008). Hercules is known as one of the most popular figures in Ancient Greek mythology, featured in countless modern-day media outlets, retelling and adapting the tales of the infamous hero. The goal of my research is to discover and analyze how accurately Greek Mythology is portrayed in the media, by looking specifically at an adaptation aimed at child audiences. I also seek to explain why retelling ancient tales to a child audience is important and will do so by analyzing artwork, artifacts, historical articles, journals, and other ancient sources, as well as by reading research written by historians to see how it compares to the modern adaptations. I had taken it upon myself to watch Disney’s Hercules, and after 93 minutes, I have come to the conclusion that within the first few minutes, I should have realized they claimed it was based very loosely on ancient Greek mythology. The plot in Disney’s 1993 Hercules revolves around an 18-year-old Hercules training to become a hero, in order to regain his status as a Greek god on Mount Olympus. Hercules had lost his godly abilities and glow, when Hades, his evil uncle and the god of the underworld/Disney antagonist, had his dimwitted imp sidekicks, Pain and Panic kidnap the newborn Hercules, from Mount Olympus. After growing up and singing a song about being an outcast, Hercules finds out about his real father, the mighty Zeus. Zeus reunites Hercules with his winged horse, a pegasus creatively named Pegasus, and Hercules enlists the help of Philoctetes, the satyr who helps train him. After a couple more songs, Hercules becomes a hero, slays a couple of monsters (including Scar from the Lion King), and falls in love with Meg, who happens to have sold her soul to Hades. Hades is trying to get Meg to find out Hercules’s weaknesses, instead, Meg and Hercules fall in love. Hades then threatens to hurt Meg unless Hercules agrees to temporarily give up his strength. Since Hercules is young and in love, he agrees, and Hades gleefully runs off to release the Titans and wreck havoc. Hades releases the Titans, who then seek to destroy Mount Olympus. Hades’ tasks the Cyclops to destroy Hercules, who no longer has strength. Hercules struggles but manages to defeat the Cyclops, however, he almost gets crushed by a huge ancient Greek column, but Meg pushes him out of the way, sacrificing herself. Phil the satyr, says he will watch over her, and Hercules flies off on Pegasus to save Olympus. After defeating the Titans in an intense and godlike battle, Hercules has a small reunion with Hera and Zeus, then rushes off to realize the Fates are ready to cut Meg’s life string. Hercules is too late, however, he goes to the underworld and makes a deal with Hades. Hercules offers his soul for Meg’s, and if he can get her out theycan both walk free, Hades agrees, knowing it to be impossible. Hercules jumps into the River Styx, struggling as the Fates prepare to cut his life string too, however, he has proven himself heroic, and his godlike abilities pull through. Hades was flabbergasted that Hercules survived, and is then pushed into the river himself. Meg is saved, and Hercules decides to remain a mortal human, instead of a god, as he can’t live without Meg. By analyzing how Greek mythology is portrayed in modern-day media, I seek to answer my research question, What is the significance of retelling myths to a childhood audience, and how accurate was the portrayal of Hercules depicted in Disney’s 1997 animated movie Hercules?
Literary Review
Contrary to the original myth, Hades is not the antagonist, as even though he is the god of the underworld, and shown to be jealous of his brother Zeus, the real mythological antagonist was not Hades. Even though Hera was portrayed by Disney as a loving mother, the mythological Hera was out to end Hercules. In the original myth, Hercules’s most threatening nemesis is the goddess Hera, who is not actually his mother, rather the wife/sister of his father, Zeus. Hercules was the result of Zeus’s infidelity with the mortal Alcmene. (Papadimitropoulos, 2008) Megara and Hercules had fallen in love and started a family together, however, after killing Lycus and rescuing his family, Hera decides to humble Hercules as “the goddess Hera, chooses this moment of triumph to humble him. She sends Iris, the messenger of the gods, with Lysa, the spirit of madness, to drive Hercules mad and, in his mad state, kill the wife and children he has just rescued.” (meaning Meg and their children) (Silk, 1985 page 2) Understandably, after recovering from insanity, Hercules realizes what he had done, and life feels worthless. (Silk, 1985 page 2) After “the manic killings of his own family, his subsequent despair,” Theseus arrives, he “averts Hercules plans to commit suicide and offers him the refuge of his city, Athens.” (Papadimitropoulos, 2008, page 131-132) Theseus was there to save Hercules when he was feeling suicidal and convinced him to find refuge in Athens. The most famous of Hercules’ achievements was the completion of the Twelve Labours of Hercules, which he was tasked with completing in order to gain atonement. The Twelve Labours of Hercules involved 1) slay the Nemean lion, which he skinned and wore after; 2) slay the nine-headed Hydra of Lerna; 3) capture the elusive hind (or stag) of Arcadia; 4) capture the wild boar of Mount Erymanthus; 5) clean the cattle stables of King Augeas of Elis, in a single day; 6) shoot the monstrous man-eating birds of the Stymphalian marshes; 7) capture the mad bull that terrorized the island of Crete; 8) capture the man-eating mares of King Diomedes of the Bistones; 9) take the girdle of Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons; 10) seize the cattle of the three-bodied giant Geryon, who ruled the island Erytheia in the far west; 11) bring back the golden apples kept at the world’s end by the Hesperides; and lastly, 12) fetch the triple-headed dog Cerberus, who was the guardian of the gates of the underworld. (Alfonso, 2008) In Disney’s 1993 Hercules, the Twelve Labours of Hercules are never mentioned, however, Hercules does complete several of the Labours, including the slaying of the Nemean lion, who takes the form of Scar from Disney’s The Lion King, the fetching of the triple-headed dog Cerberus were briefly shown. Hercules was also shown wearing the skin of Scar after slaying Scar the Nemean lion, just like how in the myth, Hercules wore the lionskin.
Reconsiderations
To be completely honest, if I were to make some reconsiderations, I would go back in time, to the start of this project and ask myself what I was thinking when I thought it was a good idea to compare and analyze an animated Disney movie with an actual ancient and historical myth. In all honesty, I think a part of me realized from the beginning that using an animated Disney movie aimed at children may not have been the smartest decision on my behalf, however, given the fact that we are in an actual pandemic and I have fallen victim to self-proclaimed insanity, I have come to appreciate the fact that I somehow miraculously made it this far. Through a ton of panic, tears, juggling my other courses, and a bunch of crying sessions, I have decided to roll with the panicked conclusion that it’s too late to change. Nevertheless, if I were to redo this project from the beginning, I most likely would not choose to use a Disney movie as a comparison to peer-reviewed historical journals/academic articles.
References
Alonso, F. (2008). HERACLES IN THE MAHĀBHĀRATA. Rivista Degli Studi Orientali,
81(1/4), nuova serie, 73-101. Retrieved November 26, 2020, from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/41913335
Clements, Ron, director. Hercules. Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 1997.
Finkelberg, M. (1995). Odysseus and the Genus 'Hero'. Greece & Rome, 42(1), 1-14.
Retrieved November 27, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/643068
Møller, Bendik, et al. “Salem Ilese – Mad at Disney.” Genius, 24 July 2020, genius.com/Salem-ilese-mad-at-disney-lyrics.
Papadimitropoulos, L. (2008). Heracles as Tragic Hero. The Classical World, 101(2),
131-138. Retrieved November 23, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25471934
Silk, M. (1985). Heracles and Greek Tragedy. Greece & Rome, 32(1), 1-22. Retrieved
November 27, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/642295
Strid, O. (2013). THE HOMERIC PREFIGURATION OF SOPHOCLES' HERACLES.
Hermes, 141(4), 381-400. Retrieved November 24, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43652880
Swan, G. (2010). Hercules Cleaning the Augean Stables on a Roman Bronze Plaque. Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University, 69, 30-41. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41757695
