Male Identity and Greek Mythology’s Hercules in Films Essay

Famed for his mighty muscles, Hercules was the son of the soul char Alcmene and the god genus genus genus Zeus. Hercules performed m whatsoever legendary feats of strength, the first of which came as an infant when Zeuss wife Hera placed two serpents in his crib, Hercules quickly strangled them. After he had grown to manhood Hera got revenge by whimsical Hercules briefly mad, causing him to slay his own wife and children. As penance Hercules performed his famous 12 labors (or tasks), which include assassinateing the Hydra, capturing Cerberus the dog, and cleaning the stables of Augeas.Hercules appears in many ancient Grecian stories and is one of mythologys best-known mol ars. Mythologies be fantasies that have the power to endure in peoples minds and cultivation through time. For this, mythic stories and spirits have been part of substantial themes of flicks in the memoir of makemaking. They have a significant place in the beingness of filmmaking because mythological stories and causas have the ample amount of mystery and magic that has the ability to bring the audiences attention and imagination. Storylines whitethorn differ or be similar to the myths itself barely the essence of the mythological example exudes.One such(prenominal) masculine and mythological face is the half-man half-god Greek hero, Hercules. This mythological character with howling(prenominal) physical strength has been featured and appeared in numerous films in the astronomical screen and television. With the different depictions of Hercules, this paper whence is an assessment on how he was portrayed and presented in films. The materials considered for this study were Disneys stimulate film Hercules released on 1997 and Roger Youngs miniseries entitled Hercules. Half Man. Half God. All Power. released on 2004 by the Hallmark Channel.Hercules on Disneys Animated Film jibe to the pornographic Cartoon Database (n. d. ) Hercules was a Disney update on classic mytholog y, an sprightly film active his trip towards finding a place where he belonged. Here, Hercules, the son of Greek gods Zeus and Hera was born god-like strength in Olympus, the seat of the gods. When perdition, the God of the Underworld, learns that his plan of domination in the future will be affected because of Hercules existence, he summons his two followers, Pain and Panic, de-im deathlikeize the child Hercules and kill him in the mortal world.Pain and Panic, failed in their mission and only succeeds in making Hercules mortal. No mortal beings are allowed to dwell in Olympus, which leaves Hercules in the care of Alcmene and Amphitryon, the childless mortal couple who found him on the bushes. Hercules later(prenominal) grows into a misfit adolescent because of his extraordinary strength that al authoritys gets him in the marrow squash of chaos. His adoptive parents later tells him of his past and a medal found with him that is a link to Zeus, his father. Hercules then journ eys to the temple of the gods.Zeus appears and confirms Hercules thoughts. Zeus tells him that the only way that Hercules can enter Olympus a assemble is that if he becomes an earthly hero to gain his godliness. The adolescent Hercules then goes on a pursuit of a hero status with the help and instructions from the satyr, Philoctetes. He procures the hero status later in adulthood scarcely is perplexed because he still is non a god. When Hades learns that Hercules still lives, he orders his soul-bound follower Megara to deceive Hercules.Hades tries to block his path to being a God with calamities and creatures like the multi-headed, Hydra. Hercules becomes a God when he sacrifices himself for Megara. The alive(p) film ends with Hercules choosing to stay in the mortal world to be with Megara. The most obvious oddment of the animated film from the overlord Greek myth of Hercules is that the dreadful factors of his origins were revised and some components of current day popular c ulture were utilized. According to Royalty. nu (n. d. ), Hercules was born to Alcmene, wife of Amphityron, but fathered by the Greek God Zeus.Zeus deceived Alcmene into thinking that he was Amphitryon on a night when the real Amphitryon was away. Hera, Zeus wife loathed Hercules and tried some(prenominal) times to try and kill Hercules, a great deal unlike in the animated film, where Hera as Hercules mother doted on him. The animated film focused on Hercules early feeling the famous ten labors of Hercules and the other half of his life was not included. The circumstances of the Greek myth characters like Megara, Zeus, Hera, Aphitryon, Alcmene and the rest included in the film were greatly modified to fit the storyline of the animated film.Apart from that Hercules twin chum, Iphicles was excluded in the storyline. Greek mythology portrays Hercules as a character with low intelligence and terrible temper(Royalty. nu, n. d. ). Although there was much difference from the original Gre ek myth, Hercules character as half-man half-god hero with weaknesses was still portrayed. Hercules character in the animated film was a bit naive but he was not quick to loose his temper. Audiences were withal given a taste of Hercules famous battles with calamities and creatures.Hercules on Roger Youngs Miniseries According to FilmAffinity (n. d. ), this Hercules miniseries is about the gifted child born of a blood greater than mortal who would become the most powerful of all gods. Roger Youngs miniseries starts with how Hercules was conceived. akin(predicate) to the Greek myth, the dissolute God Zeus deludes the Princess of Thebes, Alcmene, into thinking that he is the princess husband, Amphitryon, and then forces himself on Alcmene on a night where the princess was awaiting her husbands re playing period.When Alcmene gives rescue to twin boys, Hercules and Iphicles, Alcmene and Amphitryon are perplexed on which baby is fathered by Zeus and whose is Amphitryon. They later real ize that Hercules is Zeus son when he kills the snakes with his bare detention an infant. Hercules develops into a lumbering young man, rejected by his mother, envied by his brother Iphicles and loathed by Zeus wife Hera (FilmAffinity). Similar to the Greek myth eyepatch Alcmene reserves no love for Hercules, he grows up with Amphitryon doting on him and teaching him. Hercules then falls for Megara but was rejected.Their brief connection results to a child. When he lost his temper and accidentally hurt his teacher Linus during a class, Amphitryon sends far away to be taught under the care and instruction of a centaur, Kiron. Hercules becomes an agile adult and to a greater extent capable to handle his great strength. He then was married to Megara after he helps the king from the creature Hydra. Megara and her sons, turn out to be tools of the vengeful Hera, plotting against him and initiating events that lead to his banishment from his people (FilmAffinity).To regret the punishmen t that he deserved in killing his own children, Hercules agrees when he was given difficult challenges which were set out to destroy him. With his ally Linus, he travels the Stymphalian Swams to the River styx of the underworld, faced with challenges and monstrous creatures that was arranged to kill him. Hercules willingly continues on this journey that afterward made him a legend on Earth and achieve immortality in the heavens (FilmAffinity). With the storyline of the miniseries, it was clear that the filmmakers focused on the raging politics between the noble mortals and their want of power and control.It is important to cross out that this miniseries was one of the few productions that embarked on Hercules true conception with regards to the original Greek myth. Hercules character of recklessness and short temper was portrayed true to the original Greek myth during his younger adult days. There were slight alterations unto how veritable events happened to the characters but th e miniseries was in a way loyal to the Hercules myth. For example, Hercules develops a more profound thinking later on the miniseries but there was no hint of that according to the Greek Myth.The Gods Hera and Zeus were not given much attention during the miniseries and only appeared briefly. The supposed raging battle between Hera and Zeus was implied but not shown comprehensively. Conclusion In conclusion, both films were individual depictions of Hercules character as the legendary Greek hero. He is a paragon of effect and masculinity, and thus embodies characteristics such as great strength, great courage, and great appetites, including erotic adventures with both women and boys or young men.These qualities did not prevent him from being regarded as a playful figure that used games to relax from his labors and played a great deal with children. Aelian, while he was a champion and a great warrior, he was not above cheating and using any unfair trick to his advantage. However, he was renowned as having made the world safe for mankind by destroying many dangerous monsters, and he was also held up as an example for never having attacked first, but for having conquered all just by defending himself when attacked, and protecting the helpless and distraught.His self-sacrifice obtained him the ascent to the proud realms and he was welcomed by the gods. He represents a balanced, complete energetic tenet of the masculine, partaking of both light and dark influences. Historically, the strong American presence in post-war Italy is evident in the very physical presence of Steve Reeves as Hercules. Moreover, the films masculinization of revenge also seems to reflect the ideals of post-war society. Instead, as the character of Hercules suggests, it is more important for the wandering male, and also the foreign influence, to be merged into the domestic sphere.Hercules preserves the morality at the centre of the family. Paradoxically, however the tour of duty of Herc ules also ensures continued dependence on foreign influence and protection. distributively film represented the filmmakers approach on representing a storyline associated with Hercules myth. Disney may have chosen to emphasize more on Hercules journey to his requisite in a more conducive way that was appealing since their audiences are young people. Roger Youngs miniseries took more of a similar likeness to the original myth although alterations were made on how events were played because the storyline demanded that it be so.Works Cited FilmAffinity. Hercules (TV). FilmAffinity MovieAffinity. Retrieved November 2, 2006 from http//www. filmaffinity. com/en/film260353. html The Big Cartoon Database. Hercules Story Details. The Big Cartoon Database. Retrieved November 2, 2006 from http//www. bcdb. com/cartoon_synopsis/6-Hercules. html Royalty. nu. Hercules, Young Hercules. The Gordon Knot Webring. Retrieved November 2, 2006 from http//www. royalty. nu/legends/Hercules. html