Hercules Or Heracles: A Greek Mythological Hero

Hercules or Heracles can undoubtedly be considered the greatest Greek Mythological hero, due to his display of bravery, physical ability, skill, and craftiness. His mighty deeds and triumphs gave him the ability to influence many people throughout time. So much so, that his story has been retold through numerous forms of media and generations. One of the most famous re- telling’s of his story comes from Disney’s version of Hercules. The original Greek Myth of Hercules and the Disney movie Hercules share many similarities, but also have significant differences. The differences in the stories derive from the authors’ interpretation of the character Hercules and the message he conveys through his actions. The story of Hercules changes over time
Each one wrote their stories based on a certain theme or understanding of the demi-god. As Joshua J. Mark states, “…If bad things could happen to a hero like Hercules, they had nothing to complain about regarding the disappointments and tragedies in their own lives” (Mark 1). Heracles’ story provided the ability to be relatable amongst the ancient Greek audience. His constant battle with the obstacles Hera threw at him made him a resilient character. A quote by Ernest Hemmingway shares that he symbolized “A man may be destroyed, but not defeated” (Hemingway 1). Hera may have caused a him to suffer emotionally, but his mental toughness pulled him through. His perseverance through adversity created his persona of an influential figure to those who needed a sense of calm while facing a storm. The author wanted the audience to realize this, thus showing them that it is possible for one to fight through anything life throws at them. The significance of this message proved to be great, because it would later be passed through many generations to come. The influence of the original author’s message affected the way the Disney writer’s shaper their re- telling of Hercules’ story and meaning. Disney wanted to get a similar message across, but would adjust the story line in order to allow their targeted audience to fully comprehend the message. The writers removed many distractions and flaws of the original Greek myth carried. For example, Disney deleted the true story of Zeus’ infidelity. They told a different story of his parental roots by making Hera Hercules’ biological mother in the movie. The topic of infidelity would be a mature topic that’d be unfit for the young audience Disney caters to. In addition, the director of the movie’s view of the world is a simpler version of the interpretation by the author of the myth. The Disney author viewed the world as a challenge