Hercules, or known in Latin as Heracles, was the greatest of the Greek heroes, a paragon of masculinity. In art, Hercules was portrayed as a powerful, muscular man wearing lion's skin and armed with a huge club. He was also described as being a macho man buffoon, who was very impulsive. Hercules’ home and birthing place is in Thebes, Greece. Thebes is a city in central Greece. It plays as an important setting in many Greek myths, such as the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and many other important roles in Greek Mythology. The demigod, Hercules has an interesting origin, he is most famous for his 12 labors, and leaves a legacy in words and expressions. Hercules has an interesting origin. Hercules was conceived by Zeus of divine nature and a mortal woman named Alcmene. Zeus appeared to her one night disguised as her husband, Amphitryon. Her actual husband reappeared to her causing Alcmene to have two sons one of divinity and the other of morality, their names, Hercules and Iphicles. Hera, not to be pleased by her husbands deceitful ways devised a plan to steal Hercules’ birthright of being the high king. Alcmene’s faithful servant Galanthis fooled Lithia long enough for baby Hercules to be born. Alcmene, fearing the goddesses wrath abandons Hercules, but this plan will not suffice. Athena finds the lad and cares for him. She brings Hercules to Hera to be breastfeed giving him his superhuman strength. “After Athena returned, Hercules’ his jealous stepmother, Hera, tried to murder the infant by putting a serpent in his cradle” (Leiff). However, Hercules thought the snakes were just amusing toys, and squeezed them until they died. Everyone surrounding Hercules was amazed at how strong he was as an infant. It was at this poin... ... middle of paper ... ...e underworld. Hercules found Cerberus and wrestled him to the ground. The fiend bit him but that did no real damage. Hercules inflicted no lasting damage on Cerberus except perhaps his pride. After completing this daunting task Hercules carried Cerberus to Eurystheus thus completing his twelve labors. Works Cited Bulfinch, Thomas. Bulfinch's Mythology. 1855. Evinity Publishing 2011. 17 Feb. 2014. www.sacred-texts.com Ellingson, Leiff. “Hercules.” Encyclopedia Mythica.16 May 1999. 17 Feb. 2014. www.pantheon.org Harding, Caroline Hirst and Samuel Bannister Harding. Stories of Greek Gods, Heroes, and Men. Chicago: Scott Foresman and Company, 1897. Sabin, Frances. Classical Myths That Live Today. Morristown, N.J.; Silver Burdett Company, 1958. Tatlock M Jessie. Greek and Roman Mythology. New York: The Century Company, 1917.
Everyone knows the story of Hercules, but not everyone knows that it follows the same pattern as most hero stories. Hercules is a story about the son of Zeus. When Hercules was a baby, Pain and Panic, Hades’ evil henchmen, gave him a potion to turn him mortal. It was prophesied that this baby would be the one to defeat Hades and they didn’t want that to come true. Since Hercules was now mortal, he could no longer live on Mount Olympus. A couple on earth took him in so he could grow up as a human. Hercules knew something was different about himself, so when he grew up, he set out to discover who he really was. Even though Hercules is an ancient Greek myth, it still follows Joseph Campbell’s modern basic outline of a hero’s journey.
Hercules of 1997 got put together by one of the popular Disney directors, Ron Clements and John Musker. Their earlier works include “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” and “The Great Mouse Detective,” which were movies that were astoundingly successful Disney movies that almost everyone enjoyed watching. Hercules without a doubt is one of my top Disney favourite movies, because of its really pop and melodious songs, and its simple yet very intricate plotline.
For a character to be an epic hero, he must possess four characteristics. These four characteristics include the following: (1) he must be high born, (2) the hero must have human weaknesses, (3) he must be brave,and 4) he must be clever. In The Odyssey, Homer’s character Odysseus was an epic hero because he possessed all four of the characteristics.
A hero accepts who he is as an individual, but strives to change himself for the better. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, the main character Odysseus is a valiant king who embarks on a life-changing voyage. While traveling from Troy back to his home in Ithaka, King Odysseus overcomes daunting obstacles, and in doing so discovers his place in the world. Odysseus is truly a heroic figure because he demonstrates courage, improves his character, and wins the support of the gods.
Hera did not stop there, though. Once Hercules was born, she sent two serpents to kill him. Yet, this didn’t go as Hera had planned. Even as a baby, Hercules had enough strength to strangle the serpents and cast them aside. After that, Hera left Hercules without disturbances for a few years.
The definition of a hero is unique for every individual; however there are several regulations that majority of individuals can agree on. A hero must exhibit traits such as humility, kindness, and courage. Once the candidate expresses hubris, displays cruelty, or retreats from a formidable challenge, he cannot be considered a hero. Lastly, a hero candidate must overcome challenges that defy the odds. He must deliver a gift to society that benefits society as a whole; such gifts can be freedom, liberty, or hope. Odysseus in The Odyssey, by Homer, fulfilled these requirements and rightfully earned the title of a hero. Odysseus is well deserving of the title hero because he has put the needs of others before his own, shown signs of courage in the face of adversity, and displays humility by ridding himself of his hubris.
... at him with armor and weapons. He quickly unsheathed his sword and killed Hippolyta and removed her belt from her cold dying body. This lead to the great battle between Hercules the greek and the Amazonians. Once the enemy had been driven away Hercules carried the belt to King Eurystheus thus completing his mission.
Jesus was not the first in history to boast such a birth lineage many examples exist within ancient tales; however Hercules, the illegitimate son of Zeus (supreme god of the Greek pantheon) and Alcmene (a mortal woman) is perhaps one of the most well-known. While the birth of Jesus was with consent and acknowledgement of Mary, Alcmene was tricked into a relationship with Zeus; it is interesting to note, however, neither conception was of traditional coupling.
The 12th labor that Eurystheus would give Hercules would be to do 100 push-ups, 200 pull-ups, 300 sit-ups, and 400 body-squats. Hercules did the work out in sets of 10. He would do 10 push-ups, 20 pull-ups, 30 sit-ups, and 40 body-squats 10 times. It took Hercules one hour to finish the work out. Hercules threw up after finishing the workout. Eurystheus congratulated Hercules for finishing the 12 labors and told him that he was forgiven for the murder of his wife and children. Eurystheus asked Hercules what he was going to do since he was finished with all the labors and Hercules replied back saying that he was going to Disney World.
William Shakespeare, one of the greatest writers of all time, uses Hercules as a persona of excellence throughout his play, "Much Ado About Nothing". Hercules, in Greek mythology, is a hero known for his strength, courage and legendary adventures. This gives the impression that Shakespeare liked the tales of Hercules.
Picture this: a hero of great legends who travels to the underworld and back to get directions to his home from a blind prophet. It sounds like quite an impossible journey, but that is exactly what makes Odysseus all the more fascinating. The Odyssey, an epic poem orally transmitted by Homer, a Greek poet who wrote The Iliad, had to contain some variety of attributes that Greeks valued in a person. That one embodiment of what the Greeks found intriguing in a character is Odysseus. Odysseus is known as what is called an epic hero. An epic hero is a protagonist of a story that represents the most important attributes of a civilization. Odysseus, being based in ancient Greece, is the embodiment of intelligence, loyalty, and strength.
Hercules the great hero and the son of the great god Zeus, was the most famous of all the Greek mythological heroes. Hercules was known for his strength, bravery, and adventuresome personality. Hercules like most heroes had a god as their father, and he had a mortal mother named Alcmene. Hercules like most heroes was not an ordinary mortal and a good example was his superhuman strength.
Jason is known for retrieving the Golden Fleece while Hercules is remembered for his 12 labors. Jason traveled to mysterious locations and received aid from two gods: Athena and Hermes. In addition to the help from Phineus, Jason returned with the glory of the Golden Fleece. He returned to his home to become the rightful king of Lolcus. Similarly, Hercules was also a special hero. He was a demigod who had superhuman strength. After murdering his family, Hercules was sentenced to twelve very dangerous labors. After Hercules died, he was considered as one of the greatest heroes in Greek Mythology.
Heracles VS Hercules The legend of Hercules has been told and retold thousands of times; it is by far one of the best known Greek myths of all time. In fact, it was so well known that Disney made it into a movie. Like any story that’s adapted into a movie, there are some differences and similarities between the myth and the movie. This paper will go over the main differences and similarities between the two versions of the same myth.