The Comparison of the Graves Version of the Myth of Hercules and two Modern Adaptations

The following essay was a homework for the Academic Writing class:

The Comparison of the Graves Version of the Myth of Hercules and two Modern Adaptations

1. 1. Introduction

Hercules is the Roman name of the demigod Heracles. He is one of the most significant characters of Greek mythology. Hercules is like an antique polyhistor but apart from the many virtues he has his flaws as well as humans do. During the different ages the name of this demigod became a symbol of heroism in human history. He is the person who everybody wants to be.
I think, it is worthwhile to compare adaptations in order to analyse the legacy of its origins. A mythological story could have different interpretations as every writer could have a different concept about his character.
With this essay I am going to show the main differences and similarities between the original story of Hercules and the two chosen adaptations. Those adaptations are the Hercules animated movie made by Walt Disney Pictures and the comic books featuring Hercules published by Marvel Comics. The purpose of this essay is to show how the Greek myths live on in our modern age and popular culture.

1. 2. The problems of adaptations

There is a large amount of film adaptations. In the late 50s and early 60s 19 Hercules movies were made just in Italy. This raises some questions. Why did Italian studios make so many films based on that mythological character? Are they wanted to turn to the historic past in order to forget that their country has lost the Second World War?
Thus far six seasons of the Hercules: The Legendary Journeys television series, an animated movie by Disney, and a whole season of Hercules: The Animated Series were produced in the USA.
The live action television series were based very loosely on the classical tales. Its first season consists of four feature length television movies. The character of Hercules is played by Kevin Sorbo. The story contained the elements of action, adventure and comedy.
One of the main problems of adapting a mythological story is that it may lose some of its message. When this occurs it might defeat the purpose of originality. In terms of adaptations it could be very important to stay faithful to the origins. Modern day adaptations influence what people might think about the story. If the message is distorted there will be differences between its roots and its interpretation. What remained the same in all adaptations and which aspects were changed completely?

2. 1. Robert Graves’ Version of the Myth

If we want to compare different adaptations probably we should refer to the version of Robert Graves as the original source. He collected the most memorable and interesting events of Greek mythology. His book titled The Greek Myths is a guide to every reader being eager to know everything about antique heroes and gods.
According to the Greek equivalent, the name of the mythological character in this version is Heracles and not Hercules. It is stated that he is the son of Alcmene and Zeus, Amphitryon is his foster father. According to the myth, Alcmene is the wisest woman in the world. Graves expresses how Zeus managed to seduce her.

[…] Zeus, taking advantage of Amphitryon’s absence, impersonated him and, assuring Alcmene that her brothers were now avenged—since Amphitryon had indeed gained the required victory that very morning—lay with her all one night, to which he gave the length of three. For Hermes, at Zeus’s command, had ordered Helius to quench the solar fires, have the Hours unyoke his team, and spend the following day at home; because the procreation of so great a champion as Zeus had in mind could not be accomplished in haste (Graves, The Greek Myths 6: 269).

The version of Graves represents an ideal hero of the ancient Greece. People of the antique ages preferred different virtues than nowadays. Conquest was very important in that period. Greek myths feature Heracles, a violent, revengeful conqueror. Besides his godlike power he has human characteristics as well. He is a complex character, who performs heroic deeds, but also makes mistakes. He easily loses his temper. He has many lovers and his attraction for women ruins his life and brings ill fate to him. His story has a dark tone, which is more appealing to the adult readers. It has the form of a written narrative.
Luke Roman and Monica Roman evokes an important problem in the introduction of their encyclopedia. There is a possibility that even the myths we consider nowadays as original sources were also interpretations centuries ago. These mythological stories could spread as fairytales or folktales among the people for a long time before those were written down.

It was never the case that the ancients simply believed their myths with dogmatic insistence. The divinely inspired Hesiod knew that the Muses mixed truth with falsehood. Yet the classical writers frequently refer to myths as a source of knowledge of the past, and they almost never categorically equate myth with falsehood. […] Mythical figures such as Heracles, Midas, and Orpheus, Roman founder-figures such as Aeneas and Romulus, and the emerging mythology of the Roman imperial family all form part of a continuous narrative fabric (Roman, Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology VI).

2. 2. Graves’ Version versus Walt Disney’s Hercules

In this chapter I would like to point out some major differences between the Greek myth of Heracles and the animated feature film, Hercules was made by Walt Disney Pictures in 1997. As stated by the Internet Movie Database, “Leaving aside the 'Pastoral' segment of Fantasia, this was the first Disney animated feature to be completely inspired by mythology rather than a fairy tale”. (IMDb, Hercules (1997), Trivia)
Like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, the animated feature of Walt Disney Pictures is also loosely based on the Greek myth of Heracles. According to the liberalism of the writer-directors, the origin of Hercules has changed. Many elements of the plot were altered.
The television show of Disney Channel titled Movie Surfers: Hercules introduced the animated movie as an epic comedy that follows the adventures of a legendary hero. The hosts of the show were children, who went behind the scenes and interviewed the voice actors and the creators. It was aired in 1997.
As indicated by the movie, Hercules was born as a god on the Mount Olympus. Hera is his mother. Hades is the antagonist instead of Hera. Two henchmen of Hades kidnap Hercules as and infant. They make him mortal with a poison. They reinforce the comedic effect of the cartoon with their clumsiness. have Hercules drunk a poison which makes him mortal, but he manages to preserve his godlike strength and extraordinary powers.
Alcmene and Amphitryon were reduced to his foster parents. The version of Walt Disney Pictures resembles to the second episode Superman: The Animated Series in a way his foster parents reveal his true identity by telling him he was found. “Hercules, there’s something your mother and I have been meaning to tell you.” “But if you’ve found me, then where did I come from?” (Disney, Hercules) Could it be that the writers of the movie were inspired by that cartoon series about Superman and this reference was partly intentional?
The concept of his twelve labours is missing from the story. He has only one trainer who helps him with his training.
When Hercules becomes popular the community considers him as a superhero and refers to him as a superhero. This is a running joke throughout the whole movie. Doug Walker points out in several episodes of his internet show titled Nostalgia Critic that “There’s a theory going on that comic book heroes are great modern myths in the same way that Hercules and Perseus were the great Greek myths.” (Walker, Doug, Nostalgia Critic: Captain America Review, 2009) This could refer to a thought that this relationship between mythology and pop culture could work back and forth.
Of course it suffers from the famous Hollywood clichés and pop culture references occurring in adaptations. The hero gets the woman he desires. She is a damsel in distress. Hercules has to rescue her three times during the movie.
It is a fun fact that usually McDonald's sold Happy Meal toys in order to promote Disney movies and it was not different with Hercules. These items often appear in the movie for example a soft drink cup and an action figure. Could it be that because of these cross-references the two companies promoted each other back and forth or those jokes are meant to make fun of merchandising?

Happy Meal toys have become increasingly elaborate in recent years. While initially they were little more than a cheap plastic trinket such as a frisbee or ball, they have gradually been replaced with increasingly sophisticated toys, many of which are a tie-in to some existing toy line or contemporary motion picture. Between 1996 and 2006, this was usually a Disney movie (Disney movie themes had also been used earlier, but sporadically). However, Disney didn't renew the contract, wishing to use their characters to promote healthier foods.
(Wikipedia, Happy Meal)

It is a light, funny and fun-loving musical adventure made for children and teenagers. The writer-directors Ron Clements and John Musker seemingly preferred family entertainment. They tried to meet the requirements of the younger audience. It was followed by the Hercules animated series by Walt Disney Pictures with the same characters in 1998 and a video game in 1999.
It works as a cartoon movie but barely as an adaptation. This film has been criticized for not staying true to Greek Mythology. The animation is beautifully done, although it is done in the style of Greek art. On the one hand, his animated movie might have an entertainment value with a moral message, but it also could be confusing for the students learning mythology. The audience learn only a little about mythology, because many of the characters do not play an important role while staying behind. On the other hand, if the creators had made it faithful to the Greek myths collected by Robert Graves, it would be a dark story that hardly fits into the family movie genre.
You can find many references from pop culture and modern life. These are used to have a comedic effect.

In the scene where two kids were trapped under a boulder, they said "someone call I, X, I, I". Though pronounced as letters, this is a reference to the Roman numerals IX, I, I, or 911 - the emergency phone number in the United States.
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119282/trivia)

The movie makes many references to the epic poem of the 12 Labors of Hercules including the mid-movie battle with the Lernaean Hydra (2nd Labor). The Nemean Lion (1st Labor), Erymanthian Boar (4th Labor), Stymphalian Bird (6th Labor) are featured in the 'Zero to Hero' scene, and the capturing of Cerberus (12th Labor) at the end of the film. Phil also mentions the task of cleaning Augean's stables (5th Labor) and retrieving a Girdle from 'some Amazons' (9th Labor) while Hercules was posing for the painter. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119282/trivia)

On his way to Thebes, Hercules meets Megara after he saves her from the River Guardian, Nessos. While this is not the story of how Hercules came to know Megara in Greek legend, it IS (almost exactly) how he came to know his second wife - Deianira.
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119282/trivia)

The "Air Herc" sandals brand is a reference to the Nike Air footwear line. Moreover, the Hercules mosaic showing Hercules running resembles an actual Nike print ad. Nike was the Greek goddess who personified triumph.
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119282/trivia)


2. 3. Graves’ Version versus Marvel Comics Version

Hercules also appeared in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Hercules as a fictional character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. His first appearance was in the first issue of Journey into the Mystery Annual in 1965. Although the name Hercules is associated with the Roman version it was also based on Heracles from Greek mythology.
In this chapter I would like to state some main differences between the version of Robert Graves and the version of Marvel Comics.
The comic books published by Marvel are more faithful to the original myth than the animated movie. Hercules as a comic book character has an origin that is almost identical to the one you can find in Greek Mythology. At some certain point the back stories of both versions are equivalent.
Writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby created Hercules as a comic book character in order to establish a battle with Thor. This was the first of the five stories contained in the first issue of Journey into the Mystery Annual. The concept was to have a fight between the sons of Zeus and Odin, the major gods of two different cycles. Both of them are related to thunder gods.
Month after month, we have received an avalanche of mail demanding that we pit the mightiest immortals of all time in hand-to-hand-combat! Though neither history nor legend record such a battle, if ever the son of Odin had fought the son of Zeus, the matchless imaginations of Lee and Kirby visualize a battle to stagger the senses and dazzle the eyes! A battle which might have been fought, then swept away in the whirlpool of time! A battle such as this…!! “When Titans Clash” (Lee, Journey into Mystery 1: 3).
Other appearances of the character of Hercules. Avengers. The story of Hercules takes has a twist. He travels to the 20th century. He ends up in the 20th century. He joins a group of superheroes called the Avengers.
He is more powerful than his mythological counterpart. He possesses multiple extraordinary powers such as superhuman strength; speed; reflexes, and he is immortal. He is immune to all diseases. His body regenerates faster than an ordinary person. Magic is useless against him. These abilities makes Hercules the strongest Olympian. He is even able to move a small island from its place.

3. 1. Legacy

Until this very day legacy of the great ancient Greek writers lives on in their myths they created. As the word changes adaptations deform the message. This is likely inevitable during retelling a story. Nowadays what do the public know about myths? In spite of its young age, American popular culture created its own mythology. Many of the comic books and films are based on the old predecessors. Hollywood takes a major part in what we know about Greek myth thanks to the films and television series.

3. 2. Conclusion

In my essay I presented the differences and similarities between the different versions of the mythological story of Hercules. I searched for the answers why were those changes made. The influence of an age and the requirements of the audience always had an enormous effect on the outcome.
Television and movies partly exercise an influence on the public. The comparison of this essay showed that the comic book version is the most faithful to its origins, but what is taught on mythology lessons is still the most reliable information. However, the version of Robert Graves and its adaptations were based on fiction, the previous one might be a reliable and honourable interpretation.
Works Cited
Graves, Robert. The Greek Myths.
London: Cassel Ltd, 1960.
Hercules. Dir. Ron Clements, and John Musker.
Walt Disney Pictures, 1997.
IMDb, Hercules (1997), Trivia. 12 May 2011.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119282/trivia
Lee, Stan, and Kirby, Jack. Journey into Mystery #1.
New York: Marvel Comics Group, 1965.
Roman, Luke, and Roman, Monica. Encyclopefia of Greek and Roman Mythology.
New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010.
Walker, Doug. Nostalgia Critic: Captain America Review. 2009.
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/
Wikipedia, Hercules (Marvel Comics). 12 May 2011.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_%28Marvel_Comics%29