http://untilalongcamezeus.tumblr.com/
The photosets are not mine; I simply reblogged them from Tumblr's talented graphic makers. Just a Here's a quick heads-up for people who may not be familiar with Tumblr (like Professor Knorr): The text is in the links at the top, starting with "Thesis" and finishing with "Conclusion". I also included links at the bottom of each section to take you to the next part and make navigation easier. Ignore the "Message", "Archive" and "Theme links; they're automatically included in a Tumblr theme. And of course, the "Home" link takes you to the main page.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Disney's Hercules
The whole story of Hercules was completely different than the traditional stories from Ancient Greece. First of all Hera is not his loving mother, as the Disney film portrays. She is one of the main antagonists in Hercules life, but instead the film creates Hades as the main cause for his strife. Hades is the one that sends "snakes" to kill him as a child instead of Hera. Also, the main plot of Hades trying to gain power is not a part of the traditional stories. Once the Titans are locked up by Zeus, they stay locked up. The film did however have many characters from the stories, but they were very different in the Disney's version. For example, Nessus plays a completely different role in the film, and Philoctetes is a Satyr hero trainer. All these changes were probably done to create a more acceptable family oriented film, as if the story stayed true to the stories it would definitely be much darker and aimed at a different audience. Many aspects of the original story would have been unacceptable, for example the Hercules having to murder his first family and Nessus sexually harassing Hercules' later wife. Plus, with the unfaithfulness of Zeus being the reason for Hera's hate for Hercules, their had to be a completely different antagonist to avoid this debauchery. The Disney team probably did not all study Ancient Greece so they thought the Titans were cool, so why not include them in the film. Also, the twelve labors cast on Hercules by King Eurystheus, was not really in the film at all, only the Hydra and some clips and references to others. For example the boar Hercules had to bring back to the king was shown by a picture on a vase, and it could be inferred he killed the Nemean Lion as he has a lion skin on as he gets a portrait of himself painted. Overall, most of these changes made sense as this is only a film targeted at young children, so they do not know their Ancient Greek history, and the goal was to create an enjoyable film, not a history lesson.
Hercules
After watching Disney's Hercules, I realized that they made some good changes to the original story. They left out a lot of things that would not have been appropriate for a young audience. This includes the adultery committed by Zeus, the wrath of Hera, and the part where Hercules murders his family. In place of Hera as the villain they made Hades the bad guy, which I thought was a good choice. One change that was not necessary was the portrayal of the Titans and the history behind them. Disney could have also put more into the labors that Hercules had to go through, or at least tell us the symbolism behind them.
Hercules/Herkales
It would of been tough for Disney to use the actual stories and mythology into this film because it was made for children and most of the actual mythology wouldn't be appropriate. Things such as hercules killing his wife and children are some of the things that wouldn't of been allowed into the movie. They did, however, bring in actual mythology such as his superior strength and the three-headed dog did make an appearance in the film. Also, the Muse's at the beginning did talk about some of the background mythology that contributes to the true story of hercules. So I do think that Disney did a good job of what they were allowed to bring into the film to make it somewhat mythological for the children that was their audience.
Herakles vs. Hercules
While Disney's Hercules is a highly enjoyable movie it leaves a lot out from the original myth, some changes were welcome and others not as much. Some of the welcome changes were making Hercules a hero that had to work for his control and power. The fact that he went on a journey made him identify much more with us the audience. Instead of seeming distant and godly he seemed human and we could understand where he was coming from. This change also made us feel like we too could reach incredible heights if we work hard, persevere, and put everything we have into our dreams. I go back and forth on the change to have Hades be the enemy, while I like that it actually gives Hercules a physical foe as opposed to a mental one it still diverges a lot form the original story. This change was likely so we could really tell who the evil person (or god) was. I really didn't like how few of the "labors" we saw (at least in any length) it would have been nice to see those a little more or at least have them expand upon them a little more. But overall I think this was a fun and entertaining adaption of the Herakles myth, although it is really a new story entirely.
Herakles vs. Hercules
After watching Disney's movie Hercules and reading the myths of Herakles, I believe that there is a quite a difference. The aim of Disney's movie Hercules was to make a fun animated movie that families could watch together. Because of this they obviously had to leave a lot out about Herakles, for example, Herakles killed his wife and children which would not go well in the disney movies. I think Disney did well for bring some mythology in, I believe this was shown to the audience at the start when we meet the Muses and they start to introduce who Hercules is. The Muses were also able to share brief mythology on Herakles, as when Hercules becomes famous and they show all the battles with creatures that he has been in. I also noticed that Hades was the main villain in the film when in mythology he is not the main villain.
In conclusion, I think Disney did a good job of making the film so that children and their families could watch it while still having a basis of the myths.
In conclusion, I think Disney did a good job of making the film so that children and their families could watch it while still having a basis of the myths.
Hercules transformation
There are many changes made in the Hercules movie from the original myths, overall I believe they were made for the better. This movie could not have been a children's movie if not for these changes. For example, omitting the murder of his family is probably a good thing, as that does not make for a great child's movie. Next, Hades is not he real villain in the myths, however is the easiest character to fill that role. Many children know that the devil rules hell which is equivalent to the underworld and that the devil is evil which makes an easy transition to them interpreting Hades as the devil. Also in the myths the first labor Hercules faces is not the Hydra, but it makes sense why the film makers changed that. The Hydra isn't something Hercules can defeat with brute strength because when it is defeated it just comes back twice as strong. It shows his ability to not only fight but to think and come up with the creative idea of burying the Hydra. This battle shows off a number of Hercules' skills and that is why it is used as the first labor.
Herakles to Hercules
As someone who has read the myths but did not see the movie when I was younger, I'm happy with what they managed to do with the myths. The movie itself is self-aware that it does not strictly follow the story, as evidenced by Thalia's exclamation of, "He's making this sound like some Greek tragedy or somethin'!" Which, ironically, it is. However, I completely understand why they changed the vast majority of the myth because I don't think that Disney is going to focus on a hero who is born of adultery and prone to bouts of goddess-induced madness that drove him to murder his wife and kids and several others who eventually committed suicide thanks to a poisoned shirt given to him by his third wife. Try explaining that one to kids!
And even though Hades did not try to take over Olympus in any of the myths (I've read at least), I understand why Disney made him the villain. Mother can't be the villain? Let's go to the god of the dead! To be honest, it's a logical choice. I also loved how they did his character. Clever, sassy, sarcastic, and prone to bouts of rage (sort of like Hercules in the original myth), he does a lot of the work himself, and is almost completely victorious until Hercules shows up.
And even though Hades did not try to take over Olympus in any of the myths (I've read at least), I understand why Disney made him the villain. Mother can't be the villain? Let's go to the god of the dead! To be honest, it's a logical choice. I also loved how they did his character. Clever, sassy, sarcastic, and prone to bouts of rage (sort of like Hercules in the original myth), he does a lot of the work himself, and is almost completely victorious until Hercules shows up.
Hercules
Hercules definitely tames down the traditional Hercules story but this is common for Disney movies. The Little Mermaid is actually a really dark story, for example, but the Disney movie version is much happier and omits a lot of the darkness from the original fairytale. I actually thought Hercules did a great job at using the Hercules mythology as a blueprint for the movie. I enjoyed the references to the Hercules' myths (the lion on the vase in the beginning of the movie, Hydra, ect.). I love how they use the muses to narrate the whole story. And I liked Meg's character a lot. Aside from the fact the Disney version doesn't have Hercules kill her, I also thought the movie gives a lot to her character. She is sassy, smart, and has a detailed background story and character development.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Hercules
Honestly I think that Disney's version of Hercules although not very historically accurate told the story in a way that would appeal to a certain audience which is children and their parents.In this movie they are able to keep the children entertained with the musical numbers, themes of dreams, and finding a place to belong. The creators also did a good job keeping the historians and adults entertained with the references to other Greek myths as well as iconic images of the time. Although they completely changed the character Hercules and his story I can say I'm happy with the storyline this movie has. It does discuss Hercules labors although not so specifically and even mentions some later ones as well. Anyone watching the movie with some background knowledge would appreciate that they tried to throw those references in to keep it similar to the true myths. They also have scenes that relate to that from the myth like when Meg is trying to escape the river god it references when Heracles wife was captured by the river god and attempting to rape her, the Disney movie hints at that but keeps it PG for the kids. I appreciated the parts that they did show and references to other Greek movies and I personally did not miss anything. I could be biased because I grew up with this movie stuck in my VCR but I enjoyed the way the story was told.
Hercules
It is difficult for me to pinpoint a part the writers should have omitted. This is probably cause I am biased to one of my favorite childhood movies considering the fact I have a Hercules mug at home. I am really glad that they changed the entire role of Megara as she is not a king's daughter, but had her heart broken and Hercules comes in to save the day. I also appreciate how this fits the American style of not having a problematic hero that would kill his own family in a fit of rage. There really is not a single point I would want to see changed. It would be impossible to have all of Hercules labors included in a children's movie; however, the writers do a fantastic job in referring to a phew of them with Cerberus, the boar, the hydra, and others.
Hercules
Hercules definitely uses the original myths as inspiration very loosely. Though I am usually a stickler for accuracy to the original story, I do not have a problem with the majority of these changes. The changes made about Hercules' parents are perfectly acceptable. The original myth about adultery and the wrath of Hera would not be the best starting point for a children's movie. As this was changed the creators of the film naturally also had to take out Hera's antagonistic actions toward Hercules, leaving the door wide open for a new villain. Hades is almost an obvious choice to fill this void, having already negative myths about him and the negative association with death. For these reasons, I find the change of making Hades the villain of the film perfectly acceptable. I am also not bothered that they changed the focus away from the labors, as this allows a more overarching and continuous storyline to be built. I appreciate that they still give references to them- with the hydra, the montage during "Zero to Hero", Phil's to-do list for Hercules, and the Cerberus scene near the end. It does bother me slightly that they changed what some of the labors were, but this I understand as well- the typical audience would be much more likely to recognize a gorgon than one of the man-eating mares of Diomedes. The only thing that really bothers me about the changes in the film is the portrayal of the titans. What is shown is not even close to what is described in original mythology and I would have enjoyed a more intelligent and complex group of adversaries.
Hercules!
I welcome the change of villain. Hera's reason for hating Hercules is something many people would support. To Hades Hercules is an obstacle to his quest for power. I would have preferred the confident of emotionally compromised Hercules to Superman. Seriously, why make Hercules Superman? We definitely have a concept of heroics. Look at the faults. Old Hercules: A jealous woman makes him angry. New Hercules: He's bumbling and wants to know where he belongs.
Disney's Hercules Adaptations
When it comes to Disney's Hercules, what did the script writers not change? There are so many changes made that instead of asking what was changed, it's almost more efficient to ask what did they not change, as the list would go rather long for the prior. Of the changes made, there are none that I wish the writers had refrained from making. Perhaps, it is because I am biased toward a film from my childhood and think it perfect in every possible way. I appreciate how the writers were able to adapt the myth of Heracles into a child-friendly, fairytale-ish story in the way they took away the parts only appropriate for an adult audience (i.e. Zeus' infidelity, Hercules murdering his family, etc). Though such changes almost disregard the original myth entirely, I appreciate how they are able to morph the story into a totally new version. I appreciate how the writers took a story based on flaws and short-comings and made it into an unrealistic story where everything is hunky-dory. Reality is full of flaws and short-comings, and "fairytales"--for lack of a better word--such as Disney's Hercules, offer an escape from such things.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Heros
People today have a different ideas of what a hero should be, however they really have not changed all that much. Hancock is a perfect example, he is a drunk bum that no one likes all that much, but he saves lives. At one point people demand Hancock stop his "heroics" because he causes more destruction that he does good. Once he quits crime goes up and the people realize that they need him in order to be safe. In that way, all of the bad things heroes cause are counterbalanced by all the things they do to help their society. This is similar to Hercules, he does some pretty despicable things, but the amount of good he does is so important people tend to turn their back on the bad things he has done.
Problematic Hero
Cole Macgrath from the first two installments in the infamous video games series is a prime example of a problematic hero in the modern era. A bike courier turned super hero must save his city from the effects of a mysterious bomb which detonated in the city, giving him electric powers in the process. The people of the city despise Cole and he has the choice to murder anyone in the city with a pulse of his lightning if he so desires. Even if he harms a few innocent lives in his path, he stays true to his goal to save the city from the clutches of true evil. Also, it turns out that a future version of himself appears in the present and terrorizes the city to make the present day Cole "stronger." Cole can be seen as a villain here, but the present day Cole defeats his future self, saving the city for the time being. There are many types of heroes and today we still follow similar characters from the times of Ancient Greece.
Problematic Hero
Your Fave is Problematic
And we wouldn't have it any other way. I think that we as an audience like having flawed heroes because it humanizes them and enables us to identify with them. It's hard for viewers to do so with a hero who is underdeveloped or perceived to be perfect. However, this can make for some interesting character development if the too-perfect characters display a different side to them or have it revealed that something happened to them that made them pretend to be perfect.
Dumbledore is a great example of a deeply flawed character who already went through character development by the time we meet him. He was the most brilliant student Hogwarts had ever seen, but he was the son of a broken family; his sister Ariana was rendered mentally, emotionally, and magically unstable due to an attack by Muggle boys, and his father attacked them and was sentenced to Azkaban. Upon graduating he intended to leave his family, but his mother was killed by Ariana's magic, making him the family head. Deeply resentful of the situation, he felt his talent was wasted.
This hunger for recognition would eventually backfire on him when he met Gellert Grindelwald, a wizard his own age who also possessed remarkable talent. He became "fascinated" by Gellert's ideas of "wizarding domination", seeing it as a second chance to "show off his own talent", but when they were about to leave together his brother Aberforth confronted him over his neglect of Ariana. Grindelwald in response inflicted the Cruciatus Curse on him; a duel erupted between the three of them, and Ariana was killed in the crossfire. Grindelwald fled, leaving Dumbledore behind.
Fortunately, Grindelwald's retreat made Dumbledore come to realize that "power was his weakness and temptation" and thus did not actively search for it, making him a deeply flawed hero who is ultimately likable.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Modern Heroes
I would argue that today we have a very similar concept of the heroic. I think that we like characters that have flaws and make questionable choices because this humanizes them. I also think that this works in extreme cases. Hercules killed innocent people, like his wife, though his actions were excused in a way due to his madness. Characters that are not black-and-white and have some moral ambiguity to them are interesting. I am thinking of Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who starts out her story as an innocent girl but quickly makes some questionable life decisions as she grows up. Still, as an audience we root for Buffy, whether her actions are 'good' or 'bad', because we have decided that she is our hero, so we support her and want her to succeed even when she makes some bad or violent choices.
Heroes With Flaws
There are definitely characters in modern stories that have done horrible things yet are still considered heroic. Three examples off the top of my head come from different modern BBC shows. In the 2005 series of Doctor Who, the Doctor struggles with a very tumultuous past and struggles to be good in the present. Viewers quickly learn that the Doctor caused the unfortunate destruction of his entire race and also observe his character commit some not-too-kind actions. Yet we as viewers still root for the Doctor as he goes on his world-saving escapades and love and adore him in all his incarnations. In another BBC show, Merlin, its titular character starts out as a happy-go-lucky and can-do-no-wrong character. As the show progresses, however, Merlin's character grows darker as he makes bad and perhaps even cruel choices. Despite these flaws, his character is much beloved and it is still clear he is the hero of the show. In Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes can sometimes be rather insensitive and cruel to those who care about him. Yet as soon as he lets a moment of kindness slip past or starts brilliantly solving crimes viewers adore him. While these characters have their flaws and have done bad things, they are good overall, and this is what makes them heroes. Knowing that great heroes can be such despite having faults is a comfort to audiences, making them feel that they too can be heroic despite their own personal flaws. As long as goodness is in the majority or there is some overarching redeeming quality, we can have heroes in our society that are not perfect.
Heroic Problems
An example i think of is from the video game The Last of Us. In the video game it is a post-apocalyptic earth where zombies run around and the last of the human race try to live and survive. The main characters are Joel, an older man, and Ellie, a young girl who is not his daughter. In order to survive the world the duo have to kill zombies and looters alike. Ellie is immune to the disease and the plot is taking her from Boston to Colorado to scientists who will use her as the cure. In the game the player becomes very emotionally attached to both characters and we seem them as the heroes of the story to save mankind. Also not to mention they are both badass characters who can kill, but also have a very sensitive side to them. Both do terrible things though and kill and murder other humans. Though in the end, Ellie has to die in order for the scientists to extract the cure from her. The interesting part as Joel goes in and saves her and takes her away from the operating table and laboratory. To some Joel is seen as the hero as he saves his adopted daughter from death and takes her to a settlement to live in a somewhat peaceful area. Though it can be seen as an anti-hero who is selfish and only wants him to be happy because he lies to Ellie that the scientists are not searching for the cure anymore. In the end one has to decide on what is heroic or not.
Who is a Hero?
If we want to see a depiction of a sometimes misguided hero look no further than The Eagle (starring the one and only Channing Tatum). Throughout the film we see many different rather horrific acts all done in the name of honor and Rome two things rarely questioned in film. In fact in The Eagle and other Roman war movies of its kind that kind of violent behavior is praised and rewarded. Also another possibly questionable hero is Elsa because even though it is never directly stated that people are dying winter does kill people and she does set off a winter people are vastly unprepared for. Finally there is The Black Widow aka Natasha Romanov ex Russian spy with a bad past. Her horrible past deeds are eluded to in a way that lets the audience know they are too horrible to speak of.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Problematic Heroes
Jack Reacher in the movie; Jack Reacher as well as in the novels is a problematic hero. Although he is fighting crime and taking down criminals, he is killing a lot of people while doing it and in some disturbing ways. He goes after these criminals without acknowledging the law.
James Bond is also like Jack Reacher. Even though he works for England's secret service and has a "license to kill". A lot of the times he kills even though he doesn't need to. He also doesn't like to listen to authority and goes off the grid.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Problematic Heroes
The Silver Surfer from Marvel is a prime example of a problematic hero. In order to save his home planet from destruction, he roams the cosmos in search of suitable planets for Galactus to consume. In the eyes of his people, the Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) is a true hero that saved his people. In the eyes of others, however, the Silver Surfer is but a minion at the hands of a treacherous villain.
Batman is another example of a problematic hero. In the 1940s comics, Batman commits some very brutal murders, including hanging a mental patient from the Batplane (according to cracked.com). It is evident in modern films through his brutal handling of felons that Batman has a low value of life and will go through all costs for the benefit of the greater good.
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