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Examining Greek Mythology Through the Lenses of [Disney’s] Hercules (1997)
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Introduction
History holds immense value to today’s society. Studying and understanding history
offers valuable insights by serving as a mirror depicting the successes and mistakes of prior
societies (Black et al., 2016). Such knowledge can allow individuals to navigate contemporary
challenges successfully (Black et al., 2016). Technological advancements combined with human
ingenuity have significantly transformed how people study and interact with history, especially
those belonging to ancient societies. Films and documentaries, in particular, are being leveraged
to not only entertain audiences but also share vital pieces of historical events that helped shape
today’s society. Numerous films and documentaries have explored Greek mythology over the
years. Of these films, Disney’s Hercules (1997) stands out the most for its depiction of classical
Greek mythology. It is an animated film sharing the story of the Greek hero Hercules growing up
and being trained, turning into a hero, fighting villains and evil, falling in love with Megara, and
fighting and defeating the evil god Hades (Musker & Clements, 1997). However, since the film
is a Disney adaptation, it is inadvertently plagued by historical inaccuracies, from the story of
Hercules, his parentage, the roles played by certain gods, as well as the timeline of the Greek
myth (Musker & Clements, 1997). Some of these alterations are understandable, such as the
elimination of key themes of murder and rape from the original myths (Musker & Clements,
1997). Despite this, other alterations are not only unnecessary but might also result in audiences
misunderstanding Hercules’s myth. Even though Disney’s Hercules tries to be informative, it
shares the story of a generic Ancient Greece, with numerous instances of mythological, setting
and time period, as well as historical and cultural context inaccuracies.
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Brief Overview of Disney’s Hercules (1997)
Hercules is an American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature and directed by
John Musker and Ron Clements. As intimated in the introductory part of the paper, the film
shares the story of Hercules (voiced by Tate Donovan), Megara (voiced by Susan Egan),
Philoctes (voiced by Danny DeVito), and Hades (voiced by James Woods) (Musker & Clements,
1997). The film is inspired by Greek mythology and shares the story of Hercules, Zeus’s son,
whose mortality is stripped away from him as a baby, forcing Hercules to grow up on Earth as a
mortal (Musker & Clements, 1997). Despite this, Hercules is depicted as being determined to
reclaim his immortality as well as his place on Mount Olympus (home of the gods) (Musker &
Clements, 1997). Hercules goes on a heroic journey riddled with numerous challenges, making
friends, falling in love, and discovering his true identity in the process (Musker & Clements,
1997).
Analysis of the Historical Inaccuracies in Disney’s Hercules (1997)
Mythological Inaccuracies
Hercules contains multiple elements from Greek mythology, such as the Twelve Labors
of Hercules. However, it significantly facilitates and modernizes the stories, considering many
elements and intricacies of Greek mythology are overlooked or changed. One of these notable
alterations is Hercules’ parentage. According to Greek mythology, Zeus was taken aback by
Queen Alcmene’s beauty (Falkner, 2020). However, Queen Alcmene was married to King
Amphitryon of Thebes. As such, when King Amphitryon went to war, Zeus exploited this
opportunity by assuming King Amphitryon’s human form to sleep with Queen Alcmene
(Falkner, 2020). This interaction resulted in Queen Alcmene becoming pregnant with Hercules.
When King Amphitryon returned from the war and discovered that his wife, Queen Alcmene,
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was pregnant, he deduced that she had been unfaithful to him during his absence (Falkner, 2020).
However, Zeus intervened before King Amphitryon punished Queen Alcmene for this misdeed,
revealing the truth to him that Zeus was responsible for the pregnancy (Falkner, 2020). Based on
this description, one can deduce that Hercules is a child born out of infidelity. Even though
Disney’s Hercules accurately depicts Hercules as the child of Zeus, it incorrectly paints his
mother as Hera (Zeus’s legitimate wife) rather than his illegitimate son with Queen Alcmene
(Musker & Clements, 1997). Since the film’s main audience is children, this deviation from the
original Greek mythology’s conceptualization of Hercules’s parentage can be attributed to the
filmmakers’ desire to simplify the narrative for this young audience. Furthermore, Disney’s
animated films have always tried to advance traditional family values. Due to this, depicting
Hercules as Zeus’s and Hera’s legitimate child allows the filmmakers to get rid of the
complexities associated with Zeus’s numerous affairs as well as Hera’s vengeful nature in the
original myths (Musker & Clements, 1997). Accurately depicting this might undermine the
traditional family values Disney emphasizes via its films.
Besides this, another inaccuracy stems from the film’s depiction of Hades. Greek
mythology paints Hades as a pretty passive character responsible for maintaining balance in the
universe (Arthimalla, 2023). Furthermore, he is depicted as possessing a cold exterior, strictly
complying with laws, and expecting his subjects to do the same thing (Arthimalla, 2023). As the
god of the underworld, Hades’s main duty was governing dead souls and, thus, did not pay a lot
of attention to what was happening outside the underworld. Due to this, Hades spent a significant
amount of time making sure his subjects did not escape the underworld (Arthimalla, 2023).
However, Disney’s Hercules significantly deviates from this characterization of Hades,
portraying him as an evil, dark character preying on innocent lives and enticing them into the
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underworld (Musker & Clements, 1997). Furthermore, Hades is also depicted as a villain who is
conspiring to overthrow Zeus and rule over Mount Olympus (Musker & Clements, 1997). This
alteration can be attributed to the filmmakers’ desire to maintain Disney’s traditional storyline
characterized by a clearly discernible hero-villain dynamic. As such, casting Hades as Zeus’s
antagonist allowed the filmmakers to present a compelling and easily discernible villain for the
film. Furthermore, giving Hades a darker role in the film added a layer of conflict and urgency to
the plot by giving Hercules a formidable rival to overcome (Musker & Clements, 1997). This
deviation is consistent with Disney’s storytelling approach, characterized by a hero overcoming
external obstacles that a primary antagonist frequently embodies.
Besides this, another mythological inaccuracy is altering and omitting many of the darker
aspects of Hercules’s myth. One such aspect is the Twelve Labors. According to the myth,
Hercules married Megara, the daughter of the king of Thebes, and they had children (Falkner,
2020). However, in a fit of madness that was triggered by the vengeful goddess Hera, Hercules
killed Megara and his children (Falkner, 2020). After realizing what he had done, Hercules
consulted the oracle at Delphi and was asked to become King Eurystheus’s servant as atonement.
King Eurystheus then assigned Hercules 12 labors or tasks that he should perform to complete
his atonement (Falkner, 2020). Disney’s Hercules omits Hercules’s gruesome backstory, opting
instead to focus on his heroic deeds and journey toward self-discovery (Musker & Clements,
1997). By omitting this backstory, the filmmakers wanted to maintain the film’s family-friendly
nature and tone while also adhering to Disney’s dedication to offering wholesome entertainment
and content. As such, excluding themes such as murder and rape allows Disney to provide
family-friendly content and refrain from showing more mature themes that might confuse or
disturb younger viewers (Musker & Clements, 1997). Essentially, by portraying Hercules as a
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naïve, well-intentioned character who is driven by a strong sense of justice, the film tries to paint
him as a more relatable and sympathetic protagonist for its primary audience (family and
children). This steers younger audiences from the morally ambiguous nature of Hercules’s
original myth.
Setting and Time Period Inaccuracies
The Disney film “Hercules” is set in a fictionalized old Greece; however, it doesn’t hold
back anything. It consolidates components of traditional Greece with a more contemporary,
mainstream society feel, highlighting gospel music and behind-the-times references. Based on
this, Disney’s Hercules filmmakers took significant artistic liberties when developing the film,
especially when it comes to the setting and time period of Hercules’s myth. Doing this created a
fantastical depiction of Ancient Greece that blends aspects of the classical era with modern
influences. One notable setting inaccuracy was the filmmakers’ anachronistic use of gospel
music within the film’s soundtrack (Musker & Clements, 1997). Music was a vital part of the
texture and pattern of Greek life (Franklin, 2020). It was often played during religious festivals,
marriages, funerals, as well as banquet gatherings (Franklin, 2020). However, the roots of gospel
music can be traced to African American religious traditions. Furthermore, since this music
genre appeared centuries after ancient Greece, it does not have any historical link to this classical
era and, thus, was incorrectly used in the film. Despite this, using gospel music serves several
practical and creative purposes (Musker & Clements, 1997). Doing this adds to the film’s unique
and eclectic style, thereby making it more enjoyable for modern, younger audiences. As such, the
filmmakers sought to create an entertaining and timeless narrative instead of strictly being
historically accurate.
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Besides this, another prominent deviation within the film is its inconsistent depiction of
clothing, architecture, and art from this classical era. The nature and designs of ancient Greek
clothing are derived from studying vases and sculptures depicting ancient upper-class Greeks
(Mark, 2021). Classical Greek attire was draped and characterized by minimal sewing (Mark,
2021). Additionally, men and women wore similar garments that consisted of oblong fabric
pieces of varying sizes and materials that were draped in multiple ways and held in place by
decorative pins and ribbons (Mark, 2021). Even though Disney’s Hercules tries to showcase this
ancient Greek clothing, characters wear clothes combining elements from varying periods, often
featuring more stylized and modern designs that are partially inaccurate (Musker & Clements,
1997). Ancient Greeks categorized their architectural styles into three main categories. The first
one was the Doric style (Backman, 2019). It was predominantly used in Mainland Greece and is
evident from structures such as the Parthenon (Backman, 2019). The second architectural style
was the Iconic style (Backman, 2019). It was predominantly used in Eastern Greece. Despite
being thinner than the Doric style, the Iconic style was more elegant (Backman, 2019). This style
was used to construct the Erechtheum Acropolis in Athens as well as the Temple of Didyma in
Turkey. The Corinthian style is the third architectural style used in Ancient Greece (Backman,
2019). It was also an elaborate style, and it is depicted in the Temple of Zeus, Athens. The
ancient Greek architecture depicted in Disney’s Hercules reflects a mishmash of various
architectural styles (Musker & Clements, 1997). Specifically, the film incorporates elements of
the classical architectural styles described above (classical Greek columns) alongside more
contemporary and whimsical structures (Musker & Clements, 1997). This blending of varying
artistic and historical styles within the film’s setting can be perceived as a deliberate move by the
filmmakers to improve its visual appeal and create a more fantastical atmosphere. By presenting
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a stylized and engaging version of Ancient Greece instead of a strict historical depiction, the
filmmakers sought to capture viewers’ imagination, especially the younger audiences (Musker &
Clements, 1997). This strategy aligns with Disney’s tendency to create stylized and imaginative
content that prioritizes storytelling and audience engagement over historical accuracy.
Historical and Cultural Context Inaccuracies
The Disney film is a result of late twentieth-century American mainstream society, and it
integrates references, humor, and visual styles that are distant from the verifiable and social
setting of old Greece and Rome. In line with this, it would be reasonable to deduce that
filmmakers took considerable liberties with their depictions of the cultural and historical aspects
of ancient Greece and Rome. A notable deviation that illustrates this is the portrayal of Megara’s
character (Musker & Clements, 1997). Women in ancient Greece are often depicted as being
submissive, controlled, and domestic (Seitkasimova, 2020). In addition, they were expected to
play secondary or supportive roles to men, who were often demanding and expected women to
follow their wishes and directives (Seitkasimova, 2020). Disney’s Hercules alters this image of
women and their roles in ancient Greece. Specifically, the film portrays Megara as an
independent and strong-willed woman, departing from the more submissive and domestic role
that women typically played in ancient Greek society (Musker & Clements, 1997). This
deviation can be attributed to the filmmaker’s desire to align the film with the evolving societal
norms and expectations that characterized the 20th century. Feminist movements played a major
role in changing societal perceptions of the place and role of women in society by encouraging
women to become more empowered and self-reliant. Such external influences pushed the
filmmakers to portray Megara as an independent and strong-willed woman to inspire younger
female audiences to assume similar traits.
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Conclusion
The Disney film Hercules offers a cutting-edge, animated depiction of Greek folklore.
However, it should be valued as an imaginative work of fiction as opposed to a verifiable or
fancifully exact portrayal of old Greece or the Roman Domain. As demonstrated in the paper, the
filmmakers took substantial artistic liberties to create content that appeals to a large audience,
including children. Due to this, they made various alterations to maintain Disney’s tradition of
producing and disseminating family-friendly content. As such, by simplifying complicated
mythological themes and relationships, the filmmakers made the Hercules story more compelling
and digestible for younger audiences.
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References
Arthimalla, J. (2023). Rescripting of the Genre Through Greek Mythology in Hades. Games and
Culture, 15554120231170140.
Backman, C.R. (2019). Cultures of the West: A History, Volume 1: To 1750 (3rd ed.). Oxford
University Press.
Black, J., MacRaild, D. M., Black, J., & MacRaild, D. M. (2016). Studying history (pp. 167187). Macmillan Education UK.
Falkner, D. E. (2020). The Legend of Hercules. In The Mythology of the Night Sky (pp. 119-131).
Springer, Cham.
Franklin, J. C. (2020). Ancient Greek Music and the Near East. A Companion to Ancient Greek
and Roman Music, 229-241.
Mark, J.J. (2021, July 13). Ancient Greek Clothing. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/20/ancient-greek-clothing/
Musker, J. (Director), & Clements, R. (Director). (1997). Hercules [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures,
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Seitkasimova, Z. A. (2020). Status of women in ancient Greece. Open Journal for
Anthropological Studies, 3(2).
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