Monday, October 31, 2016
A Problematic Hero
Hercules is a very problematic hero because of his curse from Hera. He ends up saving a lot of lives but because of this curse he ends up killing his wife and children, and hurting many other people without any consequences. Heroes being immune to backlash is a common occurrence in epics and stories, but it still shows that Hercules was not all he was talked up to be. The fact that Hera cursed him at his birth, because she didn't want him to be born, reminds me of the movie Ella Enchanted, even though she isn't a hero, she is also cursed when she is born and has to overcome this. If i were to compare Hercules to a superhero though, Spiderman comes closest because, even though his heart is in the right place and he ends up saving people, he causes destruction everywhere and gets away with it.
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There was some backlash to Heracles actions. He spent a year as a slave to get rid of the madness Hera cursed him with. Heracles willingly spent a year in slavery to be less of a danger to those closest to him. I'd say a year in slavery is quite a consequence. He did deserve a lot more than that for some of his crimes. His accomplishments though probably swayed the feelings of many people as well. It also would be a lot less interesting of a myth if Heracles was killed right away before he could go on and complete his twelve tasks.
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