Heracles as a Flawed Hero
In Greek culture, Heracles is known as the most influential of all mortals and has greater strength than other gods. Greek people believe he assisted the Olympians in overcoming the giants and was Zeus’s mortal son, the last in his line, a man born to a human woman who would arise as a god upon his death. During the hot sun, he takes his bow and arrow to shoot the sun in the sky, showing a lack of wisdom and intelligence. A hero or a god is supposed to be a wise person who guides people on the right path. Shooting the sun with an arrow shows a lack of knowledge of the sun, as no one can reach the sky. His friend and cousin Theseus rules Athens, and Heracles always gets in trouble due to strong emotions. A leader is supposed to keep his feelings in check. If a person who is a god or a hero does not control his temper, the people who respect him will lose faith in his heroism. When people in the community quarrel, he should help them to settle their disputes. A hero is a role model for people in that community, which means if he is always angry, the people around him are still going to be angry. Heracles’ pride is great, and he is easily offended, while he has an extraordinary mind and an unforgiving heart, which makes him hold grudges. To forgive and forget is essential to a person’s mental health. A hero who can’t forgive wrongs done to him cannot be a mediator when disputes arise. For a hero to stay with people, he has to equip himself with ways in which he can forget evil things, as people will keep on doing things against his wishes. A hero is required to humble himself. People despise a leader who is full of himself, and their tongues only speak curses upon him. Pride does not take a person far but brings downfall upon him. Heracles loves wine and women in a way that is equal to his strength, and his greatest deeds occur while he is doing penance for stupid acts committed when he is angry and careless (Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar, 2017).[1]
Wine and women make a hero lose a sense of himself. A leader who is immoral is a bad example to people, especially small children who aspire to follow in his footsteps. Drinking makes a person lose the ability to think straight, thus making many mistakes. Great love for women makes many men lose their path as leaders and gods to the people. A significant number of Greek comedies showed his character as a muscle-bound buffoon. People in Greece view him as a violent man who is brutal and primitive because he chooses a massive club as his weapon and a lion skin, with its head attached, as a customary garment. Heracles threatened Apollo’s priestess in Delphi when her answer was not forthcoming. Whatever a person demands and wishes for at times does not come to pass. A hero should be a patient person and not a violent person. The problems he experiences, he mostly brings upon himself. Heracles sacrifices for his friends when they have questions or are in trouble (Symonds and John, 2015) [2]. He puts himself on trial when he cools down after actions he committed in an angry state. People did not force a punishment on him; he gladly took it with courage, patience, and endurance, which shows he is a strong man. When terrible things happen that are not his fault, he overcomes them. Romans respect and value him as the hero that befits their community. In the early days, Heracles was viewed as a wrong person, but with time, people came to love and adore him. Some people in Greece worship him as a god.
Comparative Analysis
A myth is a belief of a particular community about something, for example, the Greeks’ notion of a god known as Heracles. Art is a way people express their imagination through paintings or sculpture. Literature and myth have a relation as people show their beliefs through the creation of paintings and sculptures. In Hindu communities, they have statues of gods and goddesses that they believe represent Ishvara. They make paintings and sculptures that they display on the walls of the Temple. The Hindu community worships these gods and believes that protection and good luck will come from them. This belief has existed for centuries, and even today, they still worship Ishvara. The Hindus also make these sculptures to represent their gods and goddesses in their homes to guide and give them protection.
Literature refers to items that have been published, like novels, plays, and poetry, while myths are mostly distributed in books so that the generation to come can read them. Without literature, communities’ beliefs will be lost forever. It is vital for upcoming generations to understand the origin and expectations of their ancestors. History defines where people and a country stand at a particular time. If myth is not recorded in books, the idea of firecrackers blowing on New Year’s Eve to spook away evil spirits that the Chinese value very much might be lost forever. Books last for centuries compared to the lifespan of a human being. It’s important to keep records of the community’s beliefs so that future generations can read them.
Pop culture is a short form of popular culture and gives details of young people’s tastes and the way they live, and it changes with time. The customs and practices of people vary with time, and so do their beliefs in things around them. As time passes and a new generation emerges, the way they perceive things changes. Their myth or belief changes with time as they believe they are in the later century and the past ideas are for old people. Philosophy is the understanding of theories, thoughts, or knowledge about nature, while myth is the initial thought or opinion of something that a community comes to believe. A belief in a community is influenced by a person, for example, a priest whom they trust. Theories are not proven to be true, and neither are myths (Binford and Lewis, 2014).[3]
Video games are created to entertain a person, but in a more in-depth view, the person who creates them imitates something. A person who creates video games, for example, a video game showing Heracles fighting on the battlefield, shows that communities believe Heracles is a warrior. The person who is playing the game performs to demonstrate how a hero conquered his enemies. Animations (anime) are films with characters that are not real but are drawn images like cartoons. Films are used to pass a myth or a belief to people, especially to small children, to help them understand a community’s culture.
Comics are a type of entertainment that makes people laugh. Comics are sourced mainly from novels which contain myths from different communities. Feminism refers to equal power and rights for women and men. People in different communities have different views of the place of a woman in society and believe that these views originate from community history. Queer theory refers to a study of gender, for example, sexuality; communities have different views on the sexuality of women. People practice passions that they believe go along with traditional behaviour. Performance studies refer to concerts and theatrical events. In Japan, every year, they hold an event known as Women’s Day or Obi, where women in their 20s tie a belt around their stomachs. The Japanese believe this belt protects a pregnant woman; this belief has been passed on for generations.
A myth is an integral part of every community and should be respected. Everything that people do or the way they live is related to a specific belief. Books and films are necessary to safeguard our culture and make sure it is not forgotten. A myth shows that people have come from a faraway place and serves as a reminder of our ancestors.
Bibliography
Binford, Lewis R. Bones: ancient men and modern myths. Academic Press, 2014.
d’Aulaire, Ingri, and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire. D’Aulaires book of Greek myths. Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2017.
Symonds, John Addington. Tales of Ancient Greece: A Guide to Greek Mythology. No. 1. Sen Sen Lin Quan, 2015.
d’Aulaire, Ingri, and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire. D’Aulaires book of Greek myths. Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2017. ↑
Symonds, John Addington. Tales of Ancient Greece: A Guide to Greek Mythology. No. 1. Sen Sen Lin Quan, 2015. ↑
Binford, Lewis R. Bones: ancient men and modern myths. Academic Press, 2014 ↑
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