Hercules, disney vs. actual myth?

Question

did disney do a good job @ depicting the actual myth in the movie??? y/how or y/how not??

Answer 1

It's a Disney movie and so like most Disney movies it has very little to do with the original subject matter.

Like Americo G already mentioned, Hera was not Hercules mother, in fact she hated him and tried to kill him several times.

Hercules' name is Latin, yet everyone else in the movie has their Greek names. Hercules' Greek name was Heracles.

Hades was not an evil god, although he did do evil things from time to time. Unlike later Abraham inspired religions the Greek gods were both good and evil instead of being exclusively one or the other. Hades was no more evil or good than Zeus or any other gods.

The Titans depicted in the film were nothing like that. They were in fact just like the Olympian gods themselves, and many of the Olympians had Titan counterparts. Poseidon had Oceanus, Apollo had Hyperion, Zeus had Cronos and his grandfather Oranos. The Titans had been dethroned when Zeus and his siblings began their rule of Olympus and thus the Titans were banished to Tartarus, the prison depicted in the film. Hades would NOT want to free them, doing so would mean his rule of the underworld, as gloomy as it was, would come to an end. Also he had as much a part in banishing them to Tartarus as Zeus did.

Like I said, it's a Disney film and while it is based around the mythology, it has very little if any continuity with the real legends. Enjoy the liberal interpretation of the movie, but if you want the real myths look elsewhere.

Answer 2

Myth means vague historical perception.

Disney can do just about anything and not be too far wrong because there is no definite proof Hercules was real.

Answer 3

XD I love the Disney movie, but it's actually 98% inaccurate in it's depiction of Hercules (Heracles being his actual Greek name, for starters) life.

First of all, Hera WAS married to Zeus in Greek mythology (1% right) but Hercules was NOT her son- Zeus was always cheating on her and she hated it.  After Hercules was born SHE sent two snakes to kill him in his crib (not Hades) but Hercules strangled them.  Hercules was born on Earth and not on Mt. Olympus; but he did want to go to Mt. Olympus to live.  Hades (his father's brother) had absolutely no problem with him at all, but Hera set up 12 trials that Hercules had to face before he could be reunited with the gods on Mt. Olympus.  These 12 trials included killing monsters (such as the Nemian lion) and other ardous tasks which are not at all included in the Disney movie.  Eventually Hercules succeded in these tasks (with no help whatsoever from Pegasus or a satyr named Philocetes) and was brought to Mt. Olympus, where he and Hera finally reconciled their hatred.  Hercules DID have a wife named Megara or something similar (Another 1% correct), but he accidentally killed her in a fit of rage (I think he was attacked by a poisonous insect or something; afraid I can't remember).  Anyway, his second wife KILLED him (not quite Disney material) when she gave him the poisoned blood of a centuar that Hercules had killed (the centuar had lied and said his blood would make Hercules madly in love with her).

So yeah, great movie, the Disney version, but highly inaccurate.  :D  Hope this helps; good question!

Answer 4

It was completely wrong. Just a few exemples:

The Myth:

Hercules was son of Zeus and Alcmene (a nymph)

Disney:

Hercules was son of Zeus and his wife Hera

The myth:

Hercules main antagonist was Hera, wife of Zeus

Disney:

Hercules main antagonist was Pluto

Myth:

Pegasus was ridden by Belerofonte (a different heroe, in a different myth)

Disney:

Pegasus was ridden by Hercules

Answer 5

Just a note, that girl Hercules ends up with in the movie. Later Hera sends a fit of rage on him, and, while he's out of his mind, he kills her and their children.

Also, the Greek name for Hercules (to match the Greek names for all the gods and goddesses that were used) is Heracles.

Answer 6

it had the basic idea but I thought that it wasn't really that accurate. the myth of hercules is more serious and less bright and cheery and happy (as depicted in the movie). Plus it's not as funny.

Answer 7

sort of they added in alot of things to make it appropriate for kids and more humorous

Answer 8

Hercules, he's strong

Other than that pretty much nothing.