Greek Mythology in Modern Movies By Neil Shahdadpuri

Objective Over the last few decades, many Hollywood movies have relied heavily on the influence of Greek mythology. These myths have made an impact on modern culture and continue to have a powerful impact in Hollywood today. The following presentation demonstrates how Greek mythology is still incorporated into modern movies through direct and indirect relationships.

Direct and Indirect Relationships Direct Relationships: The examples of “Hercules” and “Clash of the Titans” portray the Greek Gods as themselves, incorporating the Gods’ real names and prominent characteristics into the plots. Indirect Relationships: The examples of the “Little Mermaid” and “The Lion King” create their characters relying on Greek influence but don’t necessarily make references to Greek mythology.

Direct Relationships - Hercules “Hercules” (1997): Ron Clements and John Musker Plot: The son of Zeus, Hercules, is turned into half- god and half-mortal by Hades, God of the Underworld, who plans to overthrow Zeus. Hercules is raised as a human on Earth, but he retains his God-like strength; however, when he discovers his immortal heritage, Zeus tells Hercules that in order to return to Mount Olympus he must become a true hero. Hercules becomes this true hero with the help of his friend Pegasus and his personal trainer, Phil, the satyr. Hercules battles monsters, Hades, and the Titans, but he sacrifices himself to rescue his one true love, Meg.

Direct Relationships - Hercules Greek Mythology: “Hercules” is based on the Greek hero, Heracles, who is known as the strongest of mortals and the only man born of a mortal woman that became a God upon his death. Heracles was known as a “muscle bound buffoon,” with his pride easily offended. He wasn’t very intelligent and got into trouble frequently since he was an emotional man, which are prominent characteristics of Hercules. Heracles was his harshest critic, and during his self-inflicted punishments, he learned patience, fortitude, and endurance that are all considered heroic qualities just as his strength. Terrible things happen to Heracles because of Hera's hatred, a hatred that he was not responsible for, which is similar to the hatred of Hercules by Hades in the movie.

Direct Relationships - Clash of the Titans “Clash of the Titans” (2010): Louis Leterrier Plot: Princess Andromeda, daughter of King Cepheus, gained a victory against the Gods, but the vengeful God of the Underworld, Hades, demands that Andromeda must be offered as a sacrifice. Otherwise, he will unleash the Kraken against Argos. A desperate King Cepheus asks Perseus, a demi-god, to find a way to defeat the Kraken. Perseus accepts the challenge primarily because Hades was responsible for his family's death. He discovers that the way to kill the Kraken is by getting the head of the Gorgon Medusa.

Direct Relationships - Clash of the Titans Greek Mythology: “Clash of the Titans” is based on the story of Perseus. Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae. Danae's father, King Acrisius, sent Danae and her son adrift on the sea because of a prophecy that Perseus would kill him. The two were taken in by Polydectes, the king of Seriphus. Polydectes later fell in love with Danae, but was unable to force his attentions on her because Perseus had grown to be her protector. To get rid of Perseus, Polydectes sent him on a quest to bring back the head of the Gorgon Medusa, a snake-haired maiden who turned all who saw her into stone, which was portrayed in the “Clash of the Titans”. He got her head and turned Polydectes into stone.

Indirect Relationships - The Little Mermaid “The Little Mermaid” (1989): Ron Clements and John Musker Plot: Ariel, the youngest daughter of King Triton, is dissatisfied with her life in the sea. She yearns to be with the humans above the surface and is often caught in arguments with her father over the humans, whom are also known as the "barbaric fish-eaters". Ariel falls in love with Prince Eric, a human. She meets with Ursula, the Sea Witch, to strike a deal so she can be with Eric, but Ursula tries to meddle in Ariel’s love life. In the end, Ariel and Eric find their happy ending together.

Indirect Relationships - The Little Mermaid Greek Mythology: In “The Little Mermaid”, Ursula is like the Greek Goddess Medusa because Medusa is portrayed as the evil enemy in many Greek myths. Medusa is known for having snakes as her hair that turn people into stone. In the Little Mermaid, Ursula is represented as an octopus, with eight tentacles that are snake-like. Among other similarities, King Triton is the God of the Sea in the Little Mermaid, and Poseidon is the God of the Sea in Greek mythology. Both use a trident as their weapon of choice, and they have the similar physical characteristics, such as their white beard.

Indirect Relationships - The Lion King “The Lion King” (1994): Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff Plot: A young lion prince, Simba, is born in Africa, thus making his uncle, Scar, the second in line to the throne. Scar plots with his “friends”, the hyenas, to kill King Mufasa and Prince Simba, so he can finally make himself King. Mufasa is killed. Simba is now led to believe that he was to blame for his father’s death by Scar, and he flees the Kingdom in shame. Scar becomes the new King of Pride Rock. After years of exile, Simba is persuaded to return home to overthrow Scar and claim the kingdom as his own to complete the "Circle of Life".

Indirect Relationships - The Lion King Greek Mythology: “The Lion King” shows the succession of the family throne from father to son. When Mufasa dies, Simba comes back to rule over the Kingdom just like his father. The Greek Gods also exhibit such a family succession in a few myths. For example, when Cronus is killed by his son, Zeus, Zeus becomes the King of the Olympians, effectively taking over Cronus’ position. Though both, Mufasa and Cronus, have different causes of death, they were both succeeded by their sons, Simba and Zeus, serving as the new Kings in their respectful Kingdoms.

Closing As portrayed in the direct and indirect relationships in this presentation, Greek mythology has a strong influence in many modern movies. The Greek Gods and their stories were adventurous and sometimes outrageous, but the myths always related back to an aspect of Greek life that explained more about the symbols and the culture. What other ideas can you think of in which Greek mythology relates to our present day lives?

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