The Legend of Hercules

Sully, Santiago, Dayyana, Jackson, Aneesh

Hercules is best known as the strongest of all mortals. Stronger

than many gods. So strong he was the deciding factor in

allowing the Olympians to win their battle with the Giants. He

was the last mortal son of Zeus. He is the only man born of

mortal woman to become a god upon his death.

Circumstances of Birth

• Born In Thebes.• Son of Zeus and Alcmene.• Stepfather is Amphitryon• Half Brother is Iphicles.

Infancy

• His Strength started showing when he was an infant. Two Snakes tried to attack him and his brother Iphicles while they were sleeping, but Hercules strangled the Snakes.

Mental Strength

• He didn’t realize he had this much power.• Wasn’t bothered by killing people.• Can challenge Gods and Win.• Hercules was Boundless and Careless but he

did have a sense of right and wrong.

Physical Strength

• Strongest man who ever lived.• Used to kill people.• Hercules used his Physical Strength to

complete the 12 Labors.

Stupidty

• Deficient in Intelligence and Patience.• Wanted to kill himself because of this.• Emotional and Careless.• Refuses to see what's wrong with what he did.

Romance

• Hercules marries Princess Megara. They later had 3 Children. Hera used magic to make Hercules kill his wife and 3 Children.

• After realizing that he messed up he tries to kill himself but Theseus told him not to.

• To make up for what he has done he completes the 12 Labors.

12 Labors• 1. Kill the Lion of Nemea. He did

so by “Choking the life out of it”. He then carried the body to Mycenae. Eurystheus was being cautious so he told Hercules what to do from a distance.

• 2. Go to Lerna and kill the Hydra which has 9 Heads. Iolaus helped him by bringing him a burning brand so the heads wouldn’t grow back when he cut one off.

• 3. Had to bring a stag with gold horns to Artemis. Took a year to complete because it had to be alive.

• 4. Captured a boar that lived on Mount Erymanthus. Did this by trapping the beast in the snow.

• 5. Had to clean the Augean Stables. The stables contained thousands of cattle and there stables haven't been cleaned out in a long time. In order for Hercules to do this by himself he had to divert two rivers and make them run through the stables.

• 6. Get rid of the Stymphalian Birds. Helped by Athena and when they flew up he shot them.

• 7. Go to Crete and get the Bull that Poseidon gave to Minos.

• 8. Go and get the King Diomede of Thrace. He then had to kill Diomedes

• 9. Bring back the girdle of Hippolyta. The Queen of the Amazons.

• 10. Bring back the cattle of Geryon. The beast had 3 bodies and it lived on Erythia. On his way there he made a memorial and he named two rocks pillars of Hercules.

• 11. Get the Golden Apples of the Hesperides. Atlas retrieved the apples for him and was going to deliver them but he had to hold up the sky.

• 12. Had to free Theseus from the Chair of Forgetfulness. Then her had to bring a 3 headed dog names Cerberus up from Hades. He also could only use his hands. He then had to return the monster to Hades.

• When Nessus was dying he told Hercules’ new wife Deianira to take his blood and use it if Hercules ever loved someone besides her. Deianira thought that he was in love with Iole so she decided to put potion in is robe which caused him to be in pain. The only way to relieve this pain would be for him to kill himself. So he and a group of followers went to Mount Oeta and laid him over a material that is flammable. He then asked Philoctetes to set the wood on fire.

Major Archetypes

• The River Archetype in Hercules brought something clean and new to the story. When the water cleaned out the Stables. It seemed as if they got brand new stables for the Cattle

• The Island Archetype represented isolation because Hercules had to capture the Cattle of Geryon. It seemed as if it was by itself on the Island.

Major Archetypes

• Hercules represents the Hero archetype because throughout the story he goes through separation and self-sacrifice. He went through the separation of his wife and children because he killed them. In the end he sacrificed himself in order to finally pay back for what he has done.

• Deianira would be the Shrew because she went to extreme measures to make sure Hercules didn’t love another woman.

Major Archetypes

• Hercules completed the 12 Labors because he felt guilty that he killed his wife and children. The Archetype that relates to this would Guilt and Redemption.

• Hera would be the Villain in the story because she is the one that put the curse on Hercules.

• The Archetype that the Gods represent in the story would be Supernatural Intervention. In the story the Gods tried to help and stop him from doing evil things. One of the Gods that tried to help him would be Hera.

Lesson

Once you acknowledge your strength don’t let it get out of hand. Learn how to handle what you know you are capable of doing.

‘’After his mighty labors he has rest.His choicest prize eternal peace.Within the homes of blessedness’’.