Summary (Heracles)
Heracles is considered a half-god; of course he was the son of the gods (Zeus) and a human mother. He is equally portrayed as the strongest man who has ever lived. He showed his extraordinary force and strength with the desire to win during his early life, for instance, when he fought a snake which slithered right inside his baby cradle (Caruth, p. 1-12). However, the most saddening incident throughout his life comes after his marriage with Princes Megara with whom they got three children. Because she cannot forgive Zeus, her husband, Hera’s jealousy prompted her to make Heracles insane, a manipulation that made Heracles to murder all his three sons. He became remorseful and contemplated committing suicide but Theseus persuaded him against eliminating himself upon realizing the killings he had done. Therefore, he visited the Oracle to cleanse himself. Oracle in turn directed him to Eurystheus, who father sent him to do near impossible challenges; that of completing all his 12 labors (Caruth, p. 1-12). Heracles did indeed struggle in his battle with the labors but ultimately eliminates all of them.
Analysis
Heracles, known to be one of the most popular figures in Greece, shares similar problems with Theseus, as both men killed their sons in inadvertent circumstances. For Heracles, however, justice implies involvement in feat strength series that nearly cannot be accomplished by any mortal. Psychologically, there is a lot of sense in Heracles’ search for wisdom from the Oracle, especially at that particular time of need. He literally faced his demons in endless trial engagements for the sake of his virtue, purity. Honestly, his superhuman power and incredible strength earned him a legendary status. Nevertheless, his desire for purification, that practically drew him into battles, demonstrates his human nature other than the divine element in his being.
Additionally, his purification act tends to align him with Bellerophon, who equally accidentally murdered his brother. In both circumstances, the good will by these two heroes’ never affected their wrong actions. The case of Heracles, for instance, he never intended to kill his children. It is the bad spell which was done by her father’s jealous wife, Hera that led to those killings, and as such, the punishments he was subjected to appears, to some extent, unfair given that his wrong doings were prompted by Hera’s manipulation. However, the manner in which he accepted his fate, searched for purification, proved the humble nature of Heracles as promoted by the Greek culture.
Specific comparison to the Odyssey
Both Heracles and Odyssey had similar traits and experiences even though they slightly differed in certain ways. Odyssey, for instance, faced the wrath of the gods and the Trojan War. After several failed attempts against the Trojans, it is Odyssey who finally devised a plan of building a giant wooden horse, which they rolled to the city gates. They hide inside that ‘imaginary’ horse in pretence of surrendering and quitting the battle. Interestingly, they were waiting for darkness to dawn so that they could attack the Trojans at night. In the end, the plan by Odyssey worked out and they became successful in the war (Anderson, & Anne, p. 38-42). Heracles on the other hand, faced 12 difficult labors, in battles where he nearly died. But his brevity and desire for purification enabled him to earn his fate.
Presented cultural truth values
The cultural truth values that are presented in both the above examples include presence of morality and obedience to the gods, and moreover, the gods reward goodness and obedience but punishes wickedness and disobedience. However, even the gods themselves bow before fate during war. Again, these stories underscore the important role played by fate. Also highlighted is the existence of connections between the human spirit and the natural world.
Work Cited
Caruth, Elaine. "Hercules and Superman: The Modern-Day Mythology of the Comic Book: Some Clinical Applications." Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry 7.1 (2008): 1-12.
Anderson, Eugene M., and Anne Lucasse Shannon. "Toward a Conceptualization of Mentoring." Journal of Teacher education 39.1 (2008): 38-42.
