Heracles a'k'a' Hercules

1
Chapter 22

• Heracles (a.k.a. Hercules)

2
Heracles

• Whats in a name?
• Alcides (descendant of Alceus) called Heracles
  by oracle
• Heracles glory of Hera
• Heracles may have been envisioned at some time
  as consort for goddess -- he must prove himself,
  and overcome death
• in classical literature, he is a hero beset by
  Hera

3
Hercules Unusual Birth Youth

• Zeus special long night of lovin
• Alcmena gives birth to twins, Iphicles
  (Amphitryons son) and Hercules (Zeus boy)
• Heras special rattles
• Hercules schooling
• using his music teacher, Linus, as a percussion
  instrument

4
Hercules character

• as Olive Oyl said of Bluto, hes large
• upsize that, please!
• quick temper
• great loyalty
• great patience
• Prodicus (c. 400 BCE) and the Choice of
  Hercules or Hercules at the Crossroads

5
Me, Myself Megara

• What of Hercules murderous assault on Megara and
  the kids?
• Euripides Heracles (Maiomenos)
• Madness caused by outside influence
• Theseus stands by Hercules as friend and tells
  him that he must overcome his troubles

6
Hercules Labors (athloi)

• Whats an athlos (cf. athletics)
• Means of redemption for killing his family (in
  some versions)
• Branch out from Peloponnese
• A few labors
• Nemean Lion
• Lernaean Hydra
• Augean Stables
• Cerberus

7
Hercules Death

• Sophocles Trachinian Women
• Deianira (suffering wife 2)
• Iole (Hs current flame)
• The smoking jacket enhanced by Nessus
• Hercules cremated -- mortality burned away
• wife 3 -- Hebe

8
What are we to make of Hercules?

• Master of animals?
• Large folk hero (a la Paul Bunyan)?
• Example of Stoic fortitude?
• WWF predecessor?

9
What of Nachleben?

• Seen as Christlike by some (e.g. Milton -- Hs
  victory over Antaeus likened to Christ v.
  Tempter)
• Spenser in Fairie Queene uses him as example of
  justice virtue
• Appears as adventurer Harcourt-Reilly in T.S.
  Eliots The Cocktail Party adapted from
  Euripides Alcestis

10
What of Nachleben?

• Ezra Pounds adaptation of Sophocles Trachiniae
  -- The Women of Trachis
• Robert Graves Hercules, My Shipmate (novel about
  Argonauts)
• Jean Giraudoux Amphitryon 38

11
What of Nachleben (in movies or on TV)?

• Hercules Hercules Unchained (w/ Steve Reeves)
• Jason and the Argonauts
• Hercules shorts (Translux studios)
• Hercules in the comics (Marvels Thor and the
  Avengers)
• Hercules Hercules II (w/ Lou Ferrigno)

12
What of Nachleben (in movies or on TV)?

• Hercules the Legendary Journeys (w/ Kevin Sorbo)
• Disneys Hercules
• Wishbone as Hercules
• Bill Murray as Hercules (from SNL)
• Watch out for Hercules imitations (e.g. Maciste).