“Hercules” is one of Disney’s most beloved movies, with funny characters and an amazing soundtrack. The movie centers around Hercules, his friends Pegasus and Phil, and Hercules’ love interest, Megara. The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Heracles. The story is inaccurate in many aspects of his life, from his parents, to his name, and more.
His Name
In the movie the main character’s name is Hercules, which is his Roman name. The movie is set in ancient Greece, and all of the gods’ Greek names are used. With that said, it’s presumable that they should have used his Greek name, Heracles. His Greek name, which means “Glory from Hera,” he received when he killed the two snakes that Hera had sent to kill him when he was a toddler, also giving him fame all over Greece.
Hera Was Not Hercules’ Mother
In the Greek myths, Heracles’ mom is in fact Alcmene, not Hera. In the movie, Hera is Hercules’ loving mother. But in the Greek myths, Hera hated Heracles and tried to kill him when he was a toddler, and she continued to make Heracles’ life miserable. Hera hated Heracles because he was the illegitimate son of Zeus, her husband. Hera was the goddess of marriage, so it made her really angry when Zeus was not faithful to her. Hera also helped Heracles’ cousin Eurystheus come up with the idea to assign Heracles his twelve labors.
Hercules’ Parents
In the Disney movie, Hercules biological parents are Zeus and Hera, and his adoptive parents are Amphitryon and Alcmene. This is half true, as Zeus was Heracles’ dad, and Amphitryon was his adoptive father. But Hera was not Heracles’ biological mother; Alcmene was.
Heracles’ Brother
In the Greek myths, Heracles has a brother named Iphicles, but in the movie he is nowhere to be seen. Iphicles is the son of Alcmene and Amphitryon, and was never as brave or as strong as his brother Heracles. He fought at his brother’s side during battle, and eventually died in combat.
A Not-So Happily Ever After For Hercules and Meg
To start, Megara was a princess, and she did not work for Hades, the lord of the underworld. Secondly, Megara and Heracles did not have a happily ever after. In the movie however, they do; Hercules gives up immortality to stay with Meg on Earth. In the myths, Heracles is driven insane by Hera, and kills Megara and their children. Situations like these presumably don’t qualify as happily ever afters.
Heracles’ Twelve Labors
After Heracles killed his family, he went to the Oracle of Delphi for advice. The Oracle told him to go to his cousin Eurystheus, who would give him ten difficult labors to make up for killing his family. He completed many tasks, with one of them being killing the Nemean Lion. He was later assigned two more labors because two of them did not count. A few of Heracles’ labors can be spotted in the movie, but if you don’t know about the labors, you would not notice them.
Heracles was Born a Demigod
Since Alceme was Heracles mom, and Zeus was his dad, Heracles was born a demigod. When he was dying from poisoning, Zeus took pity on him and turned him into a god. Once he was a god, he became the gatekeeper of Olympus. However in the movie, Hercules is born a god, then turned into a demigod, then turned back into a god, and then into a mortal, contradicting the original myth.
There was No Phil
In the Greek myth of Heracles, there was no Phil. Heracles was never trained by anyone. As a son of Zeus, he was born a fighter. He was born brave, reckless, and strong.
Hades was Not Evil
In the movie, Hades is the villain. He longs to kill Hercules and take over Olympus. In Greek mythology, Hades is not in fact evil. It is true that he does not have a great relationship with his brother Zeus, but he respects him. Zeus even gave permission for Hades to marry his daughter.
Most of these details were left out of the movie “Hercules” to make it appropriate for young audiences. Though it is inaccurate, it is still a great movie. Disney’s “Hercules” is full of funny as well as heartbreaking moments. It shows that there is a hero within everyone, you just have to go the distance.
FAQs
While the Disney adaptation shows the gods Zeus and Hera as the parents of Hercules, Zeus was actually the only divine parent in the actual myth. His real mother was Alcmene, the wife of Amphitryon. Zeus had disguised himself as Amphitryon and tricked Alcmene into bearing his son, who would become the hero, Heracles.
How is Hercules flawed? ›
He seems to be emotionally unstable. The slightest incident can send Herakles into a fit of madness, ultimately leading to the death and destruction of those around him. He used his super strength to bully others.
What is Hercules weakness in Greek mythology? ›
Answer and Explanation: Hercules' weakness was his temper and lack of intelligence. He was notorious for getting himself into trouble because of his temper. His inclination to react instead of think also illustrated his lack of intelligence and judgment.
What is the problem in the story of Hercules? ›
The Madness of Hera & the Twelve Labors. At this point in the story, Hercules was a young, successful hero, married and, in time, with three strong sons. Hera could not tolerate the situation and so sent upon him a madness in which he killed his children (and, in some versions, Megara as well).
What are the worst things Hercules has done? ›
Here are the worst things that Hercules has ever done.
- 1 He Killed His Music Teacher.
- 2 He Destroyed An Entire City. ...
- 3 He Murdered Someone Else's Family. ...
- 4 He Married his Half-Sister. ...
- 5 He Killed His Sibling. ...
- 6 He Killed Many Amazons. ...
- 7 Incredible Infidelity. ...
- 8 Committed Genocide. ...
Was there a real Hercules, a man behind the stories? We will never know. Yet, his story is of a man who was so strong and courageous, whose deeds were so mighty, and who so endured all the hardships that were given to him, that when he died, Hercules was brought up to Mount Olympus to live with the gods.
What is the character flaw of Hercules? ›
Hercules: His fatal flaw is his wrath. This flaw has led him to kill his own family, which caused him to the Twelve Labors. After that, he pushed an innocent boy off a cliff, causing him to work for the queen. Arachne: Her fatal flaw is hubris, deadly pride.
What are 5 facts about Hercules? ›
But for now, here are 5 facts about the hero Hercules drawn out from this web for our contribution to #heroesMW.
- Hercules has a sadly overshadowed half-twin brother. ...
- Hercules strangles two snakes as a child, sent by Zeus' wife Hera to kill him. ...
- Hercules was one of the 'Argonauts' on Jason's voyage for the Golden Fleece.
Realizing that Meg is Hercules' weakness, Hades holds Meg hostage in exchange for the young hero to give up his strength. Taking advantage of Hercules losing his strength, Hades sent a one-eyed monster to destroy the hero.
Who was Hercules hated by? ›
Hera, queen of the gods. Hera, queen of the gods, was Zeus' wife, and the patron of marriage. She greatly affected the course of Hercules' life, for reasons mentioned in the biography section. She hated the hero so much that she caused him problems at every opportunity.
The Hydra was a serpent-like water monster with nine heads that is often referenced in Greek mythology. It was an offspring of Typhon and Echidna bred by Hera to kill Hercules.
What is Hercules' real name? ›
The child was originally given the name Alcides by his parents; it was only later that he became known as Heracles. He was renamed Heracles in an unsuccessful attempt to mollify Hera, with Heracles meaning Hera's "pride" or "glory".
What terrible crime did Hercules commit? ›
He fell into madness and went insane with rage. Under Hera's dark influence, he gruesomely murdered his beloved wife and children. It doesn't get any more real than that. Even worse, Hercules had no idea that he had murdered his wife and children because of Hera's trickery.
What are the 13 trials of Hercules? ›
There is no definite order for the Labors. Most of the time, however, the order is: Nemean Lion, Lernean Hydra, Cerynitian Hind, Erymanthian Boar, Augean Stables, Stymphalian Birds, Cretan Bull, Mares of Diomedes, Girdle of Hippolyta, Cattle of Geryon, Apples of the Hesperides, and Kerberos.
Is Hercules real or myth? ›
Hercules, also known as Heracles in Greek mythology, was not a real historical figure. He is a legendary character from ancient Greek mythology and is considered a demigod, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, a mortal woman.
Is there any evidence that Hercules was real? ›
If the mythical Hercules ever existed, he was possibly based on some figure from 1280–1210 BC, two generations before the Trojan War, who fought for Mycenae and spread worship of Zeus through Greece and abroad, but there is no verification beyond the myth that he existed.
What is Hercules weakness in the movie? ›
Realizing that Meg is Hercules' weakness, Hades holds Meg hostage in exchange for the young hero to give up his strength. Taking advantage of Hercules losing his strength, Hades sent a one-eyed monster to destroy the hero.
How does Hercules prove that he is a true hero? ›
Herakles/Hercules is best known for his twelve labours . It's difficult to really say 'why' he's a hero, but he did the labours, he was present at the first sacking of Troy (before the Iliad's Trojan War), and he was part of the original group of Argonauts. He was a son of Zeus, and had divine strength.
