Megara and Hercules: Two paths to Heroism

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Del Mundo, Mellen Oliva

III-2 BEE


     "Long ago, in the faraway land of Ancient Greece", begins the voice of the narrator, Charlton Heston, introducing the main character of Disney's animated film, Hercules "there was a golden age of powerful gods and extraordinary heroes, and the greatest and strongest of all these was the mighty Hercules." As the narrator continues the monologue, he left a question for everyone to ponder "But what is the measure of a true hero?"

    According to Joseph Campbell, a prolific author and mythologist, a hero is defined as "someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself". Given this definition, do the main characters pass the standard?


    In this search for what it means to be a hero, this blog will address how Hercules and Meg relate and differ from each other as they undergo heroic transformations. To unpack the characters' journey, let us look into Joseph Campbell's book, The Hero with a thousand faces, a work of comparative mythology that discusses the stages that a character must go through in order to become a hero. 

    In Campbell's hero cycle also known as the monomyth, there are three broad phases that serve as the foundation for the character's transformation. These are separation, initiation, and return. 

"The standard path of the mythological adventure of the hero is magnification of the formula represented in the rites of passage: separation - initiation - return..." (Campbell, pg. 23) 

    Within these fundamental phases are the 17 specific steps, but this blog will only address the three broad stages. 

1. SEPARATION/DEPARTURE

    Campbell called the initial stage as departure or separation. Thisis when the hero departs from the world he knows. (Scott, n.d.). As to Hercules, this stage is reflected as he becomes separated from the land of gods where his parents and he himself belong. While in Meg's situation, she is snatched from her world of comfort by the clutches of the underworld. These characters' separations are all thanks to our antagonist, Hades. 

    We can say that Meg's separation leads her to a path of overcoming (overcome Hades and taste freedom) while Hercules' sets him to a path of becoming (become a hero, and immortal.) 

2. INITIATION

    This stage refers to the trials that a hero must overcome. In Hercules' circumstances, his trials are more heroic as he seeks dangers that will make him a hero. This kind of initiation is totally different from Meg's, as she is torn between hades' biddings that led her femininity to be exploited for his gain. We can say that Meg's trials are more of wandering into Hades' spiritual labyrinth. 

These trials lead us to Campbell's third phase:

3. RETURN

    This phase "requires that the hero shall now begin the labor of bringing the runes of wisdom, the Golden Fleece, or a sleeping princess back into the kingdom of humanity, where the boon may rebound to the renewing of the community." (Campbell. 167). 

    This phase is not only about returning, but returning with something a hero can offer. Hercules takes Meg into Mount Olympus, proving to other gods that he has undergone a transformation and is now a hero. Though Meg does not return with something as marvelous as Hercules', she brings a personal lesson as she has undergone her own transformation. 

    Both characters Meg and Hercules embody the very essence of the monomyth, they give up their lives for something bigger than themselves. This is evident as both of them constantly saving each others' lives and helping each other to be the heroes they wanted to be. Meg gives up her life for Hercules, while Hercules has gone to the underworld to save Meg. All these situations concluded that neither Meg nor Hercules completed their Hero's journey without the other. 

    Given these, we can really say even though it is Hercules who's regarded as the Hero of the story, Meg exemplifies what a true hero as well. 

    Overall, this Disney Animated Film reminds us that heroes wear no capes, heroism knows no gender and love knows no boundaries. 

"for a true hero is not measured by the size of his strength but the strength of his heart"


REFERENCES:

Campbell, J. (2012). The hero with a thousand faces (3rd ed.). New World Library.

[Media Mortician]. (2019, January 19). Hercules: Reimagining the Hero's Journey [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wWVlhLi4T0&t=13s

Menken, Alan. (1997). Disney's Hercules. [United States] : Milwaukee, WI :Wonderland Music Co. and Walt Disney Music Co. ; Distributed by H. Leonard,

Scott, J. (n.d.). How to Use the Hero’s Journey for Personal Development.https://scottjeffrey.com/heros-journey-steps/? fbclid=IwAR3TKTGoCene7_L8Y-rnojZghlXJLq_nkg2v5Sm1weY5Bmrv9-9sduZ4JsY


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