Disney is well known for adapting stories from around the world. Taking inspiration from the Brothers Grimm, classic novels, and other stories from around the world adapted to child-friendly movies that capture the hearts of millions.
Unfortunately, some of these changes leave the wrong impression of these classic tales and when people find out the original story is not only completely different but gruesome that “happily ever after” ending will never be looked at the same.
The movie “Hercules” has misinformed people on the true story of Hercules and fans of classic Greek myths have been more than happy to point out what the Disney version got wrong.
The Disney movie tells the tale of Hercules, a Greek god turned human, and his journey earning his place back on Olympus (the home of the gods). Along the way, he falls in love with Megara and must avoid the wrath of Hades, the god of the underworld.
So, what’s the true story of Hercules and what did Disney mess up?
Hercules isn’t the correct name for the hero. While every other god/goddess in the movie is referred to by their Greek names, Hercules is Roman. The correct Greek spelling of the name should have been Heracles/Herakles pronounced “heh-ruh-kleez” rather than “hur-kyuh-leez.”
Like in the movie, Herakles was the son of Zeus, but Hera was more of an evil stepmother than a loving biological mother.
He was born from an affair Zeus had with a mortal woman. Herakles never fell from Olympus and was never a god, he was a demigod prince. Alceme, his mom, names Herakles after his immortal stepmother to gain her favor (hence the importance of the Greek name), but when Hera finds out about the affair she decides to make Herakles’ life miserable.
The scene in the movie where Hades’ assistants turn into snakes and attempt to kill Hercules is inspired by one of Hera’s attempts to kill Herakles. According to History, Hera sent two snakes to kill Heracles in his crib, but the hero strangles the snakes before he’s a bit.
Hades wasn’t the villain portrayed in “Hercules” and the more accurate antagonist would have been Hera.
The depiction of Hades throughout the movie is stereotypical and driven by humanity’s fear of death. In many adaptations, people imagine Hades as the vindictive younger brother surrounded by death and decay rather than the helpful uncle he was to Herakles.
“The characterization of the gods was so different from classic mythology. Specifically with Hades and Zeus. At first, Zeus was seen as more of a positive figure until later on when he’s kind of an absent father,” explained Gillian Stravach, ‘25. “ The romanization of him and a lot of the gods and villainization of Hades is just frustrating to see because of my love for mythology. It would be great to see accurate portrayals of these characters. It is honestly embarrassing.”
Hera and Hades aren’t the only characters that got switched up. In the movie, Hercules’ trainer Phil is an interpretation of Herakles’ real mentor, Chiron.
While Phil is a hot-headed satyr (a man with goat legs) who dreams of creating a great hero, Chiron is a calm centaur (a man with the lower body of a horse) who trains many successful heroes.
Herakles also never had Pegasus as a companion. There is no connection between the two and the origins of Pegasus are incorrect in the movie. Disney portrays Pegasus as being created by Zeus using a cloud. According to the World History Encyclopedia, in the original myths he “was fathered by Poseidon and was born from the severed neck of the gorgon Medusa” after she was slain by the hero Perseus.
The story of Zeus giving the winged horse to Hercules comes from the original myth where Posideon gives Pegasus to his son Bellerophon.
There are many other changes in the Disney adaptation, but the biggest changes are Herakles’ relationship with Megara and the reason why he goes on quests.
While in “Hercules” the couple meets while Megara is working for Hades. Throughout the movie, they grow closer and Megara is freed from her debt to Hades resulting in their happily ever after.
Theoi explains how in Greek myth Herakles marries Megara after saving her kingdom from invaders. Hera later makes Herakles go mad, believing Megara and their children are enemies resulting in Herakles murdering them.
To gain forgiveness for the death of his family, Herakles is forced to complete 12 nearly impossible tasks. This is where his famous reputation stems from.
He kills the Nemean lion and the Lernaean hydra, cleans the stalls of flesh-eating cattle, takes Cerberus from the underworld, and has many other great adventures.
In the end, Herakles completes these tasks and gets remarried. He lives in glory until his new wife dies and in his grief commits suicide and is brought back as a god.
The original story of Herakles is not kid-friendly. It makes sense why Disney would censor the graphic parts and give it a positive twist.
“I wouldn’t let my kids see an accurate movie of Herakles. I don’t need to wake up to them having nightmares,” comments David Hakim.
“Hercules” is a wonderful movie despite its inaccuracies and is a great way to make a gruesome story child-friendly. People just shouldn’t watch it to prepare for a test on Greek myths or to avoid reading while writing a paper.
