For a Disney film, Hercules manages to slip in quite a few jokes and pop culture references
that could easily go unnoticed by younger audiences. From Disney Easter eggs to mythological
origins, here's a list of the things only adults will notice when watching Disney's
Hercules.
Greek mythology isn't exactly kid-friendly. There's plenty of death, despair, extramarital
affairs, drinking, cannibalism, and an array of terrifying monsters that would give most
children nightmares. With this in mind, it makes sense that the film had to take liberties
regarding the actual legend of Hercules.
The film shows Zeus and Hera as being in a healthy, loving relationship. However, this
couldn't be further from the case. In mythology, Zeus has a reputation for cheating on his
wife with an extensive list of women, a fact that Hera is well aware of and resents about
her husband. Hercules isn't even Hera's son, according to mythology. In fact, Hercules
wasn't born to two divine parents. Instead, he's the child of Zeus and the mortal woman
Alcmene.
The main reason this change was made in the film is likely because Hera is behind Hercules'
hardships in the original story, not Hades like in the movie. Hera resents Hercules and,
as a result, tries to have him killed. Additionally, Megara is most likely a combination of two
characters from mythology, Megara and Hercules' second wife, Deianira. In a grim turn of events,
Hercules actually kills Megara in the original myth. So much for happily ever after.
In Hercules, the city of Thebes, otherwise known as "the Big Olive," is a major metropolis
known for its high energy and hustle-and-bustle. Basically, Thebes is one giant New York stereotype.
From the pita bread carts to the doomsday graffiti smeared around the city walls, Thebes
reflects many aspects of the Big Apple itself, for better and for worse.
Much like New York, Thebes and all of its inhabitants are always in motion. There are
chariots blazing back and forth while pedestrians wait at what appear to be ancient crosswalks.
Large crowds abound, and Hercules is clearly overwhelmed by the city environment. When
Hercules and company first arrive, they nearly find themselves trampled by a chariot driver,
only to be saved by Phil, who's more seasoned in navigating the hectic city. Enraged by
the rude driver, the satyr yells,
"Hey, I'm walkin' here!"
His stereotypical New Yorker accent, along with the reference to the Manhattan-set movie
Midnight Cowboy, further cements the connection to modern New York.
Much like New York, Thebes also has a bit of a shady side as well, like Hercules, who's
never set foot in a big city before. At one point, the gang is approached by a man in
an oversized trench coat who, at first glance, seems to flash the unsuspecting group. However,
this is a Disney flick, so the flasher is actually just a sundial salesman with his
stock hidden beneath his coat.
In one scene, Hercules is seen wearing a lion skin. For many viewers, this wouldn't raise
any eyebrows, especially since the lion is likely a nod to the Nemean Lion, the first
of the 12 Labours that Hercules had to face in the original mythology. However, more seasoned
Disney fans may notice something a little too familiar about the ferocious feline. From
the uniquely brown fur and black mane, to the scar under the big cat's eye, the lion
looks exactly like Scar from The Lion King.
"He'd make a very handsome throw rug."
Overall, it's a bit uncomfortable to see Hercules and Phil thoughtlessly parading around the
lifeless body of another Disney character on-screen. While this is undoubtedly a clever
nod to another popular Disney title, the implications are rather dark. In this universe, Scar was
killed and then skinned for his fur coat, which is definitely a morbid end for the recognizable
villain.
At the beginning of the film, all of the gods and goddesses gather at Mount Olympus to celebrate
the birth of Zeus and Hera's newborn son, Hercules. The various deities are lounging
around, talking, drinking from fancy glasses, and enjoying each other's company. As the
crowd partakes in the joyous celebration, Hermes zips through the scene and comments
to Zeus,
"I haven't seen this much love in a room since Narcissus discovered himself."
This joke is a nod to the Greek myth of Narcissus. Narcissus was a man of unparalleled beauty
who spurned the advances of the nymph Echo. This earned Narcissus the wrath of the gods,
who made the man fall in love with his own reflection as he gazed into a pool of water.
Narcissus, unable to have his obsessive love with himself reciprocated, eventually died
of starvation as he stared at his reflection.
After his date with Meg, Hercules raves about the play the pair just saw.
"And then that play, that Oedipus thing? Man, I thought I had problems!"
The pair must have seen a performance of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, an Athenian tragedy you wouldn't
expect to pop up in a Disney title.
In the play, Oedipus unknowingly kills his father, King Laius, and becomes the king of
Thebes. Aside from killing his own father, once crowned king, Oedipus unknowingly marries
his mother and fathers several children. Considering the dark themes in Oedipus Rex, it's definitely
a strange title to be referenced in a children's animated film.
Meg is beloved for her sassy attitude and sly remarks that set her apart from many Disney
leading ladies. However, what actually makes Meg stand out among the Disney princesses
isn't just her saucy personality, but her experiences in the dating arena.
Disney loves to focus on happily-ever-after endings, and as a result, many Disney characters
have optimistic and slightly naive views of love. This is mainly because, prior to their
love interest in their respective film, they haven't dated at all. Meg, on the other hand,
hasn't only dated other men before Hercules; she's been outwardly betrayed by the man she
loved at the cost of her own freedom. As a result, Meg has a far more realistic, and
at times pessimistic, view of love and men. A prime example of this is after Hercules
saves her from Nessus, she tells him,
"Well, you know how men are. They think 'no' means 'yes,' and get lost means 'take me,
I'm yours.'"
It's because of her negative experiences that Meg has trouble warming up to Hercules. Her
entire song, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)," shows her struggling to embrace her feelings
without losing her common sense and falling prey to another bad relationship. For a Disney
lead, Meg is undoubtedly a far cry from the typical doe-eyed adventure seeker, and that's
why she's still so popular to this day.
In the film Hercules, the Muses are the film's narrators that guide viewers through the narrative.
Their songs also allow for a natural passage of time between significant events in the
film. Using the Muses as narrators is a smart modern adaption of the goddesses from mythology
who presided over the arts. But aside from this adaptation of the characters, there's
another connection to ancient Greek theater.
Ancient Greek theater would've looked very different from a production of The Phantom
of the Opera. One of the most significant differences in the structure was in how the
characters were written. In addition to having roles for the main characters, ancient Greek
theater also frequently employed a group of actors to serve as onstage narrators. This
group was the chorus, and they usually had one member who was the chorus leader. So to
have the Gospel-style chorus of singers also occupy the role of the Greek chorus in this
film is an interesting blend of both mythology and ancient Greek entertainment.
After the Fates prophesy that Hercules will destroy Hades' plans of overthrowing Zeus,
Hades realizes that for his evil plan to take flight, he'll have to kill baby Hercules.
He then sends Pain and Panic, his two bumbling sidekicks, who almost immediately botch the
entire operation. Instead of having Hercules ingest the entire bottle of poison they were
given, they mess up, turning him mortal instead. So then, what do Pain and Panic do? They leave
Hercules for two mortal humans to raise. Even worse, they neglect to tell Hades that Hercules
isn't dead. So imagine Hades' surprise when he finds Hercules grown up and saving damsels
in the woods.
But really, Hades can't place all of the blame on Pain and Panic. It's confusing as to why
Hades left such an essential task to his minions in the first place. More confusing is why
he never even bothered to verify that the job was completed. Presumably, he can see
for himself each soul that enters the Underworld without having to leave the comfort of home.
Shouldn't he have been on standby to make sure Pain and Panic didn't mess things up?
This is pretty lazy behavior from someone who wants to become the king of Mount Olympus.
The allusions to modern life in Hercules show that life in ancient Greece wasn't so different
from life today. Well, at least in Disney's version of ancient Greece, anyway. For example,
as a new soul enters Hades' realm, there's a number counter that says "over five billion
one served," mimicking McDonald's, which proudly advertised "billions and billions served."
That's one of the earliest modern references in the film, but it surely isn't the last.
Later, when Pain and Panic are pretending to be children trapped under a boulder, in
an obvious parallel to 9-1-1, one of them shouts,
"Somebody call I-X-I-I!"
One of the best places to find these modern references is during the film's musical numbers.
During Phil's song, "One Last Hope," there's a training montage where Phil, Hercules, and
Pegasus are all standing on pillars training in front of a sunset. This is a callback to
the training montage in The Karate Kid.
There are also a ton of references in the song "Zero to Hero." One of the more fleeting
examples is when the movie shows the line outside of the Hercules store, and we see
the two shops located on either side of the building. These stores are named "Aphrodite's
Secret" and "Column and Barrel," alluding to "Victoria's Secret" and "Crate and Barrel,"
respectively. The song also features more nods to the modern day, such as the Grecian
Express credit card, the Air-Herc sandals, and the Herculade drink.
The film's most prominent and easily recognizable reference to real-world art is likely the
Venus de Milo from which Hercules removes the arms while on his date with Meg. But sharp-eyed
viewers will find multiple examples of classical art and architecture scattered throughout.
Before Hercules begins his journey, he has an incident at the agora resulting in its
destruction. Though the construction is slightly different, the architecture bears a striking
resemblance to Saint Peter's Square in Rome. After this socially traumatizing incident,
Hercules talks to his adoptive parents, where another bit of ancient art can be found. Looking
at the interior design of their home, the wall design looks like Akrotiri's Spring Fresco,
or is at least partly inspired by it.
Another example of ancient architecture can be seen in "Go the Distance," as Hercules
enters the Temple of Zeus. Sitting tall is a colossal stone likeness of the thunder god
which comes to life to tell his son about the necessity of becoming a true hero. The
actual temple used to house a reasonably similar statue, though the historical monument was
accented with a gold staff not seen in the film. Finally, the last easily recognizable
art reference appears during the song "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)," when Meg walks past the
Muses standing as pillars in reference to the Caryatids of the Acropolis. While the
real Caryatids are grander in scale, they certainly lack a similar musicality.
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