Greek Mythology In The Action Film Clash Of The Titans

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Since prehistoric times, Greek mythology has been shaping the way the world materializes. Even today, Greek mythology is illustrated in different forms of media, literature, and everyday life. However, ancient myths tend to be altered to fit the perspectives of the present-day audience. One of the many Greek mythological heroes that embodies the culture of Greece is Perseus. Perseus, who is one of the great heroes before the Trojan War, experiences grief and strife through the challenges he faces created by his father,Zeus, and King Polydectes. Perseus was recreated in the action film Clash of the Titans released in 2010. This film reshapes the myth by having Perseus embark on a quest to slay the sea monster known as the Kraken in order to …show more content…
In the beginning of the remake and myth, King Acrisius throws Perseus and his mother “in a wooden ark and threw them into the sea” (Kiwi). They were eventually saved by a fisherman who took them in. Another parallel includes Perseus becoming a true hero. Perseus faces difficult challenges that he must conquer, including the battle against Medusa, in which he emerges triumphant. In Clash of the Titans and the myth, “Perseus slays Medusa and obtains her head” (Sung), which is a required step to defeat the monster he will ultimately encounter later on. In the film, Perseus kills Medusa with the help of the Djinns and soldiers of King of Argos. But in the myth, Perseus acquires help from the gods Hermes and Athena. Another key event that occurred was the rescue of the princess Andromeda. She was being sacrificed to a sea monster as punishment for her mother’s actions when Perseus rescued her. He “pulled Medusa 's head out of [a] bag, and the sea monster [was] turned [in]to stone and crumbled to pieces” (Perseus). In both the myth and film, Perseus eventually kills King Acrisius. However, in the myth it was purely accidental. These particular scenes were retained in order for the film to be able to capture the fundamental quality of the myth. Even though the same incidents took place, they occurred in a different sequence. But most …show more content…
In Greek “myths, Hades is the most fair, just, and politically neutral of all the gods. He never actively tries to kill people, as he is just a ruler of the dead, not its messenger. (Sung). In the myth of Perseus, Hades plays a small and insignificant role in which he helps Perseus on his journey to defeat Medusa. In the myth, Hades “lets [Perseus] borrow his helmet of invisibility” (Sung). On the contrary, “in the movie, Hades is antagonistic to the other gods as well as humankind. He seeks to usurp Zeus” (Sung). Hades was the cause of the unleashing of the Kraken and supplying Acrisius with powers. In the myth, the main antagonist was King Polydectes because he was the one who wished to get rid of Perseus. However, he was removed from the film version of Perseus and replaced with Hades. Hades, even though he is truly not evil, has a negative connotation tied to his name. Hades has always been depicted as the sinister character in modern adaptations of Greek myths like the Disney version of Hercules. Therefore, Hades was casted as the villain who attempts to thwart Perseus from achieving his goals. This permits the viewers of Clash of the Titans to be more engaged in the film and support the virtuous side against the obvious bad

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