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"Deconstructing Gender Norms: Character Analysis of Hercules, Hades, and Meg in the Disney Film"

 

“Stories affect how we live our lives, how we see other people, how we think about ourselves.” (Boboltz & Yam, 2017, para. 3) According to this quote of Morgan, authentic and captivating representations in stories are extremely important since they play a crucial part in forming our perception as a society. These stories also work as a substitute for events that viewers haven't really experienced in their lives. This to a significant extent influences how they perceive underrepresented groups. Nevertheless, if these representations develop into clichés and lose their authenticity, a problem arises. Seeing a character who is parallel to them might be constricting for the underrepresented groups if that character is limited to behaviors that don't accurately reflect their experiences. Ramón clarifies by saying that if underrepresented groups see a "one-dimensional" portrayal of themselves, they can believe that this is all that is expected of them in society. (Boboltz & Yam, 2017, para. 12)  Thus, it is crucial to have multi-layered representation. 

This paper aims to examine gender stereotypes that take center stage in the Disney movie “Hercules” through its three primary characters: the hero Hercules, the underworld ruler Hades, and the intriguing Meg. While set within the larger framework of Greek mythology, the film portrays a distinct tale that deviates from established gender norms. The film delves into the impact of cultural hegemony on society and seeks to question conventional portrayals of masculinity and femininity. As the aspiring hero, Hercules challenges conventional ideals of strength and power, while the enemy, Hades, defies expectations with his flamboyant personality. Meg somewhat provides a nuanced representation that tries to go beyond stereotypical female roles. While the movie also attempts to address issues related to queer representation with the character of Hades as well, some of these aspects fall short of achieving a nuanced and profound exploration, despite the film's effort in doing so. 

 

Hercules 

At the beginning, in the society’s eyes, Hercules lacked traditional "manly" traits because he was skinny and shy. Despite his kind heart, society often associated his kindness with weakness and never took him seriously. On his mission to become the “hero” with the mentorship of Phil, he trains and becomes muscular. Even the Muses underlines his change in physical appearance in the song “Zero To Hero” by saying “Folks lined up; Just to watch him flex; And his perfect package; In a pair of pretty pecs.” (50.21) This idealized version of masculinity and how this continues to be the desirable trait can be explained by Gramsci’s idea of cultural hegemony. Cultural hegemony works to sustain a system of privilege where those deemed as inferior or marginalized by the dominant group are both a result and a perpetuating factor of this unequal order.  (Holub, 1992, p. 75) This statement can be interpreted as the ruling class possessing not just economic and political power, but also control over gender norms, ensuring that social values align with and reinforce their established domination. It emphasizes the role of cultural narratives in maintaining conventional gender hierarchies.

Many communities have a set of ideas and expectations about what it means to be a "real" or "ideal" man. Cultural practices, social structures, and media portrayals influence and sustain these values, contributing to the concept of hegemonic masculinity. (Craig, 1992, p. 8) Idealized masculinity establishes cultural standards and expectations for how males should act, show emotions, and carry out society roles. These conventions are presented as natural and normal, helping to maintain a dominating cultural narrative that maintains traditional gender roles. In the world of Hercules, Zeus is the king of gods, the God everyone admires and submits. He is the idealized God. When his physical appearance is analyzed, it is obvious that he is muscular and mighty. According to Mark Moss, the male body shape, its musculature and strength, as well as its ability to bear pain, are emphasized while showing a male hero. (2011, p. 15) This presumption fosters conventional masculine ideals of power and dominance. He is also the leader which is another trait associated with masculinity. Men are frequently characterized as forceful leaders who take command in a variety of circumstances. This expectation can encourage hierarchical power systems and the impression that males should be in positions of dominance and Zeus being the sole leader enforces this idea. As Mark Allister has noted, “American masculinity is notable for its emphasis on a certain conservative outward demeanor, on physical prowess, personal restraint, doing rather than thinking.” (Moss, 2011, p. 28) As seen in the movie, Zeus always tries to outweigh Hades by his physical strength, unlike Hades who constantly uses his quick wit to defeat his brother. Thus, the more Hercules starts to look and act like his father the more he is accepted by society. At this point, it seems the movie is very much in line with the stereotypical ideas of gender; however, the personal journey of Hercules tries to break down these perceptions. Throughout the film, Hercules is pitted against Zeus, concluding in a scene in which Hercules chooses relinquishing his strength and glory for love, rejecting his father's traditional masculinity. The narrative choice that the hero's act of saving the woman ends in the voluntary relinquishment of his status, authority, and almighty power distinguishes Hercules as a male protagonist from characters such as Eric in The Little Mermaid or Prince Phillip in Sleeping Beauty. Unlike previous masculine heroes, who are generally renowned for their physical prowess, Hercules goes through a path of development that highlights his physical power. However, when granted ultimate strength, he gladly sacrifices it in order to be with Meg, his love interest. By putting love above strength, this act undermines traditional conceptions of male heroism. Hercules' ending differs from other Disney films in which female protagonists make sacrifices for duty or love, stressing Hercules' great sacrifice that transcends those of female heroes. This unconventional resolution defies gender conventions and represents a departure from Disney's typical heroic narrative. Hercules' decision implies that love is more essential than power or authority, an emotion often reserved for the female protagonist in Disney films (Towbin et al., 2004, p. 39). His selflessness happens in the absence of compensatory deeds that sustain traditional masculinity, in contrast to his father Zeus, whose power considerably surpasses Hercules'. Hercules deviates from the usual masculine gender role in that he not only emphasizes love, but also finds delight in giving up power. 

 

Meg 

Meg is possibly one of the most complicated female protagonists Disney had created by the time Hercules was released. Meg is an important progress in the portrayal of female characters by Disney because she is depicted as an independent and strong woman. Filmmakers establish her not being a damsel-in-distress like other female characters in a very direct way: “I am damsel. I am in distress. I can handle this. Have a nice day.” (32.51)  This status of Meg as a femme fatale is also emphasized by her lead vocal performance in "I Won't Say I'm in Love." Unlike other “I Want” songs of Disney princesses, in her song she reveals her inner struggles and how she thinks love is something cliche. Throughout the song, she refers to love as "rotten judgment" and begs herself to "get a grip" on her feelings. (1.02.46) Moreover, she is not intrinsically pure like the other princesses, such as Snow White, or Cinderella, because she was first established as a possible villain as her main goal was to seduce Hercules to help Hades achieve his goal. Therefore, Meg is a figure that represents a complex woman in the actual world, she is neither an idealized princess nor the embodiment of evil. She commits both malicious and selfless acts. This behavior contradicts the gender norms depicted in Disney fairytale stories. 

 

Despite the filmmakers' best efforts she still has stereotypically feminine traits which keeps her from completely representing the ideal feminist character, despite the filmmakers' best efforts. The scene where Hercules first meets with Meg, she is instantly placed within traditional gender roles with her physical beauty and apparent sexualization. In the light of Laura Mulvey’s "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," Meg’s introduction sequence is made totally through the prism of the male gaze which is emphasized by the heightened focus on the curves of her body and her overall physical appeal. Mulvey contends that mainstream cinema is built on the heterosexual male perspective, both in terms of plot and camera perspective. The audience is positioned as a male viewer, while the camera is positioned to the right. (Mulvey, 1975,  p. 808) Her representation stresses standard beauty ideals placed on women: white, thin with a small waist and large hips. This representation of Meg conforms to traditional gender stereotypes, emphasizing society expectations of women's physical beauty and promoting stereotypical roles. It represents the media's tendency to promote limited beauty standards for female characters, reducing them to physical characteristics. Meg's initial focus on looks raises concerns about the importance of appearances over character depth. Her portrayal reflects bigger issues concerning the objectification of women in the media and the reinforcing of gender norms. (Primo, 2018, p. 6)

In addition to the sexualization of Meg, her strong independent woman persona is actually very on the surface level. She has various one-liners throughout the film that try to represent her in ways that contrast sharply to how she is actually portrayed. An example of this can be: “Well, you know how men are. They think ‘no’ means ‘yes’ and ‘get lost’ means ‘take me I’m yours’,” (35.55) In contrast to her one-liners her desire to have agency is put on hold in favor of romance as she voluntarily gives up her independence for Hercules which reinforces traditional gender stereotypes. Meg's most powerful moment in the film may seem as heroic and brave at first but when examined more deeply, her sacrificing herself for Hercules is problematic because it underlines the notion that women should act selflessly for others rather than for themselves. Furthermore, when Hercules' sacrifice is rewarded with the restoration of his godhood, Meg's devotion is met with potential death. The repeated Disney theme of male protagonists upstaging female courage is clear. This ending minimizes Meg's agency by portraying it as a byproduct of Hercules' actions rather than a result of her own choices. 

 

Hades

Hades is pretty similar to other Disney villains, in every sense but most importantly it is obvious that most of the male Disney villains are often portrayed with feminized characteristics and Hades is no exception. This can be considered as an act of queerbaiting. Hades is a flamboyant and theatrical god of the Underworld, with stereotypically camp features such as his dramatic gestures, expressive posture, and unusual voice delivery. Hades is further characterized by his language choices, which deviate from societal expectations of traditional masculinity. His use of terms like "sugar" and "babe" aligns more with stereotypically feminine expressions, challenging the conventional notion of what is considered "manly." This departure from traditional gendered language is highlighted in a dialogue between Meg and Hades where Meg describes Hercules as honest and sweet. Hades then responds dismissively, saying, "Please. He is a guy!" (1.05.00) In this interaction, it becomes evident that neither the filmmakers nor Hades himself perceives him as fitting the conventional "guy," stereotype. This raises questions for the audience about the definition of masculinity, the expectations associated with being a "guy," and why individuals like Hades are excluded from this categorization.

These characteristics correspond to widespread stereotypes about homosexual people. Symbolically, Hades' queerbaiting may reinforce negative stereotypes about queer people by equating flamboyance with villainy. According to mythology, the definite villainization of Hades is historically false, which creates the question of why he was portrayed in the Disney film in this manner. In myths Zeus and Hades, regarded each other as rivals rather than Hades being demonic and monstrous (Burchfield, 2013, p. 3); yet, Hades in the Disney film is shown as a ghoul with sharp teeth and unattractive appearance. This depiction may serve to emphasize his oppression by Zeus, his hypermasculine, hyper-heterosexual brother who dominates Hades in every battle. This also demonstrates how standard masculine norms always oppress non-conventional types of masculinity. 

Though it is encoded as Hades is the big bad villain of the story who also happens to embody some queer traits, his perception in society was not expected from the creators of the film. He is not as evil as Scar in Lion King or Claude Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Hades only resents Zeus because he is restricted to ruling the Underworld and he craves the power and dignity that come with ruling Mount Olympus. Society views Hades' motivation as a stand against conventional gender norms and idealized masculinity. Through that, he transforms into a figure who challenges rather than follows accepted norms. Hades also becomes popular because of his humorous personality and ability to deliver memorable quotes that resonate with the audience. This affinity for the character leads to what can be called as an oppositional decoding — a way of perceiving Hades as someone who goes against the grain of traditional expectations. This viewpoint sees Hades as more than just a villain but a symbol against the traditional masculinity which is symbolized by his brother Zeus.

 

Conclusion

Disney's influence is evident in the vast world of animated children's movies, yet its films frequently replicate traditional ideals without actively challenging them. Disney's "Hercules" offers a compelling lens through which to consider dominant gender roles. The movie challenges viewers' preconceptions about gender roles by showcasing characters like Meg, who somewhat defies the damsel-in-distress cliché, and Hades, who defies traditional ideas of masculinity. It definitely challenges gender stereotypes in a significant way, yet for a number of reasons, it doesn't provide a totally progressive story. First of all, even if the movie gives characters like Meg more agency, it nevertheless keeps reinforcing some clichés about femininity. "Hercules" might have easily gone farther in pushing the boundaries of societal expectations by providing a more progressive examination of gender roles that represents the variety of experiences.

 

References:

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Towbin, Mia Adessa, Shelley A. Haddock, Toni Schindler Zimmerman, Lori K. Lund, and Litsa Renee Tanner. 2004. Images of Gender, Race, Age, and Sexual Orientation in Disney Feature-Length Animated Films. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy 15: 19–44.

Primo, C. (2018). Balancing gender and Power: How Disney’s Hercules fails to go the distance. Social Sciences, 7(11), 240. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci7110240