Jonathan Yan, PD 6, 10/25/23

Hercules's legendary story is well known to many: slaying beasts, saving people, capturing wild animals, all displaying great heroism and masculinity. It was unknown to me however, that these great accomplishments were rooted in humble, human emotions - that being shame and guilt. Since his birth, Hercules was tormented, Hera - his step mother - played vengeful tricks and controlled him throughout his life, and this would lead him to be a slave to his guilt. Hercules is in constant battle between his actions and his consequences, he never meant to kill his music master, or his wife and children, as he was the puppet of Hera’s jealousy. Yet he is in a state of constant atonement, to attempt to lift the burden of his guilt. He tries to end his life, but he is given impossible labors, each he eventually carries out. Even after this, he finds himself in adventures and more murders, for which he also humbly seeks penance for. This was a constant cycle until he died, perpetually paying the price for his rage, his daimonic outbursts.
This cycle struck a chord with me, it changed my deliberation on what Hercules stood for. I previously perceived Hercules as a symbol of greatness, masculinity and strength, yet his life revealed him to be a tortured man. His strings were being pulled by his rage, and induced madness from Hera, for which he could not control and therefore became a slave to. Yes, he is mighty and legendary, but he is also nuanced and human; to me that was the most fascinating and inspiring thing I learned about him. He is strong and born of a god, yet his willing subservience and humility, to me, is what is genuinely great about him. Hercules’s guilt and quest for reparation is an idea I’ve connected to factors in our society today. It is common for humans to succumb to aggressive outbursts or acts, in which they are conscious of their actions. The immediate response tends to be attempts at amending the damage caused, we believe that some sort of penance can potentially pay for the damage we caused. I presume that this nature is so inherently human because of the way we identify as social creatures. Harm towards others is denounced in every successful society because as humans, we relied on one another to historically survive. Therefore, the damage we may cause - whether that be intentionally or unintentionally -, we understand the consequences for, and we feel the obligation for repair. That is to say, that guilt and shame are qualities that most likely helped us thrive, and it is inherent to our survival.