Since it’s still the month of love, I thought I’d rank Shakespearean couples and see if the allegation is true that Shakespeare has no good married couples. Naturally, this is my opinion, but I will try to back my opinions up with quotations and moments from the plots. Let me know what you think!
S Tier- the Super Couples
My criteria for the best couples in Shakespeare are this:
Trust
Mutual respect and affection
Devotion, or as Shakespeare puts it “Love is not love, which alters when it alteration finds.”
A Tier- the ones who Passed the Test
Couples in this tier all tried and failed at first- Orsino spent years mooning over Olivia not able to see how wonderful Viola is. Lysander drops Hermia for Helena, (but to be fair, that was Puck’s fault, not his). At the end though, all these lovers reconcile and are better people for their trials and tribulations.
B Tier- Affection, but no devotion
Couples in B-tier are passionate and willing to break rules, laws, and sometimes necks for their loves. However, as Friar Laurence says “These violent delights have violent ends.” Every couple in B-tier ultimately fails to create a lasting relationship.
C Tier- The ones hanging by a thread
All the C-couples have some very toxic traits. Claudius hates Gertrude’s son and murdered his own brother, so his relationship with his wife/ sister-in-law is ultimately doomed. Hamlet has little to no respect for Ophelia and flies into mysygenistic rage at the slightest provocation. Even Demetrius, who is magically compelled to love Helena forever, has a history of loving women, and then abandoning them. Who’s to say he won’t get hit by the arrow again, and throw Helena off?
D Tier- Actively ABusive/ A Relationship Based on lies
I truly despise Taming Of the Shrew, or as I like to call it, Stockholm Syndrome: The Play. The men in D-tier (and Phoebe in the case of As You Like It) are controlling, abusive, cruel, and pathological liars. They don’t want a partner, so much as a toy to beat around when they feel like it.
Special Mention- Cordelia and the King of France from “King Lear”
These guys might be low key the best couple in Shakespeare. The King of France marries Cordelia and comes to her defense after her father disowns her and humiliates him. Based on this, you can tell he doesn’t care about her title or her dowry (“Thy truth then be thy dower. Thou hast her France, let her be thine, for we have no such daughter.”
Not only that, France goes with Cordelia and lends her an army to recapture England for Lear! Clearly this guy loves Cordelia and is ride or die on making her happy.
Special Mention- Antony and Cleopatra
I know they are an iconic couple, but I think Antony and Cleopatra are a very toxic pair. When I first read the play, I hated Cleopatra for leading Antony on and mocking and teasing him every chance she got. Now I hate Antony for his selfishness. Cleopatra is trying to save her sons, her kingdom, and her family’s legacy and he is throwing away everything just to appease his own ego. He also shames Cleopatra for her promiscuity, which is extremely hypocritical coming from him. This couple is clearly in need of MASSIVE counseling, and I pity poor Enobarbus and Charmian for getting caught in their drama.
I hope you enjoyed this tier list. One pattern I noticed in all these plays is that every couple in Shakespeare is tested, whether through magic, deceit, long journeys, or just jealousy. Shakespeare does a good job of showing how young love is beautiful and exciting, but real love is based on respect and the will to choose your partner in spite of obstacles.
With awards season in full swing, there has been a lot of controversy over two stories that Shakespeare had a great influence over- Hamnet, based on the novel of the same name, and Guillermo Del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein. Despite getting five golden globe nominations, Frankenstein went home with a hand emptier than the monster floating off on an iceberg. Meanwhile, Hamnet took the best actress and best picture award, and is poised for an Oscar nomination.
I’ll review Hamnet at a later date. What I want to do now is discuss the influence Shakespeare and other Renaissance writers had on the classic 1818 novel, and how well Del Toro hints at the story’s Renaissance roots.I would argue that, although rooted in the 10th century Romantic world, Frankenstein has many Shakespearean and Early Modern influences, notably Dr Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, and The Tempest by Shakespeare
In 1818, a young woman named Mary Wolstonecraft, heard from her friend, a Swiss doctor, about a prominent experiment called galvanism and was faced with the terrifying prospect that man might someday be able to resurrect the dead, (a feat that had only successfully been done by God). When Mary Shelley wrote the novel Frankenstein she redefined the Faustus story and made it about Man not taking responsibility for the consequences of his actions, and also a warning to progress for its own sake without compassion without reason without wisdom. As we shall see, Shelly was a trailblazer in turning the Faustian wizard into the mad scientist.
The Morality Tale
Faustus is one of the oldest and most quintessential German stories it is a morality tale medieval in its origins it also is loosely based on a real person a real scholar named Doctor John foustis and this story was influential on forming German cultural identity and the story itself has inspired countless authors some German and some merely influenced by German culture and it’s very interesting to trace the way that it’s being used And how the the trope of the Faustian bargain has influenced Germany America and and England other Anglo sects and countries so the story of Faustus is Medieval in origin but he became extremely popular when English playwright Christopher Marlowe Shakespeare’s contemporary and rival wrote it down in his play of Dr. Faustus
What’s interesting about this interpretation is that you could easily see it as Faustus Rejects from the beginning the notion of divine grace he believes that he cannot that he is either unwilling or unable to believe that he is beloved by God and therefore he turns to satanic poworse it’s somewhat ambiguous why he does this one possible interpretation is that Faustus might actually be a that faustis like Marlow might be a possible gay man and is convinced that he is an abomination under the Lord and therefore he might as well indulge in satanic activities.
Whatever the reason the play does a great job of showing the struggle of Faustus as he is presented several times with the chance to repent, and actively refuses it every single time.
“Tutors Not So Careful”
In Marlow’s version, Faustus studies at the University of vittenburg in Germany, whicb also boasts other notable allumni- Prince Hamlet which Shakespeare would later write in his own play Hamlet Prince of Denmark. The prince broods over whether the creature he has seen return from the dead is actually a devil, sent to destroy him.
Shelley admits that a lot of her as a source for that her sources for Shakespeare her sources for Frankenstein included Shakespeare in The Tempest. Though Doctor Frankenstein his book is not a is Swiss not German he is educated at the University of english stat in Germany where he learns organic chemistry and acquires the ambition to do with the alchemists and conjurors of faustis day failed to do namely create the elixir of life.
“Graves, at my command, Hath waked their sleepers”
One big trope in Frankenstein is the danger of man crossing over into God’s domain- that from the beginning of time there has been a knowledge that God deliberately kept from humankind. In Frankenstein, this takes the form of scientific knowledge, but in Shakespeare, it is magic. In Macbeth, the title character is tempted by witches to know his destiny and is punished severely for it. Remember that when Shakespeare wrote the play, King James presided over hundreds of witch hunts and wrote a book on how to identify witches.
In The Tempest, Shakespeare gives us a more ambiguous look at magic where the magician Prospero has the power to create storms, conjure up spirits, and like Frankenstein, raise the dead:
I have bedimm'd The noontide sun, call'd forth the mutinous winds, And 'twixt the green sea and the azured vault Set roaring war: to the dread rattling thunder2065 Have I given fire and rifted Jove's stout oak With his own bolt; the strong-based promontory Have I made shake and by the spurs pluck'd up The pine and cedar: graves at my command Have waked their sleepers, oped, and let 'em forth By my so potent art. The Tempest, Act V, Scene i.
Even though Prospero is the protagonist and he faces no consequences for his magic, for some reason he chooses to abandon it. It’s almost as if Shakespeare was anticipating Frankenstein by having a proto mad scientist character give up his art before it is too late:
But this rough magic I here abjure, and, when I have required Some heavenly music, which even now I do, To work mine end upon their senses that This airy charm is for, I'll break my staff,2075 Bury it certain fathoms in the earth, And deeper than did ever plummet sound I'll drown my book.
Prospero, Act V, Scene i.
“This thing of Darkness”
“You taught me language, and my profit in’t is I know how to curse!”
“Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge. I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants and have glutted myself with their shrieks and misery.
Shelly, Chapter 16
If you’ve never read the book Frankenstein, you might be surprised to learn that unlike Boris Karloff’s grunting silent monster, in the novel the Monster is actually intelligent and well-spoken. One thing I enjoyed about Guillermo Del Toro’s version is that the Monster gets time to tell his tale. As we in the audience get to know him, the notion of who is the true Monster and who is truly human becomes as murky as the subterranean lair the doctor chains his creation within. He engages in intellectual debates with his creator and demands to know why Frankenstein chose to abandon him.
My abhorrence of this fiend cannot be conceived. When I thought of him I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became inflamed, and I ardently wished to extinguish that life which I had so thoughtlessly bestowed. When I reflected on his crimes and malice, my hatred and revenge burst all bounds of moderation.
As a parent, I know it’s hard to keep kids occupied during the summer. That’s why I have classes on Shakespeare’s life, Romeo and Juliet, and my celebrated Stage Combat class! Sign up now for all the fun on Outschool.com!
Shakespeare and Star Wars
Class Description: Using self-paced online activities, your child(ren) will compare the plot and characters of Star Wars to Shakespeare’s plays. We will also discuss Shakespeare’s writing by looking at “William Shakespeare’s Star Wars” by Ian Doescher.
Romeo and Juliet Murder Mystery
Course Description: A flexible schedule class that teaches kids the plot and characters of “Romeo and Juliet,” in the context of a detective story where you solve the mystery of the young lovers’ deaths.
Course Descriptions
How to Write Like Shakespeare: Learn the basics of iambic pentameter, sonnet form, and Shakespeare’s dramatic structure, and practice writing Shakespearean speeches.
Exciting News!
Our friend Puppet Shakespeare will finally get to host a series of classes for kids!
I’m working on a Harry-Potter inspired course that teaches science with a magical flavor. I’m also working on a Shakespeare for children course. Stay Tuned!
Every holiday season, my school likes to decorate the classroom doors in a festive way. I wanted to celebrate my Shakespeare Club and also teach the club members about Shakespearean fashion, Shakespearean characters, and maybe a little bit about engineering too. I’m very proud of the results, and I wanted to share this idea with you to maybe inspire you next holiday season!
Gingerbread Hamlet Close up of Hamlet’s sword Gingerbread Shakespeare Off with his head!Gallery of my Gingerbread Madness
The Concept
Hath I but one penny in the world, thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread. – Love’s Labors Lost
Since the theme had to be holiday-related, I looked at the above quote and decided to make Shakespearean gingerbread men! I knew I wanted to make the kids design a bunch of gingerbread men that would look like Shakespearean characters. While we were at it, I wanted gingerbread houses and maybe even a 3D element to go along with it. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I also knew my group was up to the task!
The plan
My concept drawing of how the door should look
I knew I couldn’t use real gingerbread, so I chose the next best thing- cardboard! I made a cardboard plan of the door to show to my group. I then found a wooden gingerbread man at the local dollar store and used that as a template for the cardboard characters. Finally, I explained the concept to the group, and divided my group up into teams- one group would draw and color the gingerbread houses, one group would color the gingerbread men based on pictures of Shakespearean characters:
Gingerbread HamletGingerbread Henry V Gingerbread Juliet
My final group created a 3D gingerbread house with a light in it to make the gingerbread village come to life. They even put my little puppet Shakespeare pal in there (I guess it’s his winter home).
I find it really cool that a new rock adaptation of Hamlet is coming to London, and that the band Radiohead is going to supply the music.
This isn’t the first time Radiohead has supplied music for a Shakespeare adaptation- in 1996, three of their songs underscored the hit movie Romeo+Juliet by Baz Luhrman
As is often the case for me, I like to get at the heart of what makes a piece of pop culture relevant and compare it to Shakespeare. I wish to stress that Shakespeare is not the source of all great art, but at the same time, he knew where to find the source of art, and most great art has some sort of Shakespearean influence.
2. Plot
Harry Potter as Hamlet (AI artwork)
In the case of Harry Potter, we have some surface plot similarities to Hamlet: a young man brooding over the loss of his parents, who takes revenge against the man who took them from him. Both stories also have a powerful autocrat who is associated with snakes:
The serpent that did Sting thy father’s life
now wears his crown.
Is Harry hearing voices? Chamber ofSecrets
In both Harry Potter and Hamlet, the hero’s friends worry that he’s losing his mind; in the second book: Harry Potter can hear the basilisk because he speaks the snake language. Nobody else can understand what he’s hearing, and they conclude Harry is hearing voices. Meanwhile, Hamlet is the only one who hears the ghost of his father:
In the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry can hear voices coming from a vale between the land of the living and the land of the dead, because he saw death at a very young age. This isolates Harry from other characters, (who have not suffered loss), and they once again think that he is losing his mind.
Hamlet and Harry have a visceral understanding of grief; they understand that when one is experiencing grief, one sees the world in a way that most other people can not comprehend. In a way, insanity is a metaphor for grief, and both characters (both of whom, by the way, spend most of their time wearing black) personify how this grief changes their worldview.
The fundamental difference between Hamlet and Harry Potter could be summarized like this; Hamlet is devoted to his father, Harry to his mother. The ghost of Hamlet’s Father sets the action of Hamlet into motion, as he demands that his son revenge his murder. By contrast, Harry Potter is constantly inspired by his mother. Although he only sees his mother for a short time, it’s what he learns about her that drives many of Harry’s actions. Even after death, the memory of Lilly’s kindness and love not only inspires Harry, but other characters like Snape, Slughorn, Dumbledore, Sirius, and Lupin. Lilly’s memory rallies all the heroes to unite and defeat Voldemort.
In addition, Harry’s choices emulate his mother’s personality more than his father’s. Harry’s primary concerns are to stop Voldemort from taking over the Wizarding World, to show kindness and respect to everyone, and to guard his friends with his life if necessary, just as his mother did for him. In other words, the matriarchal virtues of love, self-sacrifice, and familial devotion drive Harry, not a patriarchal desire for vengeance which drives Hamlet. Therefore, Harry Potter is a more modern Hamlet, driven by a desire to improve a world and a community, rather than just “The royal bed of Denmark,” which Claudius has defiled.
The Melancholy Dane is driven by anger over his father’s untimely and foul murder and the sadness of losing him. Many actors have chosen to play Hamlet as a man who wants revenge, but one for whom vengeance doesn’t come naturally. Hamlet’s conscience, his scruples, his gentleness, and sometimes his sympathy for Claudius, blocks him from quickly taking revenge. In the clip below, Ethan Hawke is literally watching an avenger in a movie (Brandon Lee in The Crow) on a movie screen. It’s as if Hamlet is looking at a reflection of what he wishes he could be- a decisive, ruthless avenger:
As mentioned before Harry Potter’s ability to command loyalty, friendship, and respect from others allows him to accomplish his goals; he succeeds by rallying everyone, his friends, family and even his enemies to unite and fight. By contrast, Hamlet is a man who cannot trust anybody and therefore must rely on his own cunning (and sometimes ruthlessness), in order to achieve his goals.
Harry’s powers to mobilize the best in people are the powers that the dark Lord did not understand. Like a tyrant, Voldemort keeps all the power to himself; he rules by being more powerful than the people around him and inspiring fear. This makes him vulnerable when his foes band together, and his friends desert him, like when Laertes implicates Claudius for killing Hamlet and finds himself alone, friendless, and ready to taste Hamlet’s revenge:
When Shakespeare sat down to write Hamlet, the Elizabethan age was very cut throat- England had gone through the Civil War, violent factions were springing up at court, and Elizabeth herself suffered multiple assassination attempts. Hamlet is very much a product of a time where everyone is worried about being watched and betrayal can happen at any moment. By contrast, Harry Potter was written at another paranoid time- right after the September 11th attacks where racism, homophobia, and xenophobia were (and to a certain extent, still are), ripping the world apart. For all her faults, JK Rowling created a new kind of Hamlet figure, one who tries to bring people together in times of fear and grief, not one who wishes he could be “bounded in a nutshell” or that his “too too solid flesh”Close Reading: “Oh That This Too Too Solid Flesh” would melt away.
3. A Common Ancestor- Hercules
Like all Renaissance playwrights, Shakespeare took inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman sources. Scholars have seen echoes of Orestes, Perseus, and of course, Oedipus in Hamlet, but one Greek myth that pops up in both Hamlet and Harry Potter is the myth of Hercules. Here’s a short list of commonalities:
1. Both heroes defeat a serpent as a baby and is raised by people who aren’t his parents. Hercules strangles snakes in his cradle, Harry defeats Voldemort, and Hamlet (who is still a child), defeats his uncle who is called a serpent by the Ghost.
2. Cursed by a malevolent creature who hates his mother. Harry gets his scar, Hercules is cursed by Hera (his father’s wife, but not his biological mother). Hamlet
3. Labors involving wild beasts- Nemean Lion (sorting hat), Hydra= basilisk. 3. Captures a stag (Conjures a patronus) 4. Boar= Troll 5. Stables= basilisk in the bathroom 6. Stymphalian birds= golden snitch 7. Girdle of Hipolita= Ravenclaw diadem 8. Cattle of Geryon= other horcruxes 9. Golden Apples= mermaid egg guarded by dragon
10 and most obvious- BOTH OF THEM FACE A THREE HEADED DOG
I bring this up because in many ways, Harry Potter, Hamlet, and Hercules are timeless myths that represent what Joseph Campbell called “The Hero’s Journey”- an eternal story of growth, struggle, death, and rebirth that transcends time, place, and cultures.
Another character that shares a lot of similarities with Hamlet and Harry Potter is Luke Skywalker from Star Wars. If you enjoyed this analysis of Shakespeare and Harry Potter, you might enjoy my course on Shakespeare and Star Wars from Outschool.com:
This two-week course is fully online and fully immersive. You can learn about Shakespeare through the lens of Star Wars, (and like this post), you will learn about characters, plots, and the ideas behind classic stories by comparing them to contemporary pop culture. Click the link below to get started:
Title Card- “The Violent Rhetoric Of Julius Caesar”Title for my Outschool class on Codes and Ciphers, inspired by the Disney show “Gravity Falls.”Digital business card for my online classes with a QR code if you want to know moreTitle art for my Outschool course on Shakespeare’s comediesCover art for my Outschool class: “Shakespeare- the Lost Play”Title of my Outschool murder mystery gameTitle image for my online course on “Romeo and Juliet.”Title card for my Outchool Intro To Shakespeare cs.Title art for my Outschool course on Shakespeare’s comediesTitle for my Outschool class in swords and Stage Combat.
Great online classes in Shakespeare and science are available for students all this month at Outschool.com.
From now until June 1st, you can get a $20 discount with referral code PAULHT20. Share the joy with other curious minds in the family too! Spread the word and let’s ignite the passion for learning together!
Class Descriptions
Live Classes
For these classes you meet with me live over Zoom:
Introduction to Shakespeare- Tuesdays 9-9:30AM (EST)
This is my 30 minute short and sweet intro to Shakespeare’s life, his plays, and why his work still matters to us today!
Intro To STage Combat (With SwordS)- Tuesdays 9:30-10AM (EST)-
Like the Intro to Shakespeare class above, this is an intro to the basic footwork, attacks, and defensive parries of swordplays for someone just begeinning to learn about swords.
Title image for my online course on “Romeo and Juliet.”
An Immersive Guide To “Romeo and Juliet- Tuesdays from 10-11AM (EST)
This multi-week course delves into the plot, characters and themes of “Romeo and Juliet,” while also providing interactive activities, virtual tours, and webquests.
Shakespeare’s History Plays- SaturdAYs 8:30 AM IST
This is a new course I’m working on to cover all of Shakespeare’s History plays including Henry V, Richard II, and Richard III. More info as it becomes available.
Asynchronous Classes
These classes are Flex Schedule, which means the teacher prepares the activities in advance and allows you to do them at your own pace without direct consultation.
A flexible schedule class that teaches kids the plot and characters of “Romeo and Juliet,” in the context of a detective story where you solve the mystery of the young lovers’ deaths.
Did you know that Star Wars is based on the ideas and writings of William Shakespeare? This class will teach you about writing and characters though games, interactive activities and dramatic readings of both Star Wars and Shakespeare!
I’m really excited about the Disney Plus release of the Percy Jackson TV show. My family and I are really enjoying it and I think it’s a very good adaptation, (much more faithful than the previous movie versions). The tone is darker, the characters are better fleshed out, and also there’s a much more nuanced take on Percy’s character, which I believe is at the core of the series. The movie is essentially just a fetch quest where Percy is going from location A to location B looking for various magic items and fighting monsters. Movie Percy is a very static character but in the books and the show, they keep all of those journeys but also delve into his complicated relationship with the gods, his own insecurities growing up without a father, and his overwhelming feeling that this world of gods and mortals is fundamentally flawed and that he is the one to fix it.
“Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we’re related for better or for worse…and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum.”
-Percy Jackson, The Sea of Monsters
In short, what makes the show great is that it emphasizes the elements of the book that make it a classic story of a young man who is trying to find his place in the world and complete the quest that his father set for him. Of course, once I started watching it, my Shakespeare Brain activated, and I immediately compared him to Shakespeare’s ultimate example of a hero trying to complete a quest given to him by an absent father- Hamlet. So today I’ll Talk about why I think Percy Jackson is actually a descendant of Hamlet or rather that Hamlet and Percy Jackson are both descendants of the same common ancestor in Greek mythology and touch on what these classic stories can say to us today.
1. The Plot
AI Art I created of Percy Jackson. Nightcreator.com.
As I touched on earlier, there are some glaring similarities between the plots of Percy Jackson and Hamlet- we have a young man who has who hates his stepfather, who is deeply protective of his mother, who goes on a magical quest given to him by his father, (who cannot directly aid him because he’s not physically there). In Percy Jackson, his father is a god- the ancient Greek water god Poseidon, while Hamlet’s father is a ghost. Both heroes have to deal with treachery, uncover a plot, avert potential wars, and get caught up in great military and political power schemes. While Hamlet is trying to restore the rightful heir to the throne (himself), Percy is trying to avoid a war between the gods. Both heroes have stoic sidekicks- Hamlet has Horatio whereas Percy has Annabeth and his friend Grover the Satyr. Hamlet’s friend l Horatio is kind of like a combination of Annabeth’s intelligence and Grover’s kindness and empathy. Finally, both stories conclude in a duel (spoiler alert) where they fight against a near-impossible adversary, and in the end, succeed in their quest, although in Hamlet’s case, he does so at the cost of his own life.
The main difference between these stories is connected to tone and genre- Hamlet is a revenge play, and most Revenge tragedies end in the death of the avenger. Percy Jackson is an adventure quest so based on the conventions, he can succeed, survive, and go off to fight another day. Nevertheless, in terms of the broad outline, the plots are very similar. I would argue this is probably because Hamlet has its roots in many ancient mythological stories like Oedipus, Orestes, and of course, the Danish Viking myth of Amleth. I would argue that both Percy Jackson and Hamlet have a very clear direct common ancestor: the ancient Greek myth of …
As this funny cartoon illustrates, the plots of Percy Jackson and Hamlet can be seen as a modern incarnation of the Perseus myth, from the villainous stepfather to the hero’s protective feelings to the mother to the magical quest to get rid of a stepfather who takes away his birthright. These plot elements follow a very similar formula; as Jake also alluded to, all three of these stories are part of what writers and scholars like to call the monomyth or the “Hero’s journey,” a concept in mythology and storytelling that has inspired works such as Percy Jackson, Star Wars, and many others.
What Is the Monomyth?
Crash Course Mythology- The Monomyth
In 1949, scholar Joseph Campbell wrote a book called “The Hero With a Thousand Faces,” which posited that every culture has stories that fit into universal archetypes- that essentially all human cultures have unique stories, but also call to mind universal truths about humanity. He then distilled the common archetypes and plot tropes of these myths into something called “The monomyth” or “The Hero’s Journey,” a 17-step process that is at the core of many ancient myths, modern adventure stories, or revenge stories such as Hamlet. Below are some of the common tropes of the Hero’s Journey. When you see it spelled out like this, it is very clear that both Hamlet, Percy Jackson, and Perseus follow the Monomyth formula:
Where’s the glory in repeating what others have done?
The Lightining Thief
Every Greek hero starts with a call to adventure- Theseus finds his father’s sword and sets out to find him. Oedipus needs to lift the plague on Thebes, and Hamlet needs to find out why his father’s ghost has returned.
A Half-Blood of the eldest gods, Shall reach sixteen against all odds And see the world in endless sleep The Hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap A single choice shall end his days Olympus to preserve or raze.
The Oracle- Sea of Mosters
Part II: Refusing the Call
If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.
The Lighting Thief
I won’t go looking for trouble. I usually don’t have to
Neither Hamlet nor Percy outright refuse to go on their quests, but both experience doubts. Percy, looking at how the gods have cursed and fought and betrayed each other, wonders whether or not they deserve his help:
Percy watches the story of the gods in the Tunnel of Love (Episode 5, Disney Plus 2024.)
Hamlet on the other hand, is so worried that the ghost is trying to deceive him into killing an innocent man, that he nearly kills himself in the most famous speech in all of Shakespeare.
Part III: Supernatural Aide
Supernatural Aid – A magical helper appears or becomes known
Go on with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all.
The Nereiads, Lighting Thief Chapter 17
Both Percy and Perseus get help from the gods- magical weapons, advice, etc. Hamlet gets the revelation from his father that his uncle killed him and how. What sets Hamlet apart from any number of myths is that, since there’s no tangible evidence that his father was there, Hamlet is not sure if his father helped him, or if he is going insane.
Suspecting and knowing are not the same.
-The Lighting Thief
Crossing the first threshold
In Perseus, the first threshold would be when he leaves Acrisius’ palace and sails to the island of Cerebos. In Percy Jackson, this would be when he leaves Yancy Academy and goes to Camp Half-Blood, and in Hamlet, it would be when he meets the ghost.
My fate cries out, and makes each petty artery in this body as hardy as the Nemian Lion’s mane. Still am I called!
Hamlet, Act I, Scene iii.
Belly of THe BEast
There’s always a part of the story when a character feels they are in too deep. Sometimes it’s a literal belly of the beast- Pinocchio and the whale, Luke Skywalker and the Sarlaac pit, Frodo when he reaches Mordor, and Agent K in Men In Black when he literally gets eaten by the Bug. In Percy Jackson, it would definitely be when he journeys to Hades, like many Greek heroes like Orpheus or Hercules.
I’d love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, et cetera.
The truth? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!.
Usually, the belly of the beast occurs near the climax of the story- the ultimate test of the hero’s courage and resolve. For Hamlet, this would be the duel with Laertes- he’s in a situation where Claudius has total control of what he does.
“You weren’t able to talk sense into him?” “Well, we kind of tried to kill each other in a duel to the death.” “I see. You tried the diplomatic approach.” (The Sea of Monsters)
I’ll get into a deeper summary of the steps of the Hero’s journey on my podcast later this month, but to summarize, the Hero’s Journey is essentially a story of growth, maturity, and enlightenment. It’s not a coincidence that all three of these heroes are young men who leave home and then return to confront an evil stepfather or uncle. Campbell regarded the Hero’s journey as a metaphor for young men growing up, learning about themselves, gaining confidence in themselves and their abilities, and taking their rightful place in society by displacing a corrupt older authority figure. This is also why these stories often resonate with young people, and why storytellers like Disney often use the Hero’s Journey as a template for children’s movies.
These universal stories of growing up, maturity, and a life worth living have always inspired people and even though the stories have different purposes and the plots take different forms, the core of what makes them universal remains the same.
The Shakespearean Student 