Versions of Jason and the Argonauts - Literature review Example

Client Watching an Ancient Story: Jason and the Argonauts (2000) Film versions of classic stories are subject to the same kind of re-interpretation that is seen in oral traditions of story telling. The story of Jason and the Argonauts has been handed down for generations and was adjusted to the various audiences that it was intended. The accepted version was adapted as an epic by Apollonius of Rhodes called the Argonautica which was written in the 3rd century BC. A version by Valerius Flaccus, which was written in the late 1st century AD does not appear to be finished. These sources have been used by Mathew Faulk and Mark Skeet and directed by Nick Willing. Made for a modern audience, this film diverges from the original myth in order to tell a story that is more satisfying to the contemporary audience. The oral traditions of epic poems and tales are the foundation from which the story originates. The story is Greek in origin and uses the traditional Greek gods as the moral compasses from which the story is guided. As stories are handed down and are presented to new audiences they are adjusted to have greater impact on their audience. As in the game ’grapevine’ where a large group of people start at one end and whisper something in the first ear, by the end of the retelling it is often greatly changed. In a book 1 Client Last Name by Jan Vansina called Oral Tradition as History, it is written that “epics contain hundreds or thousands of verses and present a complex tale full of wonders and heroism centered around a main personage.“ (Vansina, p. 25) As an epic poem is brought down through the generations it is not important that the details of the story remain unchanged. “What is essential to the historian is that the wording is totally free, provided the form is correct.” (Vansina, p. 25) In other words, the original story may evolve and change, but the style used to convey the story must be correct. Many stories are based on an historical event, but the events have been altered and enhanced by the use of magical tales of the gods to the point that the historical value has been lost. It is unclear if the story of Jason is based on historical events. A nautical journey may have been taken by a prince named Jason which affected his ability to retake a throne. It’s possible that he was a captain of a ship with no connection to royalty. There is some tradition that suggests that Jason is the legendary founder of the city of Aemona, today Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. The coat of arms of that city has a dragon that is derived from the story of Jason. One interesting note on the telling of this story is that the figure of Talos, a bronze automaton, might be the first idea of a robotic human in history. “he may have been the last of a generation of men of bronze, originally sprung from the ash trees, and who survived to the age of the demi-gods.” (Haughton, p. 125) It is also theorized, says Haughton, that he may have been created by Hephaestus, a Greek god who was known for building and forging mechanical recreations of life. 2 Client Last Name Some of the characters from the poem show up in other stories in Greek mythology. Heracles has many stories in which he is the main character and the hero. In other stories he is not the hero, but the moral equivalent to prideful behavior, or what is known as hubris. The Greek gods Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, and Poseidon are frequent characters of Greek stories and myths. Orpheus has his own story that overlaps with Jason’s. These characters are not limited to the story of the Argonauts and the traditions that created these long and wondrous tales create a complex and compelling resource for storytelling of all genres from which to reuse. As the story is told in movie form, the 2000 version of Jason and the Argonauts changes the name of Heracles into the more commonly known name in Roman tradition of Hercules. The name Hercules is more commonly known to modern audiences. The actor Brian Thompson adopts this role with the usual gusto associated with Hercules. This change is interesting in what it accomplishes for the audience and the film. By using a name that is more familiar to the audience, but is inaccurate to the story, the filmmaker has created an anchor for the viewer to previous knowledge of this character. This can act as a way for the audience member to make associations to the other myths that surround this genre. Hercules has been used with Greek traditions by modern audiences since the time of the Renaissance. From depictions of Greek art, through the animated Disney film, the Roman equivalent of Heracles has been the version most commonly used. The use of the name Hercules as opposed to Heracles is interesting historically. 3 Client Last Name Hercules is suppose to be the son of Zeus with a mortal woman. However his Greek name version, Heracles, “means "glory of Hera." What is really interesting is that Heracles is the hero whom Hera is always attempting to destroy! What is also interesting is that the scholars do not address the reason why such a discrepancy exists!” (Rings) By use of the name Hercules, the tradition of animosity between Hera and Heracles is somewhat diminished. As time has passed, modern audiences have come to know this character by his Roman name and the choice to make this change reinforces the diminished use of the traditional Greek name. Ironically, in the film Hercules is declared the son of Hera and his entire back story is changed by this difference. As well, the hubris that has been associated with Hercules has been changed in modern retelling of his story. His strength has become the focus of his characteristics and he is admired for that aspect without the moral lessons his character embodied for the Greeks Moral lessons in Greek myths were an important way for the societal expectations of Greek communities to be taught and continued. Sir Kenneth Dover in his recent survey of ancient Greek popular morality notes that the Greek tendency was to think of the individual not as a moral agent but in terms of his usefulness for a function or a purpose. Hence the Greek would ask not “How can we be fair to this individual?” but, what action . . . is likely to have the best consequences for the strength of the community? (Mitchell, p. 123) However, as our modern interpretation of the importance of individual morality in relationship to rights has evolved, so has our interpretation of the Greek myths. One important break in tradition in the film was the scene where Jason must 4 Client Last Name defeat an army that springs from the sown teeth of the dragon. In the myth, Jason throws a stone into the center of the army so that they turn on each other and are destroyed. In this film version Jason fights the army. A heroic display of valor against impossible odds will engage the modern audience and create great admiration for the hero involved. A clever ploy that tricks the enemies into defeat does not have the same kind of impact on a modern audience than it did during a time when one person was relating the entire epic. A storyteller must engage the audience into visualizing the tale. A filmmaker has the advantage of a large crew to facilitate the needs of the story. When the audience is able to see the epic hero at work, the hero is expected to accomplish what that average man cannot. The way that we value heroes has changed. It is not the clever solution that impresses modern audiences, but the impossibly brave solution. In Valerius Flaccus’ version a poignant section is seen with Medea in regards to her actions in putting the snake to sleep who guards the fleece. Medea, seeing it helpless, ran to it, weeping tears for pity’s sake, and in shame for her own cruel behavior. “Never once in the darkest night,” she exclaimed, “did I see you asleep at your post like this, when I brought you the honey-caked supper (Flaccus, p. 1) As the translator describes the work of Flaccus, “This piece is playful, unpredictable, oddly contrarian, sometimes almost mannerist. . . of Medea’s to sleep so Jason can filch the fleece involves a gesture that no other Latin poet I know would have thought to try - a brief moment in Medea’s head when she allows herself to feel sorry for the snake:” (Flaccus, p. 1) This empathy is seen more often in stories from the past. In modern 5 Client Last Name stories it is rare to see pity for a beast. Our contemporary sense of competition tends to label entities in our stories as either evil or good. This black and white mentality is indicative of our xenophobic nature that tends to overlook the understanding of motive in favor of profiling according to what we have been lead to believe is the right or wrong of things. In the film the characters take on this concept of good and evil. While they are given a proper amount of dimension, it is not elaborated upon and motivation gives way to a sense that evil simply is evil without causality. The character of Pelias, who is wonderfully played by Dennis Hopper, arrives in the first scenes to simply kill his brother, take his kingdom, and marry his wife. Earlier motivation is not examined, nor is it relevant. The character has a sense of madness and acts with the pure motivation of the attainment of power. He strikes down his brother without hesitation and then seeks out his son, the next heir to the throne. The son, Jason, is rescued, but the mother is left to the will of Pelias. When Jason discovers his identity through a dream, with some clarification from his centuarian mentor, he starts his journey to seek out his birthright. When he meets Pelias, the identity that has been ascribed to this usurper remains that of a man who is intrinsically evil. There is no sign of humanity, but rather a deliberate madness pervades the character choices. Jason approaches Pelias with a sense of humility and grace. He doesn’t bluster in with pride and demands, but rather seeks out his mother and heritage. When Pelias threatens the life of his mother unless Jason brings back the golden fleece, 6 Client Last Name only then does Jason agree to this task. In modern aesthetics, the idea that one would take on a quest for the sake of a throne would seem ridiculous. Our ideals are much more conducive to the understanding of the madman making ridiculous demands and the hero acquiescing in order to save a life. The concept that heroism is a title to be attained through actively seeking out adventure does not play well with the modern audience. In this age we see this as a sign of arrogance to actively seek out a treasure without an altruistic purpose behind the quest. In the film, we see this cause as the threat against the mother. In other words, Jason does seeking the power of the throne is not his main motivation. As well, in modern popular storytelling we do not commonly associate the importance of art in relationship to the hero. The character of Orpheus is presented rather uniquely in the film. His introduction as a member of the crew is met with a certain amount of disdain. As he is handed the drum to keep the time for the rowers, he is given a look that clearly indicated that Argos, the ship’s builder, is clearly unimpressed. However, the role of Orpheus is respected in more ancient versions. His role as a singer is revered. In the Argonautica Chiron, the centaur, warns Jason that Orpheus will be necessary for the journey. As it turns out, it is only by the music of Orpheus that Jason and the Argonauts are able to overcome the powerful song of the sirens and escape the watery death that awaits them should they fall victim to that song. Even before his value is made evident, his value is shown respect by Apollonius. Robert V. Albis states in his book, Poet and Audience in the Argonautica by Apollonius, that Apollonius writes that 7 Client Last Name “while Orpheus plays his music and the fish follow, the breeze continuously follows the ship. The continuity of both Orpheus’ song and the blowing of the breeze, the sense of which is underscored by the imperfect tense of the verbs, invites one to associate the forward movement of the ship with the composition of poetry.” (Albis, p 49) This respect for Orpheus is not made relevant in the film. A very interesting aspect that the medium of film presents the opportunity to give a visual account is that of ’bull-leaping”, something that is shown on ancient Greek art. As Jason is collecting his crew he comes across Laertes as he is making his leap over a bull. Although, the stunt is not accurately depicted. It is assumed by scholars that bull-leaping was accomplished as the acrobat leapt into the air and grabbed the horns. The bull then jerked his head and propelled the acrobat into the air so that he could perform somersaults over the back end of the bull. In the film, Laertes leaps over the bulls horns, places his hands on the back of the bull and then somersaults over the back end. Some sources describe this method as a plausible method. Bull-leaping in Crete was a complex and dangerous acrobatic game during which young men mostly and women would perform spectacular leaps on the back of running bulls. Naturally, using the bulls required catching them and taming them. Although bull games were known in other prehistoric cultures as well - such as the Egyptian - it is the Minoans who reached the highest level of competency in this sport. (Bull Leaping) There are pieces of artwork, such as a Bull-leaping, fresco, and an ivory figure from the Great Palace at Knossos, Crete that depict the activity that is often associated with rituals of bull worship. 8 Client Last Name One aspect of the film that greatly differs from the original myths is that the ending is very different. In the film, Jason kills Pelias. This is done because modern audiences want to see their hero take final revenge on the villain. A modern audience does not appreciate the clever trickery that is pervasive within the original myths. In the original myth, the three daughters of Pelias, who do not show up in the film, are tricked into hacking their father into pieces so that Medea may raise him from the dead, young and vibrant. Medea does this with a sheep and turns it to a lamb by adding magical herbs. After the daughters chop up their father, Medea does not add the herbs, therefore leaving Pelias dead. As well, in the film the story of the end of Jason is not accurate. In search of a ’happy ending’, the Argos is set fire as a funeral pyre for the dead shipbuilder of the same name. In the myth, Jason is felled by the falling of the ship’s deterioration as he sleeps beneath the bow. Jason has committed treachery that makes this ending acceptable. After all that Medea has done for him on his journey, he chooses to marry Creusa, a daughter of the King of Corinth, for political reasons. “Sissyphus was a king of Corinth and presumably it was his wealth, inherited by Creon, that was delivered to Jason as at least a part of Creusa’s dowry.” (Ovid, p. 115) However, in the film Jason marries Medea and they live happily ever after as the King and Queen. In film and popular contemporary story telling it is the happy ending that is most satisfying to the audience. Sometimes an innovative and brave storyteller will create an ending where the hero does not win, but in most tales it is the happy ending - the happily ever after moment - that is 9 Client Last Name used to seal the deal with the audience. This satisfaction is more prevalent in modern times. One example of this is the re-adaptations of Grimm Fairy Tales. At the end of Cinderella she does marry her prince, however of the step-sisters it reads that “the doves pecked the other eye from each sister. And so they were punished for their wickedness and malice.” (Grimm, p. 127). In this example one can immediately compare this to the modern Disney version where no such horror takes place. Modern sensitivities to certain kinds of violence and sorrows have changed the way stories are told. When such tortures and punishments are met out it is under the hand of the wicked, not as a valid punishment for the wicked. When stories end it is not desirable to have the hero of the story have done anything that deserves a bad ending. Modern ideas look to have infallible heroes. Weaknesses are of the tragic, yet understandable variety that do not diminish the accomplishments of the hero, but enhance his sympathetic role. Any sign of a weakness that can be described as a sin would not allow the audience the privilege of revering that hero. As well, our heroine, Medea has changed in this version of the story. In the myth, Medea kills Jason’s two sons that she has bore to him. The reasons vary through the different versions, but this act by Medea would not be tolerated by a modern audience. Therefore, in the film, after her good service to Jason, she is rewarded as his wife. This is what a modern audience can understand. In this age the succession and political nature of ancient marriage has become a foreign concept. The modern age, for the most part, 10 Client Last Name marries for love. When love is not the prime reason for marriage, it is considered tragic. In order to reach the common societal beliefs of the modern age the film changed the endings of Jason and Medea in order to bring a closure to which this type of audience was accustomed. The tone of the film radiates a warmth that is similar to the epic poems. While the writing of the dialogue tends to be stiff, the film is given a warm hue of overall color. The creation of Jason is done with a humility and lack of swagger that one might expect from a larger than life hero. He is gentle, even though it is necessary for him to fight and conquer. The narrative tone is reminiscent of a poetry as the audience is carried through a magical journey which feels ancient. Even with modern concepts reinterpreting the story, the ideas ring true as being an old tale to the audience. This venue is successful because of the effort made on behalf of the filmmakers to enhance the film with an aged appeal. There is effort, as in the bull-leaping scene, to bring in things from the historical culture of the Greek society. The story is told with attention to what imitates what is known to be true, with what will impress the modern audience. Apollonius of Rhodes wrote for an early Greek audience. His character of Jason was filled with weakness and depended on his crew to carry him through his challenges. He depended on the gods to oversee his journey without himself solving very many of the issues that confronted him. Compared with Medea the character of Jason is tame and insipid. Endowed with the radiant beauty of Apollo he is brave and gallant as heroes are wont to be, and steadfastly fulfils his task of recovering the golden fleece. He is 11 Client Last Name tactful, lovable, and urbane in his dealings with his comrades, and is slow to wrath even when provoked by the taunting words of the Colchian king. He is prone to exhibit a soft sentimentality, seen also in the character of Aeneas which is largely modeled on that of Jason. In his intercourse with Medea he displays a calculating and deliberate selfishness which reappears as the dominant note in his character in the play of Euripides. We cannot discern in him the qualities of a leader of men. (Mooney) As with many traditional Greek heroes, Jason’s weaknesses are very human, thus allowing the frailty of the human emotional experience to be portrayed and emphasized by a heroic character. Remarkable more for his depressive episodes and his beauty than for his skills in battle or in other traditional epic pursuits, Jason has been labeled everything from a love-hero to an anti-hero to a realistic human being. (Herschkowitz, p. 105) Breaking from the traditional hero created by Homer in Odysseus or Achilles, Jason has less of the traditional heroic qualities one might expect in a Greek epic. This characterization differs from the version created by Valerius Flaccus. In the version by Flaccus we see a different Jason. As Flaccus writes for an audience that has highly dramatic entertainment available in the form of the intensity of Colosseum and of a more advanced theater in Rome, he appeals to the needs of a cheering audience as opposed to the moralizing nature of the Greek epic. The audience expects heroes to behave with strength, confidence, and fortitude. “The Jason of Valerius Flaccus is an outstanding success. He is heroic in the full measure demanded by an epic saga; he excels in courage and leadership; he is handsome, dashing and has a colorful and attractive (quality)”. (Herschkowitz, p. 105) In the poem by Flaccus one sees a hero that 12 Client Last Name resembles more closely the heroes to which contemporary audiences are more accustomed. In the 2000 film version, Jason is portrayed as very young. Youth is an interesting concept when examined historically. According to Frans Theuws and Nico Roymans, authors of Land and Ancestors, “for premodern societies the average life expectancy at birth is usually estimated to be 25 years.” (Theuws, p. 167) While this information is tainted by higher mortality rates in infants, it still shows a less likely ability to become what we might consider elderly. In other words, in ancient times one would have to make accomplishments much earlier in life. Generally speaking, the cinema will show a hero who is in his late twenties or early thirties. In earlier film and episodic television, Jason was shown to be an older man. In this version, Jason appears to be in his late teens or possibly just past twenty. Historically speaking, this would be a reasonable idea that a male of this age could find himself leading a group of men on a quest in a myth or story. A modern audience tends to look at youth as automatic immaturity. In this way, the film has embraced an ideal from another age. The character of Jason in the film is shown to be thoughtful, brave and righteous. He is shown to be naïve, but with a willingness to acquiesce to those with more experience without compromising his ideals. His cause is just and is intended to right a wrong that was committed by his uncle. The idea that he is brave and generous of heart creates a difference between the Apollonius version, the Flaccus version, and the 2000 film version. When the ending is changed to reflect a ‘happy ending’ for Medea and 13 Client Last Name Jason, a strong statement is made about the expectations of the modern audience in regards to the moral character of the hero. Jason must not only be brave, but he must do what is right in the process. The story of “Jason and the Argonauts” has been handed down through many generations, written into epic poems within different centuries, and changed to adapt to the needs of the audience for whom it played. The characters change and evolve as the storyline must flex to the ideals and societal structures that affect their details. In the 2000 production of Jason and the Argonauts a riveting story of myth, magic, and heroism has been created to be devoured by a modern audience. Changes have been made to accommodate that audience, but the historical essence remains. The basic storyline has survived ages of retelling and can impact the audience of the modern age in a positive, entertaining manner. 14 Client Last Name Works Cited Albis, Robert V. Poet and Audience in the Argonautica by Apollonius. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1996 “Bull Leaping in Minoan Crete”. 20, November 2008 Flaccus, Gaius Valerius, The Voyage of the Argo. Trans. David R. Slavitt. Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999. Haughton, Brian. Hidden History. New Jersey: The Career Press, Inc., 2007. Herschkowitz, Debra. Valerius Flaccus Argonautica: Abbreviated Voyages in Silver Latin Epic. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998. Grimm, Jacob. The Annotated Brothers Grimm. Trans. Maria Tater. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc, 2004. Mitchell, Basil. Morality, Religious and Secular. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980. Mooney, George W. “The Argonautica” . May 2005 Cultural Heritage Language Technologies. 23 November 2008. Ovid, Harold Isbell. Heroides. London: Penguin Books, 1990. Rings, Lana. Herakles, (Hercules) The “Glory of Hera”. 2007. Department of Modern Languages: German. 20 November 2008 15 Client Last Name Theuws, Frans and Roymans, Nico. Land and Ancestors. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 1999. Vansina, Jan. Oral Tradition as History . Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1985. 16 Read More