Mythic Comparison: Hercules, Jason, Daedalus

Mythic Comparison: Hercules, Jason, Daedalus

The story of Daedalus and Icarus stands in notable contrast to the stories of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece, and the Twelve Labors of Hercules. Jason and Hercules are heroes who do the impossible, and succeed against all odds. However, Daedalus and Icarus challenge the conventional boundaries the gods put upon humanity and fail. Daedalus is imprisoned by King Minos, after being compelled to build the Labyrinth to house the bestial Minotaur. Cleverly, much like Hercules cleans the Augean stables, Daedalus finds a way out, by making wings for himself and his young son, Icarus. The two men fly away from the island. But while Daedalus counsels his young son not to fly to close to the sun, Icarus cannot resist, the wax on his wings melt, and the young man falls into the ocean and drowns.

The dangers of aspiring too high initially do not seem applicable to Hercules, who is the strongest man in the world and is given greater license to defy the laws of gravity. Hercules is forced to perform twelve labors, but he does so successfully as a result of his divine qualities. Jason triumphs because he is given the aid of an outside, divine source in the form of Medea's witchcraft. Yet even Jason's story ends in tragedy, as he is forced to marry the non-Greek sorceress who helped him win the fleece. He tries to divorce her, but she kills their two small children and his younger fiancee in retaliation, after leaving, unscathed in a winged chariot. Like Daedalus, Jason tries to exceed the bounds of humanity and fails. And also like Daedalus, his children are more directly penalized than their overreaching father. With both of these stories, the lesson is clear -- hubris is dangerous, and will be punished.

But why must Hercules suffer his labors? The queen of the gods, outraged because her husband Zeus had a tryst with a mortal, cannot lash out at Zeus. So she makes the product of that union, Hercules, go mad, so he kills his wife and child. Once again, the sense of someone exceeding the bounds placed by the gods of humanity (in this case, being the child of Zeus) is punished, although Hercules is able to use his divine attributes to overcome Hera's wrath and endure his punishment.

But of course perhaps the most notable example in Greek mythology of hubris is that of Oedipus. Oedipus, it is forecast, will kill his father and murder his mother. Upon hearing of this prophesy, his father Laius abandons the young son. But the boy is raised by commoners. Oedipus leaves this simple couple once he learns of his fate, from the Oracle and Delphi when he comes of age. After wandering for a long time, he kills Laius, who is a stranger to him, in the road, in a dispute -- the gods, hiding Laius' identity, much like Hercules was blinded by madness and induced to kill his wife by Hera.