CHARACTERS

Hercules- the greatest hero

before Trojan War, son of Zeus

and Alcmena

Alcmena – wife of

Amphitryon, mother of

Hercules.

Zeus – Father of Hercules.

Amphitryon- son of Alcaeus,

king of Tiryns.

Iphicles- son of Alcmena and

Amphitryon and brother of

Hercules.

Iolaus- nephew of Hercules who

helped him with his 2nd labor.

Megara- the first wife of

Hercules.

Deianira-second wife of

Hercules.

Eurystheus-ruler of

Mycenae, cousin of Hercules.

PLOT

Zeus copied the face of Amphytrion to fool Alcmena and they produced

Hercules.

Hercules was raised by Amphitrion and Alcmena.

Hera wanted to kill the baby Hercules by sending snakes but Hercules

only played with it.

Hercules grew up to be the strongest person in the world but not the

brightest

He is impulsive and sometimes under estimate his strength that he

would kill someone out of rage

Hercules married Megara and had two sons with her

Hera was angry for Zeus’ infidelity that she swore to make Hercules’ life

miserable

Hera put a spell on Hercules that drove him insane and made him kill

his own family.

Hercules felt remorse and consulted the oracle to ask what he must do to

redeem himself

He was instructed to do the 12 labors

12 LABORS OF HERCULES

1st Labors

To kill the Lion of Nemea, a

beast no weapon could kill.

2nd Labors

Go to Lerna and kill the creature

with nine heads called Hydra.

3rd Labors

To bring back alive a Stag with gold

horns, sacred to Artemis.

4th Labors

To capture a great Erymanthean Boar in

Mount Erymanthus.

5th Labors

To clean the Aegean

Stables in a single day.

6th Labors

Hercules was pitted against the

Stymphalian birds, who inhabited a

marsh near Lake Stymphalus in

Arcadia.

7th Labors 8th Labors

Go to Crete and fetch from there

the beautiful savage bull that

Poseidon had given to Minos called

Cretan Bull.

To get the man-eating mares of

King Diomedes of Thrace.

9th Labors

10th Labors

To bring back the Girdle of

Hippolyta, the Queen of

Amazons.

To bring back the Cattle of Geryon,

who was a monster with three bodies

living Erythia , a western island.

11th Labors

12th Labors

To bring back the Golden

Apples of Hesperides.

He met Atlas, the father of

HesperidesTo bring Cerberus, the three-

headed dog from the underworld.

DEATH OF HERCULES

After the twelve labors, Hercules had different many adventures.

Deinera, the second wife of Hercules made a love potion to keep him

faithful but it had been poisoned with Hydra venom and Hercules died in

agony.

THEME

Great sincerity, honesty and virtue.