Timothy Beard

ARHU 122-001

Br. Lynn Botelho

Disney and Dante

The Disney movie Hercules is an immediate identifier when it comes to the circles of

hell. This is because the main story is based in Greek mythology. The first of the characters to be

analyzed is Hades, god of the underworld. The second is Megara. The final character to be

analyzed is Hercules himself. The circles of hell consist of Limbo, the circle of the non-believers,

Lust, circle of adulterers, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery

(Staggs).

Hades should belong in the fourth circle of hell, Greed. He would reside here because of

his endless pursuit of power. He does this because of his hate for his job as the god of the

underworld. He wishes to overthrow Zeus from his thrown and take his job as “King of the

Deities” (Hades). The struggle and desire for wealth and physical power from Hades would be

directly in line with the sinners who are in the fourth circle of hell (Alighieri, canto VII, lines 61-

66).

Megara is the second protagonist, after Hercules. She would be placed in the second

circle of hell, which is Lust. She would be placed here because she sold her soul to Hades to

revive her lover. “The next is she who killed herself for love…” (Alighieri, canto V, line 61).

This quote of a women killing herself for love indirectly lines up with what Megara did to save

her lover.
 Hercules would be committed to the fifth circle of hell, anger, for his wrathful fighting.

He could also fit into the circle of violence; however, he would be more in line with anger

because he only acted in violence against raging beasts. Hercules would belong in the fifth circle

because of his anger and spite driving him to fight. “They fought each other, not with hands

alone, but struck with head and chest and feet as well,” (Alighieri, Canto VII, lines 112-113).

This quote shows that anger and violence are closely intertwined and the perpetrator can be sent

either to the fifth or the seventh circle of hell depending on the nature of the crimes they commit.

I believe that the nature of Hercules’ crime would have him sent to the fifth circle due to his

violence being directed mostly at gangly beasts, and not humans.

In conclusion, I believe Hades, Megara, and Hercules all deserve their own differing

places in the nine circles of hell. I believe that Hades belongs in the fourth circle of hell, greed.

Megara belongs in the second circle of hell because of her lustful actions to save her lover.

Finally, I believe that Hercules deserves to be in the fifth circle for his wrath. The decision on

which circle of hell each character belongs in is entirely subjective, and the deciding factor will

never be entirely known.

Works Cited

Alighieri, Dante, et al. The Divine Comedy, Vol. 1: Hell. Washingon Square Press, 1966.

Staggs, Matt. “A Visitor’s Guide to Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell: Penguin Random House.”
PenguinRandomhouse.Com, Penguin Random House,
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/articles/a-visitors-guide-to-dantes-nine-circles-of-hell/.
Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.

Wiki, Contributors to Disney. “Hades.” Disney Wiki, Fandom, Inc.,

disney.fandom.com/wiki/Hades. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.
Wiki, Contributors to Disney. “Megara.” Disney Wiki, Fandom, Inc.,
disney.fandom.com/wiki/Megara. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.