SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN

THE DESIGN SCHOOL

FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT

NAME: MOHAMAD HAFIZI BIN SIDRATUL MUNTAHA

STUDENT ID NO: 0315470

FILMS SELECTED: HERCULES (1997) & SUPERMAN (1978)

WORD COUNT: 1064

ENGLISH 2 (ENGL 0205)

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY

LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA

SUBMISSION DATE: 18th APRIL 2014

In the planet Krypton, Superman was a normal person but he is an alien on Earth, thus his everyday abilities appear super-human to us lowly earthlings. Superman is also known as Man of Steel, America’s favourite hero who lives like an ordinary man and has an ordinary name; Clark Kent. Also, he held an ordinary job at a newspaper company. He can move faster than a speeding bullet, he can bend steel with his bare hands and he conquers evil villains. Whereas Hercules was born of a mortal human mother but had been sired by the god, Zeus which resulted in his super-human abilities. The story of Hercules has been talked about more than 3000 years old and Disney has made an animated movie out of it. As a baby, he strangled two deadly snakes. As a teen, he grew eight feet tall. As an adult, he fought bloodthirsty monsters and rescued beautiful ladies. Both men have a few similarities, such as they were both sent to Earth when they were little, having super strengths, having a weakness and lastly their strengths are determined by their feelings.

In the movie Superman (1978), Superman was born in the planet Krypton. The planet was about to explode in thirty days due to the planet’s orbital shift that has been out of place. Superman’s father, Jor-El and his wife, Lara, have constructed a crystalline spaceship for their infant. They launched the spaceship with their son in it and it was directed to another galaxy. The spaceship took 4 years to reach Earth and it crashed in a small town called Smallvile in Kansas. During that time, an old couple found him because it was a coincidence that their car broke down and they say Superman crashed like a meteor whereas Hercules was born on Mount Olympus. His father, Zeus and his wife were celebrating the birth of their son and they invited everyone including The Lord of the Underworld, Hade. Hade wasn’t pleased with the birth of Hercules. After that, Hade returned to the Underworld and met up with the three Fates, who told Hades that in 18 years, when the planets align, if he unleashes the Titans, who were imprisoned by Zeus, he will defeat Zeus and rule over all. However, there is a possibility that Hercules could stop him. In result, Hade assigned his minions to turn Hercules’ mortal, and kill him. So, his minions brought him to Earth to kidnap him.

The next similarity is that both Superman and Hercules have super strength. Superman was born with it due to the gravitational force in Krypton is stronger. Thus, making the creatures in the planet having bigger muscles and extraordinary powers. Superman also was an ‘alien’ to human beings. His body could withstand thousands of tonnes, he once prevent a bus falling from the Golden Gate Bridge and he saved a moving train from crashing by using his body as a rail track. The Demi God, however, was set into a trap and had to contend with a 3-headed monster. After finding out that cutting off one head it produces 3 more, Hercules ends up crushing the beast with a rockslide. The defeat of the Hydra causes the citizens of Thebes to acknowledge Hercules as a hero, and further angered Hades.

Furthermore, both of the extraordinary heroes have weaknesses. Superman’s most famous weakness is kryptonite. Which is originated as a radioactive fragments of the planet Krypton, created by fusion during the explosion that destroyed it. Superman's cells store electromagnetic radiation from the rays of a yellow sun, and convert it into energy, manifesting as his super-powers. When Superman is exposed to the most common variety, green kryptonite (within roughly ten feet or less of any size or amount), its high-band radiation rapidly interferes with this process, causing severe physical pain and the loss of his powers (or at least a portion of them). Long enough exposure to green kryptonite may eventually lead to death. Hercules was bestowed with almost inhuman strength but with an intelligence of a child. Hade once told his minions to disguise as Hercules’ crush, Megara and seduced him to drink a potion. With Hercules’ intelligence, he wasn’t smart enough to think

that was Hade’s minions. Thus, he drank the potion and he was kidnapped to the Underworld to take his mortal away.

Lastly, their feelings determine their powers. This shows when Superman sensed his lover, Lois, was in danger. Her car broke down in the middle of a desert and she was swallowed by as enormous fissure, effectively burying her alive. Superman dug into the fissure and saved her but he was too late. She suffocated and died. He then recalled the time that he failed to save his friend, and he became determined to save Lois. He screamed and raged to the sky, flying around Earth’s perimeter, flying faster and faster eventually reversing the planet's rotation and pulling time back with it. He soon fixes it back to it's original direction and uses the extra time to get to Lois before her car is buried. In Hercules’ story, he was shocked when he heard Megara has died. In result, he went to the Underworld and made a deal with Hade that he will take Meg's place if he rescues her from the River of Death. Hades accepted the deal; sure that Hercules will die before he can save her. It seems Hercules will die, but upon reaching Meg, he suddenly began to glow yellow, having achieved god status by risking his life to save her. Hercules managed to get Meg out of the River of Death, much to Hades ranting and protestations, several of which cause Hercules to send him flying into the river, where the dead attempt to drown him.

During his life, Hercules went on some incredible missions. Need someone to steal golden apples? Rescue a golden-horned deer? Bring a dog back from the underworld? Hercules was your man. His specialty was conquering beasts. Huge bulls, gigantic lions, man-eating horses—he subdued them all. No wonder he became known for making the world safe for humankind. Superman will always hear every scream of help in every corner of the city. Once he hears a cry for help, he’ll be there in a blink of an eye and no matter what situation it is, he will be your saviour.

References:

1. Hercules & Superman (2010, November 22). Scope. Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://scholastic.com/scope

2. Superman (1978) - Synopsis. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078346/synopsis?ref_=ttpl_pl_syn

3. Hercules (1997) - Synopsis. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2014, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119282/synopsis?ref_=ttpl_pl_syn