Contextual Analysis

Mythology Contextual Analysis

Media Text #1 - Beowulf (2007 Film):

Beowulf is a 2007 film directed by Robert Zemeckis and is based on the Old English narrative poem of the same name. It tells the story of the legendary hero Beowulf and his battles with Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a dragon.

The movie takes place in early medieval Denmark, in the year 507 A.D. 

The movie alludes to this place in time in numerous ways, which can be broken down using semiotic analysis. One example is the cobblestone architecture, an Index, which indicates a different time period in comparison to modern architecture.  The architecture in this time period uses notably primitive materials compared to today, consisting of mainly stone and wood. The walls are also covered in torches used for lighting up the hall, which indicates primitive technology.

Another example is the use of gold and jewels as currency for trading, as seen in the beginning scene where the king throws handfuls of gold into the crowd.

The movie generally follows the poem's narrative beats but has taken some creative liberties in relation to Beowulf's actions and the consequences it ends up having.

In the original poem, the Equilibrium is disrupted by a troll-like monster named Grendel as he attacks King Hrothgar's mead hall (named Heorot).

Beowulf, learning of this disruption, attempts to repair the damage by traveling to help Hrothgar and slay Grendel.

After fatally wounding Grendel by ripping off his arm, Grendel's Mother is angered by her son's death and sets out to get revenge and attacks Heorot.

After the attack, Beowulf and his men track her down to her lair, and she too is slain by Beowulf.

 

Beowulf then returns home and becomes king of his people.

Years later, a dragon becomes enraged after a golden cup is stolen from its lair and ravages everything in its sight.

Beowulf and his right-hand man Wiglaf slay the dragon but Beowulf is mortally wounded and is given a proper burial/funeral after his death.

However, in the movie, Beowulf, instead of killing Grendel's mother, is instead captivated (and cursed) by her alluring golden human-ish form and is promised king status in return for the golden drinking horn and a son.

After returning to Heorot, Hrothgar sees through Beowulf's lies and lightly reveals that he too was enthralled by Grendel's mother and that Grendel was the result.

Immediately after this, he announces Beowulf as the new king and subsequently commits suicide.

The dragon that attacks many years later turns out to be the son of Beowulf and had attacked due to the golden drinking horn being returned to him.

Beowulf also cuts off his own arm in the fight with the dragon to give himself more freedom of movement and uses it as a swing so he can reach into the dragon's chest and rip its heart out, which could be seen as karmic retribution for ripping off Grendel's arm earlier.

Still, both stories still end with Beowulf slaying the dragon and being mortally wounded. It can be assumed that these changes were made so Beowulf could have a character flaw and have the narrative benefit from his newfound 'humanity'.

Both the poem and the movie include some details that would imply that it is a mythological tale. The most egregious examples are the three antagonists: Grendel and his mother are horrific monsters (though the latter is more subtle in the movie) and the dragon is literally a dragon--a legendary creature that primarily appears in folklore. The inclusion of these icons alone should almost immediately clue in the viewer that it is just a tale.

Sadly, I discovered nothing new from this analysis that I feel I could take forward into my own ideas. On the other hand, it further reinforces my plan to take some extreme creative liberties for my own game for comedic purposes.

Media Text #2 - Kid Icarus (1986 NES Game):

Kid Icarus is a 1986 platform video game developed by Nintendo for the Famicom/NES. The game follows Pit who must escape the Underworld, acquire the Three Sacred Treasures and make his way up to the Palace in the Sky to defeat Medusa, the goddess of darkness, and rescue Palutena.

The game primarily features three greek mythological characters: Pit, Palutena and Medusa.
Medusa, in name and appearance, derives directly from Greek Mythology's Medusa--snake hair and all.

Pit and Palutena on the other hand are a bit more subtle.
Pit is likely based off of Eros / Cupid, the God of Love, as both look notably alike and wield a bow with heart-shaped arrows (It would also explain why hearts are the main collectable). He could also be doubly based on Icarus (the figure that the game's English title is based on), but the parallels between the two aren't very apparent until the sequels.

Palutena is almost certainly based on the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, as both prominently have a pole weapon and shield and are responsible for making Medusa an ugly monster.

The game seems to take place during Ancient Greek times and is geographically divided into four distinct locations: The Underworld, Overworld, Skyworld and Palace in the Sky. The most notable semiotic indexes are the Three Sacred Treasures, a set of legendary items that seem to reference the myth of the Greek hero, Perseus and Medusa.

The Mirror Shield is based on the reflective shield that Athena gave to Perseus so he could safely approach and cut off Medusa's head. The Wings of Pegasus, while directly named after the mythical winged horse, is more likely based on the winged sandals that Hermes gave Perseus, which was said to allow him to fly. While Perseus was never said to be gifted an arrow, the Arrow of Light could potentially be based on either Cupid or Artemis, as both use bows and arrows.

Other notable semiotic indexes include roman columns and sculptures which, just like Beowulf, indicates a different time period in comparison to modern architecture.

However, despite the clear greek mythological inspiration, the game completely throws a curveball by including a Credit Card as an item.
This, alone, gives me a new idea for my game. If this game can have an arbitrary item, why can't my game? Thanks, Nintendo.