Classical reception in animation: a case study of the effect of target audience age in Disney’s Hercules and Netflix’s Blood of Zeus

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dc.contributor.advisorMasters, Samanthaen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorDaniels, Amy Lydiaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorKamper, Femiaen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-22T07:46:12Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-26T11:12:28Z
dc.date.available2024-02-22T07:46:12Z
dc.date.available2024-04-26T11:12:28Z
dc.date.issued2024-03
dc.description Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: Reception Studies is an ever-growing field of study within the discipline of Classics, which reveals something of the interest of the everyday person in engaging with the ancient world. Works of reception come in a myriad of forms, and various aspects influence the interpretation of the ancient sources. One such aspect is the age of the target audience. This is particularly evident where the target audience is children. Nevertheless, the numerous scholarly works written on works of reception aimed at children demonstrate the prevalence of reception in children’s media. One common theme in these works is ancient Greek mythology, despite many aspects thereof being deemed inappropriate for children by 20th and 21st-century Western standards. An overview of scholarship reveals that while many scholars have focused on the incorporation of ancient Greek motifs in modern children’s media, fewer have focused on reception aimed at adults. There is also a general trend of focusing on literary reception, while there is less focus on other forms of media, such as animation, a popular medium in the 21st century. This thesis aims to address these gaps by considering the impact of the target audience’s age on the incorporation of ancient Greek mythological characters and events in modern entertainment aimed at different age groups. As case studies, the characters of Zeus, Hera and Herakles in three ancient texts, namely Apollodorus’ Bibliotheke, Homer’s Iliad and Euripides’ Herakles, are analysed and trans-historically compared with the characterisations of Zeus, Hera and Hercules/Heron in Disney’s Hercules (suitable for all ages), and Netflix’s Blood of Zeus (aimed at ages 16/18+). The trans-textual comparison of the ancient characters reveals how differently the ancient authors engaged with the same characters, incorporating them in various narratives and associating various characteristics with them. Many of these characteristics are, however, categorised as not age-appropriate for children or as age-appropriate for children but unsuited to the “good guy” trope. The trans-textual comparison of the modern characters reveals how the age of the target audience, as well as contemporary societal ideals, impacts the characterisation of the characters. In general, the characters in Hercules were characterised in a more child-friendly manner than those in Blood of Zeus. The final section trans-historically compares the modern and ancient plots and characters and demonstrates that Hercules deviates more from the ancient sources than Blood of Zeus. The target audience’s age is found to directly impact how modern creators engage with and incorporate ancient Greek motifs in modern works. The findings further reveals the importance of considering other forms of media, such as animation, which are considered to be low art forms and as such, are often overlooked in scholarship. The importance of discussing works of reception is highlighted, as these demonstrate how the world outside academe is engaging with the ancient past.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Klassieke Resepsiestudies is 'n steeds groeiende studieveld binne die dissipline van die Klassieke, wat iets van die belangstelling van die alledaagse mens in die omgang met die antieke wêreld openbaar. Resepsiewerke kom in verskeie vorme voor, en verskeie aspekte beïnvloed die interpretasie van die antieke bronne. Een so 'n aspek is die ouderdom van die teikengehoor. Dit is veral duidelik waar die teikengehoor kinders is. Nietemin toon die talle vakkundige werke geskryf oor werke van resepsie wat op kinders gerig is, die voorkoms van resepsie in kindermedia aan. Een algemene tema in hierdie werke is antieke Griekse mitologie, ten spyte daarvan dat baie aspekte daarvan volgens 20ste en 21ste-eeuse Westerse standaarde as onvanpas vir kinders beskou word. ’n Oorsig van vakkundigheid toon dat terwyl baie vakkundiges gefokus het op die inkorporering van antieke Griekse motiewe in moderne kindermedia, het minder gefokus op resepsie wat op volwassenes gerig is. Daar is ook 'n algemene neiging om op literêre resepsie te fokus, terwyl daar minder gefokus word op ander vorme van media, soos animasie, 'n gewilde medium in die 21ste eeu. Hierdie tesis het ten doel om hierdie leemtes aan te spreek deur die impak van die teikengehoor se ouderdom op die inkorporering van antieke Griekse mitologiese karakters en gebeurtenisse in moderne vermaaklikheid wat op verskillende ouderdomsgroepe gemik is, te ontleed. As gevallestudies word die karakters van Zeus, Hera en Herakles in drie antieke tekste, naamlik Apollodorus se Bibliotheke, Homer se Ilias en Euripides se Herakles, ontleed en transhistories vergelyk met die karakteriserings van Zeus, Hera en Hercules/Heron in Disney se Hercules (geskik vir alle ouderdomme), en Netflix se Blood of Zeus (gemik op ouderdomme 16/18+). Die transtekstuele vergelyking van die antieke karakters toon hoe verskillend die antieke skrywers met dieselfde karakters omgegaan het, hulle in verskeie narratiewe opgeneem en verskeie kenmerke met hulle geassosieer het. Baie van hierdie kenmerke is egter gekategoriseer as nie ouderdomsgepas vir kinders nie of as ouderdomsgepas vir kinders, maar nie geskik vir die 'goeie ou'-karakter nie. Die transtekstuele vergelyking van die moderne karakters toon hoe die ouderdom van die teikengehoor, sowel as kontemporêre samelewingsideale, die karakterisering van die karakters beïnvloed. Oor die algemeen word die karakters in Hercules op ’n meer kindervriendelike manier gekenmerk as dié in Blood of Zeus. Die laaste afdeling vergelyk die moderne en antieke plotte en karakters transhistories en toon dat Hercules meer van die antieke bronne afwyk as Blood of Zeus. Daar is gevind dat die teikengehoor se ouderdom ‘n direkte impak het op hoe moderne skeppers met antieke Griekse motiewe omgaan en in moderne werke inkorporeer. Die bevindinge toon verder die belangrikheid om ander vorme van media te oorweeg, soos animasie, wat as lae kunsvorme beskou word en sodanig dikwels binne vakkundigheid nagelaat word. Die belangrikheid van die bespreking van werke van resepsie is uitgelig, aangesien hulle toon hoe die wêreld buite die Akademie met die antieke verlede omgaan.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentxiv, 164 pages : illustrations
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130262
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshDisney characters Target marketing Hercules -- Roman mythological character Netflix (Firm) Receptivity (Philosophy) Animation (Cinematography) en_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleClassical reception in animation: a case study of the effect of target audience age in Disney’s Hercules and Netflix’s Blood of Zeusen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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