Ian
Porter
Professor
Megan Bertagnolli
ARTH 101
30
November 2014
Star
Wars as a Myth and Greek
Influences Towards its Success
If one has grown up with Star Wars, it may be hard to imagine that it may be one of today’s
most prevalent myths, and could serve as the lasting epic of the 2nd
millennia, however Star Wars should
be considered nothing less. It would not have achieved its legendary status
without using the formula for what creates a lasting and appealing myth, as was
pioneered and perfected by the Greeks with their expansive mythos. With the
help of Joseph Campbell and Greek influence, George Lucas created one of the
most popular pop culture marvels of today, and his success is why Greek
mythology is highly relevant to contemporary contexts, in the case of
mythology. Greek mythology is one of the most interesting aspects of history,
and just as it flourished among the peoples of Greece who crafted it over a
period of centuries, and used it as an influential tool of their society, today
it stands to captivate people through the numerous and varying artistic works
that are attributed to it. To better understand the contexts of art in Ancient
Greece, one must have a basic understanding of Greek mythos itself.
The most integral part of most
mythologies, and especially in the case of the Ancient Greeks, is the presence
and influence of deities. The Greeks chose to worship a wide variety of gods,
and most are often depicted in the human form. The most influential gods, the
Olympians, lived atop Mount Olympus and maintained many individual traits and
titles, as well as trademark weapons and beliefs. For example, Zeus was King of
the Gods, and as the god of the sky his trademark power was the ability to
throw thunderbolts (Atsma). Among other well known gods were Hades, god of the
underworld, Athena, the goddess of war, and Dionysus, the god of wine. In order
to live good lives, the Greeks believed they had to please the gods for their
respective blessings. For example, a woman with a son going to battle might
make an offering to Athena at one of her respective temples, such as the
Parthenon (Stokstad and Cothren, 128). In the eyes of the Greeks, pleasing
their gods with sacrificial acts and ceremonies would ensure the continuation
of their life as it were, and served as a way for them to understand their
universe and give themselves purpose.
What one may find fascinating about Greek mythos was the ability for
most citizens to contribute and expand the myths, and as such myth was embodied
in a vast majority of artwork and literature.
Greek mythology consists of a collection of
stories and narratives that were manifested in various forms of art;
plays/dramas, and more traditional notions of art like paintings, statues, and
pottery. Homer’s epics are widely considered some of the most contributive,
that tell of the heroes Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, among many more, as well as
terrible monsters, the politics of gods, and the decade long Trojan War.
Numerous other playwrights and writers used elegant story telling to expand and
add depth to their mythos; among the most famous are Herodotus, Sophocles, and
Euripides. Perhaps more famous and intriguing to those familiar with the
artistic prowess of the Greeks are the ever lifelike statues that depicted
gods, heroes, and famous leaders. Unlike much of the literature from the time,
countless statues still exist for people to marvel and behold. These statues
went hand in hand with the temples that held them for worship, although many
are currently in a state of disrepair. Much of the artwork from the Ancient
Greeks that exists today can be found on fired clay pottery, in which stylish
depictions of famous (or infamous) mythological events, or day-to-day
activities of the Greeks, such as a woman’s daily trip to a communal well
(Stokstad and Cothren, 138). In these depictions of the human form, the Greeks
are commonly nude or scantily clad, which serves to highlight the natural form
of gods and average citizens alike, many of which embody an ideal physique, fit
and strong.
The relationship between the
mythology, artwork, and literature of the Ancient Greeks is highly connected
and reliant on one another for contextual value. Consider a statue of Achilles. Undoubtedly it
would be an impressive and lifelike depiction of the late hero, however without
the colorful story and background that Homer has provided, and thus the context
in which it was created, the statue does not reach its full potential in the
eyes of the beholder. In the same vain, one may find the clay pottery with a
depiction of the Sky Gods fighting the Titans very beautiful, but it is equally
important to understand the contexts of the mythological beliefs of its
original creators and its true purposes of making sense of the world, its
origins, and their purpose to fully appreciate the artwork. This perspective provides some clarification
as to why Star Wars became the
cultural phenomenon that it is today and how similar the two are when one views
Star Wars as the modern day myth it
is visually and culturally.
Mythos in today’s society is quite
separate in beliefs and practices from any ancient civilization due to the
unprecedented growth of technology and science. It is not to say that mythos
plays no role in modern culture, but it certainly does not strongly emphasize
gods and other religious followings that maintained in the past as a way for
people to develop understanding of their world, which were far from today’s
scientific values and globalized views. Instead, society looks favorably towards
things such as film and literature, specifically that of science fiction to allow
it to gain insight into what future society will look like, as well as the
problems that will inevitably follow. This is why George Lucas' Star Wars has become nothing less than a
modern day myth with its varying characters, adventures, and tragedy, many
of which contain a great deal of influence from those who produced work to
further the depth and expand Greek mythos such as Homer, Sophocles, and
Herodotus.
Greek mythology is relevant in
contemporary art because it has created a basis on which mythology is focused.
What this means is that certain elements that allowed Greek mythology to
flourish may be recycled and turned modern, and the epitome of this realization
is Star Wars. Some of the most
significant aspects of Greek mythology that laid the foundation for successful
myths today are the hero archetype, fantastical, exotic and, imaginative
creatures, captivating relationships, and a way of story telling that allows
societies to interact with the myths to make them their own.
A most common feature of myths in
any society is the presence of heroes, and Greek mythologies as well as Star Wars are loaded with such figures. These figures embody traits and ideals that
their societies values; like bravery and wisdom, however Joseph Campbell argues
that none of these are original “for the heroes of all time have gone before
us” (18). His monomyth theory states that heroes of all-time share a similar
pattern in their journey to becoming a hero, and these steps are certainly
followed in the cases of many Greeks, such as Hercules, Odysseus, Hector,
Achilles, Oedipus Rex, and Theseus. The famed heroes of Greek mythos are hardly
different embodied in Luke and Anakin, as one would expect seeing as how George
Lucas and Joseph Campbell were good friends. George’s ambition to create (or
rather, recreate) a myth in the form of Star
Wars made it a logical conclusion for his heroes to follow the tried and
tested path of the compelling heroes before them (Wagner). In this process they
start with humble beginnings, are mentored by someone wise, face a number of
challenges, and ultimately undergo an internal struggle and are changed in the
end of the journey, or end up dead. In order for the heroes to achieve their
status, they face many a perilous challenge, and these are commonly represented
as monsters, in both Greek and Star Wars myths.
Both Greek and Star Wars as mythologies contained a great deal of strange and
exotic beings, not unlike other mythologies, however the monsters are well
drawn out, very memorable and the sheer variety demonstrate that the people of
both societies dared to dream a little. Perhaps what drove both myths to create
and flesh out creatures of such wild imagination is their sense of unknown,
seen in the widely unexplored outer space in today’s society and the
surrounding area of Greece, both land and sea wise, for the Greeks. Both their
heroes had to be created and worshipped to make the unknown less terrifying and
safeguard the societies who created them. As for the monsters themselves, in Ancient
Greece there existed the Minotaur, who Theseus was famed for slaying, the
Hydra, Cerberus, the three headed guard dog for the underworld, the Sirens, the
Harpies, the Cyclopes, and the Nemean Lion, which was one of Heracles’ biggest
challenges, to name a few (Atsma). Star
Wars contains a great deal of monsters as well, ranging from the man eating
Rancor underneath Jabba’s Palace, the Wampa of Hoth, the Dianoga trash monster
aboard Death Star I, and many more. It is the monsters that may initially bring
in the interest of the peoples to mythologies, for fear of unknown or another
reason, but it is the hero’s triumph over the beasts that will make believers.
Just as George Lucas has taken inspiration from the Greeks like Homer for
creating captivating creatures, he also sought to use aspects of Greek
relationships in mythology.
One of the primary themes in Star Wars was the relationship between
father and son, however this was also central to Greek myth as well. In Star Wars, fatherly relationships are
dynamic but central to every film. In Episode I, Qui Gon Jinn is a fatherly
figure to Obi-Wan, and in Episode II Obi-Wan mentors Anakin. In the Original
Trilogy, Ben Kenobi mentors Luke in his Jedi training, and in the most
turbulent father-son dynamic, Luke manages to convert his father back to the
light side, and they overthrow the Emperor. In one of the better-known
mythological stories by Sophocles, Oedipus Rex unknowingly kills his father and
marries his mother, self-fulfilling his prophesy and undergoing a tragic
downfall. On a happier note, Odysseus maintains a healthy and fruitful
relationship with his son, and when they are finally reunited they kill the
suitors who plotted to marry Odysseus’ wife (Atsma). Another common factor of
Greek heroes is that they were typically offspring of the gods, from Heracles
to Perseus, and as such became demi-gods through the completion of their
challenges. The same could be said for the heroes of Star Wars, as it is said for Anakin that there was simply no
father. A Jedi’s death allowed them to become one with the force, which is nothing
less than deification. This happens to Yoda, Kenobi, and Anakin as they are
seen in spirit at the end of Episode VI. Also seen earlier in Oedipus Rex,
incestuous relationships were not uncommon and provided another source of
interest to Greek myth. In fact, many gods also commit to incestuous
relationships, most notably Zeus and his sister/wife Hera. Star Wars only contains miniscule amounts of incest, due to its
taboo nature in modern society, as seen in Luke kissing Leia a few separate
times. Past those few illicit acts it is up to the viewer to decide how
extensive their brother-sister relationship stemmed.
The beauty of Greek mythology and Star Wars is that each person has the ability
to make it their own, and had the ability to contribute to expanding its depth
and details. In both cases, there are certain “facts” or events that occur, but
beyond that an individual can fill in the blanks and personalize the mythos.
This is realized through the great writers of the time, like Sophocles, who
followed the same universe and events like the Trojan War, but added characters
and stories to make it their own (Atsma). A prime example is Theseus, who is
described as the Hero of Athens, was created to be a distinctly Athenian
Heracles. Throughout the Star Wars
Universe, there are a multitude of individual contributors to the lore and
stories, through comics, novels, drawings, and the like. One only needs to
venture into a bookstore to see the vast empire of the Star Wars myth. It is likely the continued success of Star Wars and the centuries long
culmination of Greek mythological influence can be attributed to this idea of a
society actively contributing to the universe.
Despite the overwhelming evidence
that Star Wars may be a reincarnation
of Greek mythology, other factors exist to limit this influence. The prequels
are more dependent on Roman, Buddhist, and Christian mythologies than that of
the Greeks, however the Original Trilogy is largely Greek. Another drawback is
that Lucas decided to add in themes that are prevalent today, as myths do, such
as individualism, the problems associated with using technology, and more. These factors contribute to Star Wars’ success however, because
people are more relatable towards it if it pertains to them, but they take away
from the original Greek mythological themes.
As much of a marvel that Star Wars is, and as much praise as
George Lucas deserves for constructing Star
Wars, the Greeks like Homer and Sophocles and Joseph Campbell merit as much
credit as John Williams, the music composer, or Ralph McQuarrie the concept
artist. The nearly four decades of
popularity stands to reason that what gave Greek mythology distinction and
permanence can be applied to contemporary work to ensure a lasting reputation
as a myth. Greek mythology is also important in understanding the
interconnectedness and reliance within the realm of art, literature, and
mythology itself. When one makes the connection between the three, they can dare
to imagine “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away” (Lucas).
Works Cited
Atsma, Aaron J. "Theoi.com | Greek Gods
& Goddesses." THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Exploring Mythology & the
Greek Gods in Classical Literature & Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand
Faces. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1972. Print.
Star Wars: Prequel Trilogy. Dir. George Lucas. Perf. Ewan McGregor, Liam
Neeson, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen. 20th Century Fox, 2008. DVD.
Star Wars: The Trilogy. Dir. George Lucas. Perf. Mark Hamill,
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher. Lucas Film, 2004. DVD.
Stokstad,
Marilyn, and Michael W. Cothren. Art
History. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2014. Print.
The Mythology of Star Wars with George Lucas
and Bill Moyers. Pamela
Mason Wagner. Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 1999. Film.
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