Imagine battling a massive demonic hydra, poison dripping from its mouth. You lunge with your sword but trip on a tree root. You look up, ready to be devoured, but suddenly remember that the monster is actually a tiny figure made of clay, a stunning new special effect being used in the movie you are in. Luckily, the hydra starring in the Myth of Jason, written by Edith Hamilton, was not made of clay. The myth of The Quest for the Golden Fleece and the movie, Jason and the Argonauts (1963), are different and alike in many ways. These two stories are different in that the tasks Jason must complete are different, and Medea is seen as a very different character. They are alike because many characters have the same characteristics in both versions of the story.
The myth of The Quest for the Golden Fleece and the movie, Jason and the Argonauts (1963), are different in that the tasks which Jason goes through are different in both stories. In the movie, the Argonauts fight for their lives against a giant bronze statue named Talus, which Jason eventually kills. This trial is much easier for the crew in the book, however, as Talus grazes his only vulnerable part in his body (his ankle with a rock). Also, while on the island of King Phineus, the book tells the story about how a few of Jason’s flying crew members kill the harpies, while the movie has the whole crew dropping a large net on the flying demons. Then, instead of Jason’s crew sending a dove through the clashing rocks before the ship to make it through safely, in the movie, Poseidon comes bursting out of the water to hold the sinister rocks in place. Lastly, the movie differentiates from the book when we see Jason Battle a hydra to get the Golden Fleece. In the book, Jason never has to fight a monster to get the fleece, due to how Medea drugs the dragon guarding the fleece, causing it to go to sleep. This difference in the stories not only influenced Jason’s character, but Medea’s as well.
The myth of The Quest for the Golden Fleece and the movie, Jason and the Argonauts (1963) are different in that Medea is seen as a very different character in both stories. One large difference in the stories is the way that Jason and his crew find Medea. In the movie, after Jason escapes from the clashing rocks, a ship that had previously been smashed by the rocks left one survivor, Medea. Jason then rescues her from the sea. On the other hand, the story in the book tells of how Jason finds Medea when he arrives at Colchis. This difference ties in with another in that the movie’s Medea is not King Aeetes Daughter as told in the book, but is a high priestess of Hecate on the Island of Colchis. In the book, after Jason arrives at Colchis, Aphrodite makes Medea fall in love with Jason. But the movie Medea falls in love with Jason of her own free will. Another major difference in the stories is the way the movie cuts out the unhappy ending of the myth. The movies ending is Jason and Medea happily embracing and sailing into the sunset, and nothing is ever mentioned of Medea’s way of getting King Pelias’ Daughters to chop him into pieces and put them in a pot of boiling water. While Medea’s character traits varied just as the stories do, some of the character’s values never changed.
The myth of The Quest for the Golden Fleece and the movie, Jason and the Argonauts (1963), are alike because many characters have the same characteristics in both versions of the story. In both movie and book, Jason is still the heroic, brave, and courageous man that he is. He performs amazing deeds without blinking an eye, and mans his ship and crew with ease. Heracles is another example of heroism and strength in both stories. He remains loyal to his captain and his crew, but sometimes proves to be more brawn than brains. King Pelias also has unchanging character traits. He is evil and scheming, always looking for power and a throne over Ilocius. And, as these characters never changed, neither has the standard essay format, which dictates that what comes after the fourth paragraph is the conclusion.
The myth of The Quest for the Golden Fleece written by Edith Hamilton and the movie, Jason and the Argonauts (1963), are different and alike in many ways. These two stories are different in that the obstacles Jason must overcome are not the same, and the enchantress Medea acts very differently. The stories are alike because some character’s motives never change in both versions of the myth. Jason and the Argonauts will be remembered for generations to come. Let’s hope not for the special effects.
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