Paire Again
So, several years after they first appeared on my TV screen, and nearly a year after they finally left it for good, I have more things to say in relation to my Epic Hero/Heroine point.
Here’s how I originally stated it in my blog post of 8/12/07 (extracting from my posting on YouTube):
“(T)he Messenger (from the future, no less) tell the Hero that he must save the Heroine, sight unseen, from the Villain. He takes up the Quest, makes a Journey, and saves the Heroine even believing it will cause his own death.”
As I was thinking about this statement, I realized that “The Messenger from the Future” is, let’s face it, an Oracle. An even more Joseph Campbell-ian figure. So we have an Oracle telling the Hero he must Quest to save the Heroine from the Villain.
Now, still, this may (and in fact does) result in his death. Why does the Hero choose to sacrifice himself for the Heroine, even despite his fear? Because he loves her on sight. This is a traditional, archetypal occurrence. And in our case, Peter doesn’t know at this point that Claire is his niece, so this isn’t filial love.
Then, once the Hero saves the Heroine (after returning from the dead), he realizes his Quest is not finished. He must still save the City from the Villain. So after rescuing the Heroine, the Hero and Heroine continue on to try and save the City (with the Hero dying a second time). The Hero succeeds in defeating the Villain, but then finds out that the City’s destruction will come at his own hands. Why? Because the Villain has given him the Gift of Death, and this almost overwhelms him. He asks the Heroine to kill him to save the City, but she cannot, because she loves him too greatly. Instead he must leave the City in order to save it, but still this will lead to his demise from the Gift of Death.
Yet he survives. How? Because the Heroine has given him the Gift of Life. Eternal life, in fact. Basking in this gift of her love, he overcomes Death.
The producers might say at this point, it is the love of family that makes Peter do it. Embrace the sacrifice for his family, including Claire. But don’t look at the sacrifice, look instead at why he survives: when you strip away the superhero stuff, what do you have? The Heroine gives the Hero the promise of immortality.
How does a woman give a man this? She bears his children.
So do you still think Peter and Claire should have been uncle and niece, Mr. Kring?
Here’s how I originally stated it in my blog post of 8/12/07 (extracting from my posting on YouTube):
“(T)he Messenger (from the future, no less) tell the Hero that he must save the Heroine, sight unseen, from the Villain. He takes up the Quest, makes a Journey, and saves the Heroine even believing it will cause his own death.”
As I was thinking about this statement, I realized that “The Messenger from the Future” is, let’s face it, an Oracle. An even more Joseph Campbell-ian figure. So we have an Oracle telling the Hero he must Quest to save the Heroine from the Villain.
Now, still, this may (and in fact does) result in his death. Why does the Hero choose to sacrifice himself for the Heroine, even despite his fear? Because he loves her on sight. This is a traditional, archetypal occurrence. And in our case, Peter doesn’t know at this point that Claire is his niece, so this isn’t filial love.
Then, once the Hero saves the Heroine (after returning from the dead), he realizes his Quest is not finished. He must still save the City from the Villain. So after rescuing the Heroine, the Hero and Heroine continue on to try and save the City (with the Hero dying a second time). The Hero succeeds in defeating the Villain, but then finds out that the City’s destruction will come at his own hands. Why? Because the Villain has given him the Gift of Death, and this almost overwhelms him. He asks the Heroine to kill him to save the City, but she cannot, because she loves him too greatly. Instead he must leave the City in order to save it, but still this will lead to his demise from the Gift of Death.
Yet he survives. How? Because the Heroine has given him the Gift of Life. Eternal life, in fact. Basking in this gift of her love, he overcomes Death.
The producers might say at this point, it is the love of family that makes Peter do it. Embrace the sacrifice for his family, including Claire. But don’t look at the sacrifice, look instead at why he survives: when you strip away the superhero stuff, what do you have? The Heroine gives the Hero the promise of immortality.
How does a woman give a man this? She bears his children.
So do you still think Peter and Claire should have been uncle and niece, Mr. Kring?