The construction of madness in Hercules: a comparison between Euripides’ Heracles and Seneca’s Hercules furens

Abstract

[EN] Hercules is probably the best-known hero in Greek and Roman mythology, not only for his feats, but also for the interest his madness has aroused. In previous research, where the insanity of the hero has been studied, two opposing fronts can be found: those who see the hero as a benefactor of humanity and an altruistic civilizer close to the ideal of the stoic model, opposed to those who consider Hercules a megalomaniac who exceeds the limits of his nature and causes his own madness. In this study, and after a brief introduction to the origin and evolution of the tragedy, I will pursue a comparative analysis between Euripide’s Heracles and Seneca’s Hercules Furens to examine how madness is constructed in this mythological figure explaining concisely the most outstanding episodes of the hero's life, as told by mythology. I will also analyze the rage and madness of Hercules examining these two currents, as well as the different possible causes of his dementia: internal and external causes. To avoid misunderstandings, I will use the name of Heracles to talk about Euripides’ work, and the name of Hercules to refer to Seneca’s tragedy.