Portrayal of the Olympian God Hades in the Cinema

Of the Olympian Gods, Hades is the most loneliest. Pluto, a planet that was excluded from the eight other planets, was named after his Roman version! I think Hades would make an interesting character, because it would give a different perspective; while the other brothers are chasing girls around, Hades has to sit around in the underworld with no one to talk to, or even see.

My sources agree on one thing: Hades was swallowed by Kronos when he was born. Eventually, Zeus returned and forced Kronos to regurgitate all of his siblings, including Hades; who by this time, was a fully grown adult. Zeus had freed the Cyclopes, who forged weapons for the brothers; which is where Hades got his helmet of invisibility. Finally, after a long battle, the Gods defeated the Titans. This battle could have action and excitement as the gods battle the Titans! Afterwards, the three brothers, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades all drew lots for control over the earth. Zeus got the heavens, Poseidon got the oceans, and Hades got the underworld. There could be a change in personality to reflect his dark role as a god: controlling the dead.

Hades had two forms: Aidoneus and Plouton. Aidoneus was the ‘underworld’ side of Hades, the dark side who was ruthless and stern, letting none escape from death. Plouton, on the other hand, rained down riches of gold and silver from the earth. The Greeks did not dare say the name of hades: they instead preferred to call him Plouton if it was necessary at all. Hades had a long, dark beard and wore a robe; however, not much is known about Hades appearance, leaving much open to interpretation.

Hades controls the underworld: a gloomy place where shades (dead people) go to meet their eternal fate. They must be buried, and with a coin, to pay the riverman, Charon. Charon boats the shades across the River Styx, and the Shades must pass Cerberus. Then, they are organized into one of three places: Tartarus, where the absolute worst people go to suffer. The Asphodel Meadows, where people who didn’t accomplish much but didn’t do anything bad go to wander the Meadows forever.

And the final place is Elysium, where the best people go to have no work and “live” carefree. The shades that arrived at Elysium could choose to be reborn and live again, and if they got Elysium three times, then they get to go to the Isles of the Blessed, where shades live in paradise. The movie could show glimpses of this dark place in contrast to the surface, similarly how one could compare Hades to the other gods.

Again, I think Hades would make a interesting character in a movie; to see the darker side of greek mythology; while the other gods are helping mortals or fighting monsters, Hades is alone in the underworld, to eternally watch over the dead.