Herakles and Helen defined by their paternity, liminality and relationship with Hera

Herakles and Helen are comparable figures from Greek mythology. They are known for their great strength and great beauty, respectively, but are rarely examined in relation to each other. This thesis explores their commonalities in regards to their paternity, liminality and relation to Hera. They are both children of Zeus, and this (negatively) impacts them in various ways. They both hold liminal positions because of their semi-divinity as they exist between the world of the gods and that of men. This liminality is compounded for Helen because of her gender. Finally, Herakles and Helen must both interact with Zeus wife Hera. She is vengeful and destructive to Herakles, but kind and benevolent to Helen. These three factors shape the characters and how they are represented across the chronology of Greek literature.