I’d like to address the fact that this following post has essentially nothing to do with my blog’s pre-established topic, however the idea that resulted in the creation of this post was relevant enough to the class that I hope this point is irrelevant.
For class last week we were required to view the 2015 movie “The Revenant,” a realistic fiction narrative of Hugh Glass’ journey of revenge during his time as a fur trapper in nineteenth century America. Maybe it was because I was watching the movie for educational purposes, or maybe it was just sheer coincidence, but for whatever reason during my viewing of “The Revenant” I was reminded of the required readings from earlier in the quarter. As I thought about it more, I came to the conclusion that Hugh Glass, at least in the form portrayed by Leonardo Dicaprio, fit all of the characteristics of a Virgilian hero.
Prof. Zissos defined the Virgilian hero as a character exhibiting three aspects: Pietas, a sense of duty toward family and values, Virtus, manliness or moral courage, and Labor, tireless striving (Zissos). Hugh Glass, in his dedication to his family, his fortitude, and his determination exhibits all three primary qualities of the Virgilian hero.
Hugh Glass exhibits pietas, or sense of duty to family and faith, through his dedication to his family. Glass’ entire journey in “The Revenant” is based on the hope of getting revenge for his son’s murder. He faces various nearly fatal experiences with little desire for rest or personal recovery simply out of the desire to make right with his son and his killer. In doing this, he shows that his feelings for his family and their honor trump his desire for his own bodily health. Furthermore, Glass’ various dream sequences throughout the film heavily feature his family, even going so far as to feature the native language of his deceased wife, as opposed to english. From this, it can be gathered that Glass’ connection to his family greatly permeates his mind, even into his subconscious.
Hugh Glass exhibits virtus, or moral courage, through his sparing of the characters Fitzgerald and Bridger. While only Fitzgerald was responsible for the murder of Glass’ son, both abandoned Glass in the middle of a frozen forest. Despite this, when Glass arrives at a nearby army camp to find Bridger being imprisoned for his actions, Glass insists that he be set free. Glass could have very easily held a grudge against Bridger for deserting him, but he refuses, showing his moral integrity. Furthermore, Glass’ virtue could also be seen in his eventual sparing of Fitzgerald following their climactic brawl at the end of the movie. Glass eventually pins Fitzgerald and has the opportunity to kill him, but instead refuses to, saying “revenge is in God’s hands.” The theme of revenge as strictly negative is prominent throughout the film, and Glass’ line is a reference to another line from the film: “revenge is in the hands of the creator.” In his mercy, Glass show his submission to this theme as well as a moral high ground against Fitzgerald. In spite of his efforts and the initial vengeful goal of his whole journey, Glass ultimately decides to spare Fitzgerald on moral grounds.
Hugh Glass exhibits labor, or tireless striving, purely through his will to survive during his difficult journey. The Oxford dictionary defines a “revenant” as one who has returned from the dead, or an apparition. The word revenant is a fitting title for the movie, considering Glass’ miraculous survival after being left for dead by his companions. Glass shows a Herculean effort to accomplish his goals through his journey in the wilderness, and his relentless searching for his son’s killer even while injured and alone. Conditions that could easily slay others are simply obstacles in the path of Glass, as he never once detracts his mindset from his goal of avenging his son. Through his relentless and even reckless abandon for care of anything other than his goals, Glass reveals his inner determination and tenacity.
Fig. 1 Babiy, Anatoliy. “Multimedia Front.” Youth.Gov. https://www.youth.gov.hk/m/en/career-and-study/career/242.
I think one of the purposes of studying humanities has to do with applying the media we intake to the world we live in. This quarter has heavily emphasized the fostering of connections; connections between art, history, media, and the ideas that they represent. I think it was that emphasis on connection that led me to the topic of this post in the first place. While Alejandro Iñárritu may have never read the Aeneid, and Hugh Glass very well may have never heard of Virgil, it’s interesting to think of how the stories they’ve each created could parallel each other in such similar ways.
Bibliography
Babiy, Anatoliy. “Multimedia Front.” Youth.Gov. https://www.youth.gov.hk/m/en/career-and-study/career/242.
“Revenant – The Movie.” The Real Story of Hugh Glass, hughglass.org/the-legend/revenant-the-movie/.
“revenant.” Oxford Dictionary. Date of access 10 Dec. 2018, http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/164711?rskey=87liIo&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid
Zissos, Andrew. ALP 1300, Irvine. 18 Oct. 2018. Lecture.
The Impending Internet Empire 