The Disney film, Hercules, is full of stereotypes and predetermined notions. The character portrayals and plot development reveal these stereotypes. There will be a focus on gender roles and body image to expose the unspoken connotations presented throughout this film. The stereotypes hidden in Disney films send unfair messages to young children about the roles of women, their physical appearance and their heroism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayDisney has a very rich history of depicting female characters in its films as the stereotypical damsel in distress, and this is very evident in this film. The Oxford Dictionary defines the phrase “damsel in distress” as “a young woman in difficulty (with the implication that the woman must be rescued, as by a prince in a fairy tale). The film supports this idea when the coach, Phil, yells, "That sounds like your basic 'DID,' damsel in distress" (Clements, 1997). Meg is the female protagonist and has the stereotypical portrayal of a vulnerable young woman or in other words the damsel in distress. Hercules, the superhero, saves Meg time and time again from the perils to which she is exposed while being helpless. Hercules is given the girl's heart like any other superhero or dominant male character in Disney films, which supports the idea of ​​femininity in animated films, which equates to being saved and marrying one's savior (King et al., 2010). This overly repeated stereotype reinforces the impression of a passive and receptive woman, who demonstrates neither strength nor ascendancy. The representation of femininity in Hercules is archetypal and invalid. The female characters are weak and insubstantial, having no effective role in the plot. Rodan et. al (2014) discussed how one of the representations of women in the media is that they are trivialized when they appear on television, such as a character similar to Meg. The closest notable contribution the women get in the film is when Meg is tied up and offered to Hercules as part of a deal with Hades, the antagonist. In addition to being held captive, Meg enjoys spending her time admiring Hercules or exploiting him as part of a scheme planned by the enemy. Meg is just a puppet with no substance or ambition. The character of Meg supports the femininity represented by female character animations, as they are very one-dimensional and flat (King et al. 2010). It only serves to be a reward and justification for the hero's limitless actions and expeditions. The other female characters in the film also failed to achieve any real goal other than empowering a male character or being a follower fascinated by his appearance. Women are depicted as hysterical, as they are often seen screaming at the hero's looks or being effortlessly manipulated by flattery. For example, Hades was able to flatter Fate, a group of sisters capable of seeing the future, enough that they would tell him about the future of his hostile takeover (Clements, 1997). Close analysis reveals that the male portrayals are not treated much better than their female counterparts, despite being the dominant figures in this film. It seems that the main standard by which male figures are evaluated in Hercules is their muscular strength. Men lack depth of emotion or intelligence but are the sole agents of raw power. Disney projects a fixed type of hegemonic masculinity in this film, which.