The Fates (Moirai)

      The Walt Disney Company, The Fates Revealing the Future in Disney’s Hercules, 1997

Hannah McDavid

The Fates, or the Moirai, are three goddesses said to be the daughters of Zeus, but also the daughters of Night and Erebus. They are in charge of every individual’s destiny and fate from the moment they are born. According to Classical Mythology, Clotho is the one who spins a life into existence, Lachesis determines the duration of life, and Atropos is responsible for ending lives by cutting the thread (Morford 131). In the Disney feature film, Hercules, the Fates are creatively adapted to fit the storyline and impact the plot. In the film, the three goddesses share an eye that gives answers and peers into the future to answer Hades’s question regarding how much of a threat the infant Hercules could be. However, in classic mythology the Fates do not share an eye, they are not easily swayed, and they do not bow even to Zeus.

In Disney’s Hercules, the Fates’ shared eye is actually reminiscent of the Graeae, which means gray. In traditional mythology, these are ancient sea hags who share an eye and a tooth. They are the daughters of Phorcys, and they were technically born in an elderly state (Morford 533). They are notorious for being made to aid Perseus in finding the nymphs who would in turn help him possess magic to slay Medusa. The Fates in Disney’s Hercules are portrayed in a very similar way to the Graeae, as they are illustrated as monstrous gray beings who utilize their eye to peer into the future. However, the Fates and their shared eye in the movie are central to the plot, so perhaps meshing traits of both the Fates and the Graeae was necessary to create an adapted story.

The Fates are also not easily swayed in traditional mythology. In the movie, all it takes are a couple flattering comments and groveling, and Hades gets the answers he wants from the Fates. Clearly, Disney took some serious creative liberties here, as it is doubtful the Fates would reveal the future to someone in exchange for shallow compliments. Furthermore, in traditional mythology the Fates bow to no one, including Zeus (Morford 131). This is made somewhat evident in Disney’s film because Hades does tread lightly when talking to the Fates. He never demands anything of them, as a God might typically do, and resorts to cajoling to get around the fact that he technically can’t demand anything of them.

The well-known portrayal of the Fates in Disney’s Hercules makes the creative choice to abide by some of the traditional concepts regarding the figures in charge of determining the whim of every living creature. They also make the decision to mesh the Fates with other characters, such as the Graeae, and give the Fates non-traditional characteristics involving their ability to be influenced and aspects of their appearance. Classically, the Fates have no eye, aren’t highly susceptible to flattery, and are not in the habit of revealing future fate and destiny at the whims of Gods.

Abrie Molano

        Harnessing the ability to control someone's fate is an extraordinary power; however, it is also a great responsibility. The ones who possess this power are called the Fates, also known as Moirai, in Greek. The piece I have chosen is the Fates from the Disney film Hercules and was edited by Gavillian. The Fates consist of three sisters, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. In the piece, Clotho can be seen holding what seems to be a string, while Lachesis is seen all the way to the right holding up her hands as if she is praising Clotho or perhaps the string. This leaves Atropos, the short one in the middle, as she is seen smiling at Clotho. However, as with most myths, there are a variety of depictions. For this essay, I will be doing a couple of things. I will analyze this piece and give a personal perspective, meaning I will give my opinion and what this piece means to me, as well as demonstrate my knowledge of the Fates to the original Greco-Roman myths learned in this course.

        In the original Greco-Roman myths, the Fates were said to be the daughters of Zeus when he had joined with Themis. However, it is also said that Night, also known as Nyx, and Erebus were the Fates' parents. Furthermore, the Fates were originally birth spirits and most of the time were sought to be described as three old women holding the responsibility of every human’s destiny. Clotho is called the spinner in which she spins out a thread, also known as the thread of life because it holds the fate of each human being starting from birth. Lachesis, also called the apportioner in which she measures the thread. Lastly, Atropos in which she is called inflexible and sometimes portrayed as the smallest and most dreadful because she is the one who cuts the thread, ending a life. The Fates withhold such a great power but there are various depictions of fate relating to the gods in literature. In the 12th edition Classical Mythology textbook it states “According to some authors, Zeus is supreme and controls all, but others portray a universe in which even the great and powerful Zeus must bow to the inevitability of Fate’s decrees” (Morford et al. 131). I find it to be so interesting because it reminds me of the saying, there is always someone better. Like the text said, the Fates have the power of inevitability.  

        In the myth of the Alcestis of Euripides, Apollo became angry due to the death of his son Asclepius and killed the Cyclopes that had forged the thunderbolt which killed Asclepius. However, this resulted in him being sentenced to live in banishment for a year under the order of the beneficent king of Pherae in Thessaly, Admetus. During Apollo’s time there he had fallen quite kindly towards him, so when he found out he was going to die soon, Apollo went to the Fates to try and persuade them to let him live longer, but the Fates had a condition. The textbook states “But they imposed the condition that someone must die in his place” (Marford et al. 262). This shows that fate is inevitable, so if it is to be changed, there will be a price.

        Moving into my selected piece, Hercules is a 1997 animated Disney film based on the myth of Hercules. The Fates play a big role in the film as they are seen meeting with Hades, God of the underworld pertaining to his fate and the life of Hercules. In the beginning of the film, Hades is met with the Fates in the underworld. Clotho is seen holding the thread of life, while Atropos is seen cutting it, as soon as it gets cut, a scream is heard then Lachesis pertains to say incoming and laughs, while what seems to be a ghost of a women gliding through the air and down to the well of souls. The Fates then “reveal” they are the past(Lachesis), present(Clotho) and future(Atropos). They are also shown throwing around their one shared eyeball as they are seen always fighting for it, while it happens to be how they “see” fate. The whole interaction with the Fates and Hades is so funny because Hades is absolutely hilarious. The piece I picked is the scene when the Fates tried to cut Hercules’s thread because he had turned mortal. In the real scene of the film, the colors of the background were more of a lighter pink and purple and the glowing orb (eye) was green, however with Gavillian’s edits, they made the background a darker purple and pink with the orb being blue. I find that the darker colors make the Fates seem more mysterious and wicked which makes sense considering they enjoy ending a human’s life. Hercules is one of my favorite Disney films and I love how its interpretation of the myths are shared and expressed.

Works Cited

Morford, Mark, et al. Classical Mythology. (12th Edition). Oxford University Press Academic US, 2023.