Gothic Pop Culture

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From the dawn of time people have been drawn to tales of good versus evil. Whether it was our ancient ancestors orally passing down warnings and fearful omens, or fairytales about damsels in distress, humans have always been drawn to the mysteries of occult and darkness. Just as peoples of the past embraced myths or legends of medieval superstition, the gothic genre has influenced countless things in pop culture today from film to adored literature. Gothic stories are tales of death, suspense, and supernatural elements, which rely greatly upon setting the right scene to give the sensation of horror. Often creatures of beyond natural origin or abilities battle tragic heroes, or characters struggle with their own sense of despair and reality.…show more content…
In modern culture the term ‘gothic’ even relates to a stereotypical dark attitude or emo style. In the past, death encompassed a bleaker view of afterlife in an eternal hell kind-of-way. Hades, God of the Underworld, takes on the role of punisher. He guards the souls of the underworld and makes deals with visiting heroes to pass the time. There are many Greek myths depicting him almost as death himself, showing himself in times of dire circumstances. In today’s show Supernatural, brother’s Sam and Dean Winchester hunt creatures, demons, and supernatural beings. They save the world time and time again in the long running show, beating apocalypse after apocalypse. Ironically almost every character has been faced with or escaped death: Dean at one point died and was rescued from the torments of hell, while Sam, the younger brother, was chosen and possessed as a vessel for Lucifer. Another interesting feature is the occasional appearance of the literal figure called Death. An older gentleman considered older than God himself, he proves a formidable character on the show and provides comical interactions with Dean. He gives shape and personality to something unusually unseen. Another modern legend is that of the “Deathly Hollows”, a wizard myth brought to life in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. In the books, the story of the deathly hollows is known among wizard children like a fable, describing the story of three brothers who tried to outsmart Death. Each brother was rewarded with one magical item; the resurrection stone which grants the ability to bring someone back to life, the cloak of invisibility which provides protection, and the elder wand, supposedly more powerful than any other in existence. Two of the brothers are eventually caught in sinister circumstances only to be greeted by Death, while the last whom owns the cloak of invisibility, is able to avoid him until a ripe old age (Rowling). Of course

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