Imagine returning home after a long day at school in 1994 – backpack off, shoes off, and settling into the couch with the TV on. While flipping through channels, you stumble upon Gargoyles, a dark and brooding show that manages to be both tender and sentimental. These “monsters” aren’t scary when they’re not trying to be, and instead, they grapple with the inherent mistrust between their kind and humanity, making for a truly unique viewing experience. Gargoyles wasn’t alone in its self-serious tone; shows like Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men also captured young audiences with their action-packed narratives.
However, for Disney, Gargoyles was a stark shift from their typical light-hearted fare like DuckTales and Goof Troop. While these beloved shows still captivated young viewers, Gargoyles operated on a different level- its storytelling fully engaging kids with its more complex themes.
The series’ creator and co-producer, Greg Weisman, a former English composition and writing teacher, drew heavily from the works of William Shakespeare, and Gargoyles is rife with allusions to the Bard’s famous characters. The show’s central theme revolves around the conflict between appearance and reality, as Shakespeare so deftly explored in The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The gargoyles themselves navigate a world where they must grapple with figuring out whom to trust and what to believe, a lesson that resonates with young viewers.
Additionally, the relationship between power, ambition, and corruption is another recurring theme that ties Gargoyles to Shakespeare’s plays. Demona embodies Lady Macbeth’s iron will, pushing Goliath to protect their kind – an act that ultimately leads them to disaster. Meanwhile, Xanatos’ villainous schemes revolve around his desire to command the gargoyles while maintaining a strange, neighborly relationship with them- a complex situation that never fully allows the gargoyles to trust him. Finally, Gargoyles wouldn’t feel Shakespearean without the presence of a torrid romance between star-crossed lovers, Goliath and Elisa.
In sum, Gargoyles stands out as a unique and influential show that departed from the Disney norm while capitalizing on Shakespearean themes to captivate young audiences. Its creative storytelling and complex themes make it a standout classic to this day.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
