Pygmalion and Galatea

The story surrounding Pygmalion and Galatea has, since Ovid's narrative poem Metamorphoses, remained one of the most widely recognized tales from Western mythology, influencing various artists (mostly from the Victorian Era) and inspiring the major subjects and themes for several theatrical plays, including W.S. Gilbert's Pygmalion and Galatea and George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. In the myth, Pygmalion, a sculptor on the island nation of Cyprus (near Greece), carved a statue of ivory in the image of a woman. After becoming disgusted with local prostitutes, Pygmalion lost interest in women, believing them to be petty distractions that would ultimately waste his time and detract his attention from more important matters. However, his statue, which he had Galatea, was so beautiful and pure that he eventually fell in love with it, forgetting his past disenchantment with women. Over time, Pygmalion's obsession with his creation grew, but he remained unsatisfied, as his creation could not love him in return. One day, Pygmalion presented sacrificial offerings to Venus, the goddess of love (or Aphrodite, in terms of Greek mythology), praying for his creation to be brought to life. The goddess granted him his wish, and he returned home, he was astonished to find that his prayer had been answered: Galatea had been brought to life. Pygmalion and Galatea soon married and produced a son, whom they named Paphos. They continued to praise Aphrodite, who blessed them with love and happiness in return.

As a fan of various movies, video games, and comic book superheroes/super villains, it is difficult for me to conceive of a particular character that I would like "brought to life." However, I will attempt to provide a general indication of what characters I admire by focusing on video game characters as well as the reasoning behind my choices. I am a fervent admirer of action movies from the '80s, so it is only natural that I would admire such characters Duke Nukem from the Duke Nukem series of video games and Johnny Cage from the Mortal Kombat series. Both characters are the epitome of the typical  '80s action movie star (like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis), possessing chiseled physiques, witty one-liners and catchphrases, and exaggerated macho personalties. Their ability to fight and wreak mayhem are outshone only by their humorous appeal. Link from The Legend of Zelda series constitutes another  video game character who I would like brought to life. After all, what aspiring young boy would not wish to be him? In every one of his various incarnations, Link sets out on an adventure filled with danger and excitement, collects pretty cool objects along the way, battles huge monster with his legendary Master Sword, rescues the damsel in distress (Zelda), and saves Hyrule from certain destruction. Yet another video game character I would like brought to life is Kratos from the God of War series, although his presence would be a threat to all of humanity. There is nothing much to say as to why I admire this character besides the fact that he is a nearly invincible weapon of mass destruction. As Leo de Castro would agree, Kratos is a "boss." Niko Bellic from Grand Theft Auto IV would be my final choice for a video game character whom I would like brought to life. Niko has to be one of the most complex characters ever introduced to the gaming world. He is a Serbian immigrant who eventually finds refuge from his troubled past in America, where he seeks to enact his vengeance upon a man who once betrayed him, resulting in the deaths of Niko's close friends. Beneath his charming, modest, and charismatic exterior, there lies a dangerous man, motivated only by hate and revenge, who strives to attain wealth, status, and the "American Dream" through criminal means.

Duke Nukem, one of the coolest cats ever made. "Hail to the king, baby!"