>>5941458>Heracles, Greek mythology etcMy favourite element from Hercules is actually how he met his demise, the Shirt Of Nessus or "poisoned clothing" theme, I think this recurs a lot in literature it is also mentioned in Shakespeare often and I think Euripides Medea also uses a poisoned dress to assassinate her love rival Glauce (I think some versions describe it as a carcanet or necklace or coronet of some form though).
Anyway here is a modern version of the poisoned dress / agonising clothing theme, from one of my favourite films and visual spectacles the Shekhar Kapur adaptation of Elizabeth (1998). In this film her handmaiden tries on one of the queen's dresses (a gift from the Spanish ambassador) her handmaiden wears the queen's dress to impersonate the monarch on a secret romantic assignation with Robert Dudley, the queen's former favourite lover who has been spurned by her since taking the throne. In his jealousy he tries to imagine and recreate the passion of his previous sexual trysts and escapades with Elizabeth through her handmaiden assuming her appearance wearing her dress, but halfway through the sex act before she reaches climax the handmaiden dies a horrible agonising death as the dress has been smeared in poison. Unwittingly through her indiscretions and fornication with the Queen's former lover, the handmaiden saves Elizabeth from this assassination attempt, yay
