The document provides a comparison of legends of ancient woman warriors and their modern portrayals in film. It summarizes several ancient legends including Camilla of Italy, Mulan of China, Joan of Arc of France, and Deborah Samson who fought in the American Revolution disguised as a man. It then analyzes themes, characters, and plots that are common across these legends and their modern film adaptations, such as Xena: Warrior Princess, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and Kill Bill. Key findings include that while ancient legends focused on courage and wisdom helping communities, modern films emphasize personal motives like vengeance; and ancient legends lacked romantic relationships, which are prominent in modern films.

1. Warrior Women A comparison of ancient legend and modern film Tanya M. Pomeroy SLIS 5440; May 2, 2004

2. Purpose: to explore the influences that true legends have on modern film portrayals of women warriors. Description: A cross-cultural comparison of common features in ancient legends and the archetypes of modern fiction.

25. The motives of heroines in these ten stories have common elements but differ with each character. As discussed in thematic analysis, there are basically personal and communal motives for the heroine entering into combat. Though the moral themes of ancient legends are communal benefit from personal virtues, the actual motives of the heroines are of course personal in nature. For most of the characters the communal motive is defense of family, while the personal motive is proving her prowess in battle. Camilla flies into a rage and almost defeats the enemy when a male soldier insults her womanly strength. Yo-shi is angered that the Woudan monastery wont train her because she is a girl. Eowyn fights partially because her brother tells her the battle is not a woman’s place. Jordan keeps pushing herself because others tell her a woman cannot. Bill cannot believe that Beatrix can defeat him, because their master did not like to teach women. From these examples it is apparent that challenging gender bias is one of the motives of most of the characters in these ten stories--even if that motive is second to love and defense of homeland. Motives

26. One of the questions of character analysis is what do the characters of these ten stories have in common with real-life. First, the characters of the first five stories, perhaps with the exception of Camilla, are real-life women who have become legends. Mulan, Joan D’Arc and Deborah Samson, were real people who fought for their people and proved themselves as great warriors. Thankfully, the need to take up arms is not prevalent in the United States and other First-World Nations, but there are many countries embroiled in wars where women have risen in combat to defend themselves and their loved ones. Are they real?

28. Plot Analysis The Plot features common to most Warrior Women stories include; the use or lack of a disguise, discovery of gender and a special ability or calling of the heroine All of these features will be explored in the order given.