BA4: Contextual Studies - Mazes & Labyrinths -

In this post I will look at the ways mazes and labyrinths have been used in popular culture over the years starting with a personal favourite of mine.

Batman the Animated Series (1992):

In the episode 'If you're so smart why aren't you rich'. Edward Nygma creates the game The Riddle of the Minotaur and makes millions for the company Competitron. He is then fired by his superior, Daniel Mockridge, who wants the profits for himself. Nygma vows revenge, and two years later, he takes up the mantle of the Riddler and traps Mockridge inside a life-sized version of the Minotaur maze. Batman's sympathy is with Nygma, but he and Robin have to stop him before he kills Mockridge, despite the fact that Mockridge cannot legally be brought to justice. Regardless, Mockridge, despite the resulting rescue, is left in a permanent all-consuming fear of Nygma's return for revenge. (taken from wikipedia episode guide).

The game that is create takes strong influence from the story of Thesues and the Minotaur. As you will see below

Everything about this episode screams labyrinth's / mazes. The intro graphic shows the audience that this episode will be heavily based on the idea of mazes.

The office that Nygma worked in has been made the to look like a maze itself, maybe symbolising a place where you get stuck in routine or the fact that Nygma feels trapped in this office block.

The game that is made features many ideas from dungeon crawling games such as the board game labyrinth where the objective of the game is to make it to the treasure hidden somewhere in the maze

This image shows the maze the Batman has to solve to reach the center in time to save the victim from the mechanic Minotaur, this part of the story is very similar to that of Theseus' where he must slay the Minotaur in the center of the labyrinth in Crete.

Here is a flying mechanical hand which at first in an adversary who would pick you up if you solved a riddle wrong and place you somewhere else in the maze. Yet batman took control of it making it an aid for the rescue and escape, much like the string that Ariadne used to help get Theseus find his way back out.

This shows the mechanical Minotaur being the strong and haunting beast that was depicted in the mythical tale of theseus.

(images are screenshots from the episode)