Read this excerpt from “The Myth of Hercules.” Hercules was the son of the great god Zeus and a human woman named Alcmene. The goddess Hera did not like Alcmene and vowed to destroy Hercules when he was born. Hera sent two snakes to kill the baby as he lay in his crib, but Hercules was strong and strangled the snakes with his tiny hands before they could bite him with their sharp fangs. How does Hercules’s backstory in the excerpt help the reader understand a theme? Knowing that Hercules was born with superior strength explains why he is able to overcome great obstacles. Knowing that Hercules strangled two snakes shows the reader that Hercules has a cruel nature. Knowing that Hercules was born with superior strength explains why Hera wants to kill him as a baby. Knowing that a goddess wants to destroy Hercules shows the reader that Hercules will fail to accomplish his goals.