Pandora Theme Essay

After reading the creation of the first woman in both Theogony and Works and Days there are clear differences between Pandora in each myth. Although Pandora is portrayed two different ways, each story is extremely misogynistic. In Works and Days, Pandora is not made out to be as terrible as she is in Theogony. First off, the first woman is not even given a name in Theogony which can be seen as degrading and sexist. In addition to this, only two gifts are given to the first woman in Theogony rather than three.

The very creation of women was set as a punishment to man because Prometheus, son of Iapetos, tried to trick Zeus into eating bones and then, with the tube of a fennel, steals fire to give to mankind. Zeus then proclaimed, "To set against the fire I shall give them an affliction in which they will all delight as they embrace their own misfortune." Out of Zeus' anger came Pandora, the first woman. Zeus ordered Hephaestus

Prometheus was a Titan in Greek mythology and different from the other Titans like Equality was different from the people who surrounded him; Prometheus chose not to fight against the gods in the great war. For this. he was spared from Tartarus, the equivalent of hell, and he was given the task of creating man. He made man stand upright and gave them fire. When he tricked Zeus, Zeus was outraged and took fire away from man. Since Prometheus loved man, he returned the fire for the greater good although he knew he would be punished (Hunt, para 3). This is similar to Equality’s story because Equality had always been different than the people around him in that he was defiant. Another way that their stories are similar is that they both tried doing what would be better for the greater good although it could have gotten them in trouble. Prometheus stole fire from the gods while Equality made light, which went against everything he was ever taught and broke almost every rule by taking up a different role than the one given to him. Both of these characters’ actions were unselfish and for the betterment of the people. Because of the parallels in their stories and in their character, the name Prometheus is quite fitting for

The damsel in distress archetype is an extra complication added into the story. Odysseus’ men got themselves into some serious trouble even though Odysseus warned them.

The story of Pandora is one of the main stories mentioned in Works and Days. Pandora was created as a punishment for men by Zeus because Prometheus tricked Zeus and stole back the gift of fire after Zeus deprived mankind from it. Hence, he ordered Hephaestus to craft a creature out of clay that Athena then supplied with ‘womanly skill’ of weaving while Aphrodite was in charge of ‘pouring grace’ desire and heartbreak. Hermes added ‘thievish nature’ and the ‘mind of a bitch.’ Since she was given all these gifts

She is a “bewitching nymph” and “lustrous goddess” (206). She forces Odysseus to stay with her as her lover for many years. Odysseus was able to escape from the Cyclops’ cave. However, neither his strength nor his cunning can free him from Calypso. He is doomed to remain there until the gods intervene. Women’s irresistible charm leads Odysseus to disaster.

This correlates with Campbell’s shift between the hero’s meeting with the goddess to woman becoming a temptress. He writes, “no longer can the hero rest in innocence with the goddess of the flesh; for she is become the queen of sin” (Campbell, 1949, p. 123). Although Circê does try to help Odysseus by warning him about the trials he will face, there is still a distinct pattern of women being seen as distractions and hindrances from Odysseus’ goal of getting home. They offer him minor gifts such as knowledge and physical relations to try to prevent him from completing his journey. This is especially shown with the Sirens who try to tempt Odysseus with knowledge of the future, saying, “for we know the all that the Argives and Trojans endured in the plains before Troy by the will of Heaven; and we know all that shall come to pass on the face of mother earth!” (Homer, 1937, p. 141). The Sirens directly contrast the goddess Circê, by tempting him with knowledge and their voices so that he will sail towards them and his death. They represent the shift of women’s portray in the story from good to evil. Additionally, they act as a means of derailing Odysseus from his journey and testing to see if he is worthy of completing his heroic

Prometheus is given a (possibly) eternal torment, to be chained to a column and have his liver torn out daily. His brother Epimetheus is given what we may infer is punishment of comparable magnitude: the first woman. In the Works and Days, we learn she is called Pandora, "The Gift of All." This gift comes with many alluring qualities: she looks "like a goddess immortal, having the lovely shape of a virgin," she is taught by Athena weaving, and Aphrodite has"shed on her charm, …mak[ing] her an object of painful love and exhausting desire" (Theogony, 62-66). She is dressed by Athena in a "silver-white gown (575) and adorned by the Graces and "our Lady Persuasion" with golden necklaces, and crowned by Horai with flowers, as well as an intricately crafted golden crown, which, while a "marvel to look at," depicts "terrible monsters." And if these charms aren’t enough to lure a man into the clutches of woman, men who do not marry and have progeny are doomed to "baneful old age with no one to care for his needs,"(604-5) and his collateral heirs will divide his goods.

Albeit three of the four ladies had sexual encounters with Odysseus, they are not Odysseus' trophies. The ladies are not simply immediately pulled in to the most nice looking man on the planet. Odysseus had earned their affection with his graciousness, valor, and character. A few ladies even discovered Odyesseus awful: Nausicaa disliked Odysseus at first, which demonstrated that not all ladies look at the hero admitting their affection and undying dedication. The cliché female character is more than regularly very imbecilic; nonetheless, the four female characters are all astute and free. Calypso, Circe and Athene are all goddesses who are superior to any mortal man. All men, ladies, and kids penance to the Gods and go to them. Not at all like 'Rustler's Rhapsody'; where man is looked upon as better than ladies: these female characters in The Odyssey are more prominent than any mortal man. Circe traps men, and changes them into feeding pen creatures for her own particular delight. Pallas Athene, the goddess of war and shrewdness, battles against men and does not require their 'insurance'. She is the most savvy, and does not fall into the generalization of a debutante. Fundamental Queen Penelope's

“Zeus, angry with Prometheus for stealing fire and giving it to man, had the gods create another gift, a woman of great beauty and evil, from whom womankind is descended… she opens a jar from which pains and evils escape, leaving only hope caught within the lid.”(Murray 91). Murray shows the direct link between the actions of Prometheus and Pandora, as does Hesiod, but Murray accomplishes this actively through analysis of the events, whereas Hesiod does so in an additional passive sense, through the use of structure in the Theogony.

Arguably the most important female character is Athena, and while she exhibits enormous strength, she is limited by the patriarchal order of the Greek God system and her constant role of assisting Odysseus. Athena often has to address her concerns towards Zeus, and Zeus consistently acts dismissively towards her requests, regardless of weather he grants them or not. For instance, when Athena tells Zeus that Odysseus has spent 7 years as a captive of Kalypso, Zeus disrespects her intentions and says, “My child, what odd complaints you let escape you, / Have you not, you yourself, arranged this matter--/…/And are you not the one to

The ambiguity of the myth of Prometheus lies in its interpretation. The Greek myth surrounds the creation of man and the part Prometheus played in it. Prometheus (meaning forethought) and his brother, Epimetheus (meaning afterthought), were given certain tasks by Zeus after they fought on Zeus' side in the war with the Titans. As a reward for their loyalty, Zeus gave Epimetheus the responsibility of creating the animals and distributing their qualities, for example, strength, speed, and stamina. Prometheus, on the other hand, was given the task of creating man. Prometheus molded man out of clay, giving them the ability to walk upright so that they could be closer to the heavens and the Gods. Since Epimetheus was extremely rash in his dispersion of the traits and qualities to the animals, when it came time for Prometheus to give some to man, there were none left. So, Prometheus gave man fire, and taught him how to grow food, and how to make objects, such as tools.

How far are woman and goddesses responsible for the problems that Odysseus faces on his journey?

The myth of Pandora starts with two brothers, Epimetheus and Prometheus, who were Titans that tasked themselves as spokespeople for their creation from clay: mankind. Epimetheus was in charge of creating the creatures that were to roam the Earth while Prometheus was to distribute them. While most animals were armed or protected by their physical attributes, man stood alone naked and bear to all those that may attack. Thus, Prometheus, the mischevious of the two, deceived Zeus one day into giving mankind the best portion of a sacrificed bull, leaving behind bare bones and fats for the gods. Outraged and offended, Zeus then took the gift of fire away from mankind to leave them in the cold and darkness. However, Prometheus once again outwitted Zeus and stole unwearying fire for men to have the intelligence necessary to sustain their lives. As punishment, Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock in Caucasus where an eagle ripped apart and devoured his liver every day, which then regenerated each nightfall as result of his immortality. Although Prometheus caused him the most angst, Zeus believed the kind-hearted Epimetheus deserved to struggle as well in a form that would not only punish him but also the brothers’ creation of mankind. Zeus called out for Hephaestus to construct the most beautiful, intelligent, and brave women named Pandora to be the new companion of Epimetheus in place of Prometheus. However, he also graced her with one other quality: curiosity. So, Zeus delivered his

Moving forward to the “Prometheus myth,” the similarities between the stories are a bit more difficult to identify, but not impossible. There are also comparisons between characters of the myth and of Frankenstein. Again, the creature is the focus of these comparisons, as he can be said to similar to the Titan, Prometheus. Each character tries to offer their assistance to humanity, but only receives punishment in response to their actions. For Prometheus, Zeus, otherwise known as Jupiter in Roman mythology, seeks what he thinks is retribution for the Titan disobeying his direct order of not granting the humans with fire. Zeus creates the “perfect” woman, Pandora, and sends her to Prometheus and his brother, Epimetheus. Pandora disobeys one of the only requests given to her: do not open the box she was given. Instead of adhering to the instructions, the woman lets her curiosity get the better of her, causing all kinds of horrors to be released into the world, which then had “the bottom