Essay On Pandora The Destruction Of Mankind

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Pandora: The Destruction of Mankind In Hesiod’s myths Theogony and Work and Days, the formation of the female species is created. Both myths illustrate how the new female species is the doom for mankind. Pandora is a figure used by Hesiod to explain how females first came to be. Hesiod’s anger and bitterness towards women is seen in both texts. Hesiod perfectly describes his feelings towards females when he says they are evil and a curse for mortal men. Hesiod uses women as a way to explain the relationship between gods and mankind by making Pandora be a punishment for Titan’s actions, is by created by the gods, and is given as a bride to a Titan. In the Theogony, Hesiod claimed that Pandora was first created, because of Prometheus. The …show more content…

Instead of Pandora only being created by one goddess and two gods, she is created by many other gods and goddesses. Pandora is a creation that contained numerous amounts of qualities from gods and goddesses. Hephaestus made her with a face like an immortal goddess, Athena gave her the skill of weaving, Aphrodite made her a painful desire, and Hermes gave her a bitchy mood. These characteristics are bridging real life women’s life traits as gifts from the gods. Women in Greek society were expected to know how to weave and embroider. These skills were a characteristic that women were known for. Pandora’s physical appearance was especially important, because she had to be admired by all mortal men. This means that Hephaestus made her physical appearance like of a goddess. For a real woman, this means having to fill expectations that were not possible for mortal human being. Both goddess and a mortal women have their own power taken away. Most big Greek goddess’s powers were diminished over time. Like real women, this is still a struggle that continues to happen. It does not matter that Pandora can be seen as a powerful woman, because she is reduced into the role of evil witch. Hermes and Aphrodite gifts to Pandora were bad gifts as well. Their gifts gave women a bad reputation by naming them bitchy and liars. The extra gifts Hesiod adds in to his story, Works and Days, show that his …show more content…

Prometheus tried to warn his brother to not accept any gift from the Olympians. However, when Epimetheus saw Pandora he forgot about his brothers warning. Pandora’s beauty and charm made a quick effect to the titan. Pandora arrived to Epimetheus with a box. This box was given to her by the gods and it contained evils for mankind. Instead of Pandora, being the evil punishment it was the box she carried that encased all the evil. When Pandora opens the box all the evil spirits fly out and spread evil all throughout the world. According to Harris (2008), “Other versions of Pandora myth indicate that the jar she brings with her contained not evils but blessings”. However, Hesiod version of this story Pandora lets out miseries for mankind. Thus, Hesiod illustrates Pandora as being a malevolent person that causes turmoil. This myth is a way for Hesiod to warn his fellow man against women. The gods are Hesiod’s way to say negative aspects about women that can derive from his own personal

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