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Analysis Of Pandora's Box By Hesiod

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Pandora is a character within Hesiod’s version of the Greek creation myth who is responsible for introducing suffering to humanity. Pandora’s opening of a jar containing all of the evils of the world represents a larger pattern of a loss of early perfection in creation myths. Pandora was created by Zeus and several of the other Olympians as a punishment to man for their participation in the theft of fire. Pandora was designed by the gods Athena, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Hermes to be wise, capable, and beautiful, but also crafty and wicked. Pandora, as the first human woman, is a device of temptation and is meant to disable man. Pandora’s Box is an aetiological myth which explains why there is evil in the world. By blaming disease and death on women and depicting the creation of women as a punishment to humanity, Hesiod illustrates womanhood as inherently sinister. Through Pandora, women become the cause of all misfortune. Thus, Pandora’s introduction marks a major change in the narrative of Greek mythology. Perfection dissolves as a result of human advancement and reducing dependency on the gods. …show more content…

By stipulating the absence of Hope within the “human nature” as it was released from its jar by Pandora, the presence of Hope is implied to be a gift from the gods. Hope’s presence, unlike evil’s, is not accidental, and is propagated by religious practice and worship. This presents a major motive in the actions of the Olympians -- they want to be worshipped and needed by humans -- and also a methodology to achieving their divine goals -- that sometimes the introduction of fear and misfortune can bring about benefit to the

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