Interpretation of the Myth of Pandora

Woman: Light and Dark

An Understanding of the Evil Within Women and Her Personification of Hope

What are women, besides their most obvious human form, what do they mean for society and to society? General origin stories answer the basic human questions, the indomitable whys of life. A singular question answers the reason for pain in the world, the suffering that seems hand in hand with human life. Why me? Why us? These questions seem to always be at the forefront of every discussion that permeates the mind, concerning origin and beginning. Within the classical mythological perspective the first women is named Pandora. First named in Hesiods Works and Days, Pandora is brought to light as an evil that is created to punish the wrongdoings of man. The name Pandora in Greek means all gifts; due to the gifts she receives from the gods upon her creation but also highlighting how she was a gift to mortal men and finally how she gave gifts to mankind, namely Pandoras Jar. Hesiod seems to focus on a connection between evil and Pandora ( a representative of all women), a synonymy that appears to be highlighted in most of Hesiods work. Hesiod proves himself to be misogynistic writer, who utilizes the myth of Pandora to attribute the entire worlds evil to the female gender. Hope is left behind in Pandoras Jar, but it was a necessity to tether the reality and believability of the myth together, which was needed to enable the myths to be taken as truth and considered a cultural norm. Pandora, as a woman is named the scapegoat for the evil loosed upon the world, erstwhile becoming the first of many women to branded evil. Pandoras myth is structured around the understanding that Pandora is created as a punishment for Prometheus a mythical hero committed the theft of fire from Zeus in both
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Hesiods Theogony and Works and Days. Hesiod also minimally exposes the Greek culture to this myth previously in the Theogony, but fails to name the evil that Zeus has brought to form. The punishment, in Zeuss eyes is the curse of womankind. Pandora is named as the woman, and is given a gift from the gods: i.e. a jar. The jar was filled with the evils that plague the world today, however, hope was left under the rim of the jar. The most vital part of the evil that is woman as exemplified by Hesiod is the illusion. The illusion is described as the most treacherous thing about women, and accordingly Pandora. Hesiod capitulates on the idea that Zeus created a beautiful and well-seeming form, that appealed to all the senses of a man, but beneath the striking veneer was a sifting wickedness which was a common, if not a fundamental characteristic of all women; who are the descendants of Pandora: From her comes the fair sex; yes, wicked womenfolk are her descendants (Theogony 590-591). This understanding is the focal point of the myth that Hesiod creates. His misogynistic leanings look at the illusion as a sly attack against men. The evil within women is depicted within the Theogony as a punishment that cannot be avoided, not even if a man believes he is doing so. Hesiod stresses the fact that however much man avoids the traps of women; he can never escape the malice of women (Theogony 603). If man refuses to marry woman, he lives life alone and ends life as such. Being alone in Hesiods eyes is just as horrible as marrying woman: Whoever does not wish to marry reaches harsh old age, with no one to care for him; then even if he is well-provided, he dies at the end only to have his livelihood shared by distant kin. (Theogony 603-608) The crime of being alone is paralleled to the life of the man who marries woman and then spends his life ever trying to balance the bad and the good in her (Theogony 609-610). This distinct comparison allows an ever closer look into the evil that Hesiod sees in women. Being alone, being completely and
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utterly alone; living a life with no love, and ending a life with no one in your sight is a terrible thing and Hesiod considers that to be equated with marriage; marriage here being defined as entering into a solemn and everlasting vow between a man and a woman. The evil that Hesiod sees in woman concerns the social institution of marriage, it lies in the understanding that marriage is a contract, and as such requires a commitment not only to the women herself, but the surrounding family and the most likely resulting children from the consummation of the marriage. The obligation and honor that surrounds the social institution creates a tie that is irrevocably restraining and limiting to the outside world. Hesiod being completely misogynistic views women as a personal affront to manliness and continual destabilization to the way of life that is primary to the man. Though Hesiod continual lauds the evil within women he is always clear in his description of the first woman, focusing on her power of illusion. Hesiod never fails to comment on the beauty that is women, not only in the physical appearance, but also the style and grace that embodies the feminine essence. He emphasizes the loveliness and allure of women to explain the reason for the difficulty men having resisting their feminine wiles; and therefore removing any sort of culpability in the actions of men in events such as extra-marital affairs and the like. The fault lies solely within the role of women invading the lives of men. Anytime Zeus had sex with another woman, mortal or goddess Hera mostly never turned her anger on Zeus, but rather on his liaisons and the progeny they produced: ex. Heracles. In Theogony Hesiod describes the beauty of women in these terms: ... gave it the shape of a modest maiden. Athena clothed her and decked her out with a flashy garment a marvel to behold crowned her with lovely wreaths of fresh flowers that had just bloomed in the green meadowsImmortal gods and mortal men were amazed when they saw this tempting snare (572-589).
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Hesiod stresses similar ideas within Works and Days as well. The focus on the beauty of women harkens back to the idea of the power of deception within the female core. Just as quickly as Hesiod illuminates the splendor of the female he then just as quickly turns to the reason why that said beauty is a lie, and correspondingly evil. Hesiod defines the beauty of women as not only a dangerous trickery but also the definitive ensnarement for men, and therefore another imperative aspect of the evilness within women. Within Works and Days Hesiod is much more forth-coming on the defined evil of nature he supposes women to have. He names women, specifically Pandora as the basic reason as to why men are unhappy and know grief: but the woman with her hands removed the great lid of the jar and scattered its contents, bringing grief and cares to men. (Works and Days 9596). Emphasis in the sentence is placed into the culpability of woman by the phrase with her hands. By simply giving the blame to women for all the worlds evil, it is easy to therefore attribute evil itself to women as well, because if one commits evil acts, than that one must also be evil as well. Hesiod does not only use Pandora as the single female who brings sorrow to the world but also in the Theogony Hesiod names the goddess Strife as the mother of: Ponos, the bringer of pains, Oblivion and Famine and the tearful Sorrows, the Clashes and the Battles and the Manslaughters, the Quarrel and the Lies and Argument and Counter-Argument, Lawlessness, and Ruin.and Oath, who, more than any other, brings pains on mortals ...(Theogony 226-231) Strife is a female goddess, who brings all these horrible pains to mortals, differing from the mortal woman but nevertheless a female. Hesiod does denote powerfully good goddesses such as Hera, and Athena but he describes those goddesses such as Athena and Artemis as more masculine, while Hera is continuously played as powerful, but simultaneously vapid and quite petty within Hesiods works. Hesiod is relentless in his attack against women and Pandora as the

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first of all women is the scapegoat for the female gender within the mortal line. As such Pandora is quite similar to Strife in her role of bringing or birthing misery to the mortal race. Hesiod does grant that Hope be left behind within Pandoras myth, Pandora as the woman is the scapegoat for humankinds troubles and is also identified with hope as well. This is quite important because hope signifies humanity at its very core. The human race can only survive so much and only with hope that there is a better day coming. If there is no hope, the world would fall into despair, and would tear itself apart. The understanding of this is fundamental in this particular portion of the myth because it proves Hesiod subsequently understands mortality itself. In the realm of the myth itself Zeus is credited with the order which requires Pandora to close the jar before Hope escapes: Only Hope stayed under the rim of the jar and did not fly away from her secure stronghold, for in compliance with the wishes of cloudgathering Zeus Pandora put the lid on the jar before she could come out. (Works and Days 96100). This portion of the myth also insinuates that not only did Pandora purposefully released the worlds sorrows, but that she also would have released Hope, humanitys Hope, if Zeus had not told her not to. The loss of Hope would have been the eventual downfall of mankind, and that would be an act of pure evil; which is Hesiods definite implication within the myth, the potential of evil within Pandora and therefore women. Not unlike the later Christian Bible, the woman brings evil into the world. Zeus orders Pandora to leave behind hope but additionally Hesiod as the author understands the meaning of hope to the human race, through myths such as Tantalus expediently explored within The Odyssey by Homer, in Book 11. Tantalus, a man whose punishment counted on the hope that the gods knew was integral to the humanity within him, though he was born of divine and mortal. His punishment required him to languish unable to eat or drink, though he was standing up to his
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chin in a pool of water and above him within easy reach laid succulent fruits. He was mad with thirst, but unable to drink above him dangledluscious olivesbut whenever Tantalus reached up for them, the wind tossed them high (Homer, 613-621).The gods understood that though Tantalus would occasionally give up and cry in anguish, he would always have hope that he might outsmart the gods or be allowed a bite or sip. Hope is something that is just as invisible as the evils within the jar. However a crowning difference is that Hope is something that is innate in all humans, whereas War, Famine and Disease can only happen to ones self, they are not inborn to the human nature. Furthermore, Hope is entwined with the feminine essence. The continuation of the human race depends on woman and their singular ability to be fertile and have children. By having Hope remain in the jar, Hesiod implies several things about womankind. Hesiod brings the comparison between Hope and women, creating the connection to the comprehension of fertility and optimism. Hope is found within the womb, the Hope of a new life, of a change, of the growth of society and community, while also noting the importance of women to men, despite the fact Hesiod is reminding men that women are still a burden. Lastly he also implicates that pregnancy is a punishment for women due to their predecessors evil act. The Hope that Pandora is ordered to keep in the jar is essential to the survival of humanity, and within the context of the Grecian society at the time, it was important to explain the reason why the world was filled with tragedy and peril, but most notably why it was acceptable. Hesiod proves himself to be quite the misogynist, and in doing so, at least to modern scholars, hopefully; due to differences in social constructs and hierarchy. Women are portrayed to be evil because of the crime of releasing pain, sorrow and grief that became the bane of mankind. Moreover the beauty that embodies women is something that is a weapon of evil in Hesiods eyes because it only masks the apparent rottenness within. Pandora is named as the first
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women and so embodies these evils that Hesiod attributes to the mortal female essence; however he does attempt to also attach these wrongdoings to the immortal female as well, ex. Strife. The evil that seems to be the essence of women between Works and Days and The Theogony, are the misogynist musings of Hesiod, women are the easy scapegoat for all the worlds horrors and pains. The myth of Pandora and her Jar is one that permeates still society today. Pandora commits the crime of releasing the sorrows of the world, committing women to be the prime reason for bringing humanity into a world with unhappiness. Hesiod uses women as a scapegoat, and the explanation for this world with grief. Pandora, as the ancestor of all women, additionally represents all women. Through this symbolic being: Pandora, Hesiod is able to imbue the traits of an entire gender into a single person. While continuously lamenting on the darker traits of women, Hesiod does acknowledge the importance of women within society, namely their ability to reproduce and therefore ensure the endurance of civilization and create Hope. Those darker traits are immersed in essence of evil, throughout Hesiods writings. He considers the evil of women to be characterized by the illusion they build through beauty, physical and tangible. Hesiod argues however that this beauty is only a veil on the shadows within women. Works Cited Hesiod, and Apostolos N. Athanassakis. Theogony; Works and Days; Shield. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2004. Print. Homer, and Stanley Lombardo. Odyssey. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 2000. Print.

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