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Pandora in Hesiod’s “Works and Days”
Contents
1. Introduction
2. The myth about Pandora
3. The symbolism of Pandora’s name
4. The analysis of Pandora’s actions and traits of character
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
介绍
赫西奥德的“作品和天”是一种最古老的传统文学作品传达、神话、道德和道德规范和信仰的古希腊。在这方面的神话与潘朵拉有关,可能是一个神话,最重要的是细节描述作者“作品和天”基础上的口头传统古希腊神话。这是非常重要的分析和神话潘多拉大,因为它是赫西奥德的描述,因为经常与《创世纪》和不同的创世神话在其他文化中。同时它也是值得注意的,因为它提供了大量的有关女性的作用在古希腊社会,以及他们的传统察觉。它也是值得注意的追踪,一些个人性格特征仔细描绘的形象赫西奥德和潘多拉有机结合。assignment
神话与潘朵拉有关
首先,简要讨论了必要神话潘多拉为了更好地理解她的行为所扮演的角色,她的动机和她的性格逍遥法外,以及她的角色为代表的女性为未来的整个人类的赫西奥德,作为一个代表古希腊文化,感知和解释。
最初,当潘多拉创造,她被送到厄庇墨透斯宙斯惩罚普罗米修斯悖逆,当他为人们带来了火种,以这样一种方式违背宙斯。事实上,它是一种复仇的宙斯普罗米修斯,所有的人从潘多拉的创作,她应该是一个有惩罚,值得注意的是,在他的演讲中主要的上帝的古希腊人强调:“你很高兴你有好骗我,偷来的火——一个伟大的瘟疫你自己和世人应。但我要男人价格在火为恶事,他们的心都可以很高兴当他们拥抱她们自我毁灭”(赫西奥德1983,33)。这显然是要把所有的邪恶潘多拉男性是她作为礼物送给了厄庇墨透斯,他接受了她的,无论普罗米修斯的警告不要再带任何的礼物,从宙斯。
此外,厄庇墨透斯有不仅潘多拉作为礼物,而且她的嫁妆,一个臭名昭著的潘朵拉的盒子,那是绝对禁止开,赫密士,曾将潘朵拉,其实警告他这件事。和厄庇墨透斯也跟随建议赫密士的,同时他也禁止潘朵拉打开这个盒子。
然而,有一次,当厄庇墨透斯缺席了潘多拉不能打开盒子,那是一个致命的错误人类可能犯的错误。当她打开了箱子的盖子她发行了人类的一切罪恶与不幸的,包括最可怕的事,喜欢不同的疾病、疼痛、痛苦、违反契约,折磨,瘟疫和其他许多可怕的事情,只是希望仍然在盒子里。从那时起,人们不会住在天堂的一种无负担,正如他们过去经常(做,但他们不得不面对的问题,所有的罪恶和潘多拉释放。
潘多拉的象征意义的名字
显然,一位普通的妇女几乎不可能做些像潘多拉一样。事实上她扮演了一个至关重要的作用,在整个人类的发展,改变生活的人都明显下降。作为一个结果是可能的潘多拉是精彩谈论妇女和她的差异,从其他的会出现在她的名字,这是非常象征性和传统上是被解释成“all-gifted”(西1985)。#p#分页标题#e#
实际上,她是真正纳入所有可能的礼物,而她被创造出来的。她得了一些礼物从不同的神。为赫西奥德的说明,他们以不同的方式为“雅典娜教中的针线活和织布的多种网络…和金色的阿芙罗狄蒂流恩上加她的头和残酷的渴望有肢体。关心[宙斯],他指控赫密士导游,杀戮者阿尔戈斯的,放在她的一个无耻的头脑和诡诈的自然”(赫西奥德1983,60—65)。
因此,她是为了满足她的主要目标,或把它更准确的说,这个目标的revengeful宙斯,惩罚人类和她的名字应该被受人们作为一个警告而未能意识到厄庇墨透斯的危险,他是神圣的礼物严重的惩罚他的粗心的态度为这个警告以及所有世界上的人。
Introduction
Hesiod’s “Works and Days” is one of the most ancient literary work that conveys traditions, myths, moral and ethical norms and beliefs of ancient Greeks. At this respect the myth about Pandora is probably one of the most significant myths that was depicted in details by the author of “Works and Days” on the basis of oral tradition of ancient Greek mythology. It is very important to analyse Pandora and the myth at large, as it is depicted by Hesiod, since often it is compared to Genesis and different creation myths in other cultures. At the same time it is also noteworthy because it provides a lot of information about the role of women in ancient Greek society and how they were traditionally perceived. Also it is noteworthy to trace some personal traits of character that are critically depicted by Hesiod and that the image of Pandora organically incorporated.
The myth about Pandora
First of all, it is necessarily to briefly discuss the myth about Pandora in order to better understand the role of her actions, her motives and her personality at large, as well as her role as a representative of women for the future of the whole mankind as Hesiod, being a representative of ancient Greek culture, perceived or interpreted it.
Initially, as soon as Pandora was created, she was sent to Epimetheus by Zeus as a punishment for Prometheus disobedience when he brought fire to people and in such a way rebelled against Zeus. In fact, it was a kind of revenge of Zeus to Prometheus and all people since Pandora’s creation was purposeful and she should be a punishment, notably, in his speech the main God of ancient Greeks underlines: “you are glad that you have outwitted me and stolen fire – a great plague to you yourself and to men that shall be. But I will give men as the price for fire an evil thing in which they may all be glad of heart while they embrace their own destruction” (Hesiod 1983, 55). Obviously it was Pandora that should bring all evils to men and it was she who was given as a gift to Epimetheus and he accepted her, regardless the warning of Prometheus not to take any gifts from Zeus.
Moreover, Epimetheus has got not only Pandora as a gift but also her dowry, a notorious Pandora’s box, which he was absolutely forbidden to open and Hermes, who brought Pandora, actually warned him about it. And Epimetheus followed the recommendation of Hermes and he also forbidden Pandora to open the box.#p#分页标题#e#essay范文：西方文化研究essayhttp://www.ukassignment.org/daixieEssay/Essayfanwen/2011/1114/19162.html
However, once, when Epimetheus was absent Pandora could not kept from opening the box and that was a fatal error a human being could make. As soon as she has opened the lid of the box she released all evils and misfortunes of mankind, including the most terrible things like different ills, pain, anguish, deceases, torment, pestilence and many other terrible things and only hope remained in the box. Since that time people could not live in a kind of paradise without worry as they used to but they had to face all the evils and problems that Pandora released.
The symbolism of Pandora’s name
Obviously, an ordinary woman could hardly make something similar to what Pandora did. In fact she played a crucial role in the development of the whole mankind, changing the life of all people dramatically. As a result it is possible to speak about Pandora as an extraordinary woman and her difference from others may be seen in her name, which is very symbolic and is traditionally interpreted as ‘all-gifted’ (West 1985).
Actually, she had really incorporated all possible gifts while she was created. She had got some gift from different gods. As Hesiod states that they contributed in different ways “Athena to teach her needlework and the weaving of the varied web… and golden Aphrodite to shed grace upon her head and cruel longing cares that vary the limbs. And he [Zeus] charged Hermes the guide, the Slayer of Argus, to put in her a shameless mind and deceitful nature” (Hesiod 1983, 60,65).
Consequently, she was created to fulfil her main goal, or to put it more precisely, the goal of a revengeful Zeus, to punish mankind and her name should be perceived by people as a warning but Epimetheus failed to realise the danger of the divine gift and he was severely punished for his careless attitude for this warning as well as all people in the world.
The analysis of Pandora’s actions and traits of character
On discussing the myth and the symbolism of Pandora’s name, it is necessary to dwell upon her actions and personal traits of character that permitted this woman to become a tool of punishment in hands of Zeus regardless all the warnings that Epimetheus received.
First of all it should be said that she acted boldly and she was brave enough not to obey to the will of her husband and opened the box. Actually this is the main deed that may be treated as an act defining the way in which her character and her personality would be perceived.
However, it is necessary to understand what made her to act in such a way. At first glance, it is possible to presuppose that it was a simple curiosity that was considered to be typical for women, especially in the ancient Greek society of the 8th century BC when Hesiod created his “Works and Days”. Nonetheless, on deeper reflection it seems to be insufficient explanation because Pandora was really a lever woman who possessed a bunch of gifts, which far not all women could possess. Moreover, she was practically an ideal woman who possessed typical woman skills such as weaving and needlework, she had got skills of heartbreak from Aphrodite, and she could provoke love and “all the aching sorrow of love” (Hesiod 1983, 65).#p#分页标题#e#
Obviously, curiosity should not be the dominating motive of actions for such a woman. Consequently, it would be logical to presuppose that Pandora had some others motives and reasons to act in such a way. At this respect, it is possible to presuppose that it was her greed that really motivated this woman to open the box. Probably, it may sound a bit strange but, on deeper reflection, it seems to be quite persuading idea.
For instance, it seems to be natural that a woman that possesses a number of gifts and has nothing but these gifts tend to acquire something else. It means that Pandora clearly realised her position as a gift to Epimetheus that made her practically equal to a thing because she was not actually asked whether she wanted to be presented or not. Furthermore, it should be said that she had noting but her dowry. Naturally, she wanted to possess it and obviously that the main feeling that filled her heart at that moment was, in all probability, greed because her husband, Epimetheus, provided for her everything she needed and the only thing she had to do was to lead the life like all other women in ancient Greece did. But Pandora was not satisfied with such situation and her position and she wanted something more, she wanted to possess what she probably considered to be of her own, her dowry. Moreover, she had “thievish morals” and “the soul of a bitch” (Hesiod 1983, 70).
Naturally, being influenced by her greed, Pandora opened the box where she probably wanted to find some treasures but, in stark contrast, she found nothing but different evils and misfortunes. It is noteworthy that Hesiod did not describe in details what was in the box. Nonetheless, he clearly stated that the only thing that remained in the box was hope. By the way, it may be another evidence of the fact that it was greed that forced Pandora to open the box because she did not let everything that was in the box go but apparently she did not know what remained in the box good or evil. This is why she probably believed that there remained something useful and good that remained in the box because she decided to keep it for herself. Symbolically, what she had got was hope and this was the only thing that Pandora and all mankind still possessed.
Conclusion
Thus, it is possible to conclude that Hesiod depicts Pandora as a kind of evil gift that mankind received from Zeus in punishment for the stolen fire. Obviously Pandora is a very contradictive character. On the one hand, she has got a number of gifts that make her practically an ideal woman in the context of ancient Greek traditions and socio-cultural norms. On the other hand, she had a number of negative qualities, among which greed probably the most significant one. And, basically, it is her greed along with other negative qualities, such as thievish morals, that made her to open the box and change the life of all people.
Bibliography:
1. Hesiod: Theogony, Works and Days. Trans. Apostolos N. Athanassakis. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1983.#p#分页标题#e#西方文化研究essay，
2. Powell, Barry B. Classical Myth. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2001.
3. West, Martin Litchfield. The Hesiodic Catalogue of Women: its nature, structure, and origins, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985.
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