Women in mythology seem to have an insignificant role. They are usually neglected except for characters such as Medea, Helen Phaedra, Clytemnestra and Electra. Goddesses off course always have a significant powerful role.[1] The Prometheus myth represents women as evil, life sucking creatures. This is a contrast with most other mythical woman such as Athena, Aphrodite and Medea where women are presented as strong, beautiful powerful women. In the Prometheus there sole purpose of existence is to destroy the mortal men’s lives. Zeus creates Pandora as a punishment for Prometheus hiding fire in the fennel stalk. “The price of fire an evil thing.” The comparison between fire and women is that they are both dangerous. Women were created as counter part to fire, as they would eventually lead men into “their own destruction.” I do no think that the Prometheus play is only a representation of women; it is also a representation of the stupidity of men. Men will be ‘glad at heart’ when they first see Pandora, which shows how easily they are fooled and manipulated. The word ‘heart’ is used to present the idea of men fall in love with Pandora just because of her appearance. It presents them as unintelligent as they lose all their senses just because they see a beautiful woman.
Pandora is described to have a ‘sweet lovely maiden shape’. The word shape shows that it is just the exterior that is sweet and lovely. By comparing her looks to an immortal goddess she is presented as something men would be lured and attracted to. She is given good traits by the gods such as needlework by Athena and grace by Aphrodite. However she is also given bad traits such as a shameless mind and deceitful nature. Women in this myth are presented alien like.[2] They are not seen to be made from his world as she is crated by the Gods and they bless (or curse) her with different traits. I think that women in this myth although are shown to be deceitful and selfish are shown to be more powerful than men. They were made by the gods and can easily destroy the mortal men just by existing. Each gift she receives from the gods is a plague to man.
In Hesiods Theogony the oxymoron ‘beautiful evil’ shows the complexity of Pandora. It also shows the confusion she would have to men as they see her as beautiful and want her but she is not good for them. ‘Bright eyed daughter’ also presents the idea that Zeus her creator is her ‘father’, thus once again making her seem more godlike and extraordinary compared to man. This is further proved in the line ‘wonder took hold of the deathless Gods and mortal men’. This shows that it is not only mortal men that find her fascinating but the Gods too.
Women and Pandora are presented as selfish and greedy beings. Hesiod plays on the fact tat the men go out to work and leave the women are home to eat away the food ‘into their bellies’. He fails to mention to vital other role women have which is the mother role. Bu feeding their bellies they are not feeding only themselves but their children. Hesiod completely ignores women’s role in society and the house and dismisses the good they do for men.[3]
Historian Doherty whilst analysing Vernats article on the Prometheus myth comes up with some interesting points on Pandora. Both fire and Pandora ‘burn’ men with desire and worry. Both fire and women are dangerous to men. However even though they are dangerous, like men need fire they also need women to live. Women and the portion of bony meat that is dressed in bony fat are linked. They are both attractive on the outside but on the inside bad.
No comments:
Post a Comment