DISCUSSION TOPIC: PANDORA'S BOX AND PROMETHEUS'S FIRE
PROCEDURE
Browse extensively in several of the sites listed below reading about both Pandora and Prometheus. Look in at the Discussion Questions listed in at the bottom of this page and come to class prepared to discuss what you consider to be most interesting about the myths associated with these two figures.
PANDORA
Pandora: A concise but
informative overview from Classics Pages.
Pandora --
The First Woman On Earth:
An introduction from Myth Man.
Pandora -- Wikipedia: An entry from the on-line encyclopedia.
: An overview from Greek Mythology Link.
PROMETHEUS
Mythic Themes Clustered Around Prometheus
: A very interesting meditation and series of links from Pacifica
Graduate Institute Professor Emeritus Kathleen Jenks.
Prometheus --
Mythology's Original Rebel:
An overview from Myth Man.
Prometheus, Pandora And The Five Ages: A summary of Hesiod's account.
Prometheus, Pandora, The Flood: Zeus, Hera, Pandora: An introduction to a number of myths from a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee site.
Prometheus -- Wikipedia: An entry from the on-line encyclopedia.
: An overview from Greek Mythology Link.
Prometheus: A very
concise biography.
Creation Of Man By Prometheus:
An introduction from GreekMythology.com.
Prometheus Bound: A summary and analysis of Aeschylus's play from Theatre History.
Descendants Of Prometheus:
The family tree of Prometheus.
SOME DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Prometheus
What is the myth of Prometheus?
How would you explain the on-going tension between Zeus and Prometheus if the latter sided with the Olympians in their battle with the Titans?
Should Prometheus be seen as the arrogant deceiver of Zeus (as Hesiod sees him) or as a champion of mankind's rights and privileges? Is he a hero or a villain?
Why do you think that Prometheus (a god) apparently takes the side of humans in their negotiation/struggle with the gods? To what extent is he an outsider? A trickster?
Why does Zeus punish humans for Prometheus' deed?
What sense do you make of the relationship between Prometheus and Hephaistus? What traits do they share in common and where do they appear together in mythology?
How would you begin to assess the themes of fire, sacrifice, civilization, culture and divine order in the story of Prometheus? Why do you think he is so associated with artistic creativity?
Pandora
What are the fundamental components of the Pandora myth?
Is the story of Pandora fundamentally a misogynist tale?
How would you compare and contrast the Pandora story to the Christian story of Eve?
Why does hope remain in the jar? Is hope, like Hesiod's description of Pandora, a "beautiful evil?"
How would you compare and contrast Pandora's Jar with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?
Prometheus And Pandora
How would you begin to compare and contrast Prometheus and Pandora and to assess the relationship between them?
What analogies and distinctions would you draw between the Prometheus-Pandora story and that of Adam and Eve?
On a symbolic level, is the comparison between Prometheus and Eve more appropriate than that between Prometheus and Adam? How would you compare and contrast Prometheus with Jesus? Is it useful to engage in such comparisons? Why or why not?
