Pandora: A concise but
informative overview from Classics Pages.
DISCUSSION TOPIC: PANDORA'S BOX AND PROMETHEUS'S FIRE
Some Questions To Consider
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?
Pandora
Pandora: A concise but
informative overview from Classics Pages.
Pandora -- Wikipedia: An entry from the on-line encyclopedia.
: An overview from Greek Mythology Link.
"The
Myth Of Pandora's Box,"
Iseult Gillespie, TED-Ed, January 2019. (4 mins)
Pandora," Episode 2, Series 7, Natalie Haynes Stands Up For The Classics, May 25, 2021. (28 mins)
Pandora -- Greek Mythology.com:
Prometheus
Prometheus, Pandora And The Five Ages: A summary of Hesiod's account.
Prometheus -- Wikipedia: An entry from the on-line encyclopedia.
: An overview from Greek Mythology Link.
Prometheus:
Episode 1, "Origins," October 8, 2018. (8 mins)
Episode 2, "Making Of Man," October 22, 2018. (10 mins)
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.