Tuesday, December 8, 2015

In the Odyssey, the myth of Oedipus is mentioned. How does the perspective on divine justice differ between the tale of Oedipus and the Pandora myth in Hesiod’s Theogony?

In both Oedipus Rex and Hesiod's version of the Pandora myth, there is a sense that divine justice is inescapable. The justice may take a while to manifest, and it often comes through a scene of dramatic or situational irony, but eventually justice finds its mark. However, this divine justice is different for Oedipus and Prometheus and Epimetheus (Pandora's husband) because of the nature of their transgressions.
Oedipus does commit actions that are wrong, and arguably he is arrogant and refuses to listen to the gods and his counselors early in Sophocles's play. However, Oedipus commits his crimes unknowingly, and his crimes caused in part by the undisclosed actions of his parents. In the eyes of the gods, the crimes of Oedipus's parents are worse than his, because they knowingly try to kill their infant son to escape their fate. Oedipus runs away to try to avoid his fate and unknowingly kills his father in an argument on the road and then unknowingly marries his mother. Oedipus ultimately ends up blinding himself. This is ironic because Oedipus has spent most of his story being metaphorically blinded by his pride. However, after Oedipus blinds himself and humbles himself to the gods, he can be seen as a hero, and he escapes with his life.
Prometheus, however, knowingly and willingly committed his crimes against the gods, and he used his own trickery to get what he wanted. As a result, the gods construct Pandora deliberately to punish and plague humankind. The gods construct Pandora and give her to Prometheus's brother Epimetheus to marry. They make her naturally curious, manipulative, and deceitful. Just as Prometheus deceived the gods and set their fire free for mankind, the gods deceive Epimetheus into marrying Pandora, and Pandora deceives Epimetheus and is able to open the chest with all of the worldly ills and set that loose on mankind. This retribution is on-going and, according to the myth, continues to plague all mankind for the rest of its existence. Hesiod warns that "And as for the man who chooses the lot of marriage and takes a good wife suited to his mind, evil continually contends with good" (Theogony). Hesiod admonishes that "it is not possible to deceive or go beyond the will of Zeus" (Theogony). In an ironic twist, Prometheus stole a gift of the sacred fire for humans, and a woman whose name means "All Gifts" is created for his brother. Pandora does set loose a whole host of nasty "gifts" on mankind.
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D585

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