hades-and-persephone

HadesandPersephone---------王梓枫、伍艳平、严颖丽Characters:Hades------Hadeswasthekingoftheunderworld,thegodofdeathandthedead.Hewasalsothegodofthehiddenwealthoftheearth.Persephone------Persephonewasthegoddessqueenoftheunderworld,wifeofthegodHades.Shewasalsothegoddessofthespringgrowth,whowasworshippedalongsidehermotherDemeterintheEleusinianmysteries.Demeter------Demeterwasthegreatgoddessofagriculture,grain,andbread.ShewasalsoZeus’ssister.ByherbrotherZeus,DemeterbecamethemotherofPersephoneandDionysus.Story:Whenthethreebrothers,Zeus,Poseidon,Hades,drewthelotsforthedivisionofthecosmos,Hadesreceivedthethirdportion,thedarkdismalrealmoftheunderworld,ashisdomain.HavingbeenthelordoftheDeathformanyyears,Hadesfeltmoreandmoredoleful.HedesiredabrideandaskedhisbrotherZeustogranthimoneofhisdaughters.ThegodofferedhimPersephone,thedaughterofDemeter.However,knowingthatthegoddesswouldresistthemarriage,hedecidedtoabductthegirlforcefullywhenshewaspickingflowersinabeautifulplain.WhenDemeterlearnedofthis,shewasfurious.Shebegantosearchforherdaughterallaroundtheworld.Demeterwassosadandforgottogivefertilitytotheearthwhichcausedagreatdearthtofallupontheearth.OnthetenthdayDemetermetHecate,whotoldherthatshehadheardthecriesofPersephone,butdidnotknowwhereshewas.ThenDemeterwenttoHelios,whoiswatchmanofbothgodsandmen.HeliostoldDemeterthatHadeshadabductedherdaughterwiththeconsentofZeus.Thereafter,DemeterwassoangeredwithZeusthatsheavoidedthegatheringofthegodsandhighOlympus.ShevowedthatshewouldneversetfootonfragrantOlympusnorletfruitspringoutofthegrounduntilshebeheldwithhereyesherownfair-faceddaughter.Finally,Zeuswasforcedtoconcedeforfearofmankindperishes,andthegirlwasfetchedforthfromtheunderworld.However,sinceshehadtastedofthepomegranateseed,shewasforcedtoreturntounderworldforaportionofeachyear.(Therearetwovideostogivemoredetailsaboutthestory.)CharacterAnalysisofHadesandPersephoneHades:hewashorrible,becausehewasthelordofthedead;inthemeantime,hewasimpartialandhighlydisciplined,becausehecontrolledtheunderworldandhehadthepowertodecidedpeople’sdeath.FromthisstorywecanalsofindthatHadeswasveryviolent,immoral,greedy,cruelandinhumane.HeabductedPersephoneforcefullyandmadeDemeterheart-broken.Besides,Hadeswassinisterandcunning;hetrickedPersephonetoeatpomegranateseedinordertokeepherunderworld.Persephone:Persephonewasbeautifulanddemure.Fromthisstorywecanfindthatshewasnaïveandgullible.WhenHadesgaveherpomegranatetoeat,sheaccepteditwithoutthinking.Shehadtopayforhernaïvenaturetostayunderworldaportionofeachyear.Demeter:Demeter’sloveforherdaughterwassostronganddeep.WhenPersephonedisappeared,Demetersearchedforherdaughterallaroundtheworld.HerperseveranceandpersistenceforcedZeustocompromiseaswellashergreatpowerandinfluence.Timelesstruth:Motherforceisstrongenoughtomovetheworld.Don’tprovokeawomanwhoisamother.Whatnaturedoesthisstoryexplain?TheancientGreekbelievedthatDemeterwasresponsibleforthechangingofseasons.AndPersephone’sdisappearancestartedthecircle.SincePersephonehadtastedthreepomegranateseedsoftheunderworld,shehadtospendthreemonthseveryyearintheunderworld,onemonthforeveryseedsheate,andtherestyearshecouldspendwithhermother.WhenPersephonewasdowntheunderworld,Demeterdidn’tgivefertilitytoearth,andthisperiodwaswhatGreekunderstoodaswinter.WhenPersephonereturnedtohermother,Demeterwasjoyousandthatwaswhywehadspringandsummer.ReflectthemarriagepracticeAmarriagewasacontractbetweenthehusbandandthebride’sfather.ZeusgivesHadespermissiontotakePersephone.Marriageofanonlydaughterwithnobrotherstoherunclewasacceptable.Suchagirlwascalledanepikleros.Humanmarriageswerepatrilocal.Humanmothersanddaughterswouldhavegreatlyrestrictedcontactaftermarriage.HumanexperienceofdeathandseparationOlympianscan’tordon’tgotoTartaros.HadesandHermesareexceptionstothisrule.Demeter’sanguishisveryclosetowhatahumanfeelsatalovedone’sdeath.AsymbolicconnectionbetweendeathandmarriageiscommoninGreekliterature,inpartareflectionofhighratesofmaternalmortality.RelationshipbetweenofgodsandhumanHumanareusefultothegodsbutarenotobjectsofaffectionsZeusdoesnotpersuadeDemetertoliftthefaminebecauseheloveshumans,orbecausehumansareinnocent,orforanyothersuchcompassionatereason.Hewantsthefamineliftedbecausewithouthumans,therewillbenoonetogivethegodssacrifices.