Based on your reading of the Pandora myth, answer one of the following questions in a comment. Please answer thoughtfully and try to move past a surface-level response. In other words, don't give me the obvious answer. Instead, push yourself to really engage with the question. Also, try not to repeat too often what another student has already said in a comment.
1. Is curiosity a blessing or an evil? Why?
2. What can learn about stereotypes of gender in this myth?
3. Since Hope is left in the jar in this version of the myth, does this mean man is denied Hope? Since the jar contains only evils, was Hope meant to be an evil or a comfort?
4. Can you think of other stories in which a "dangerous woman", a woman who is both beautiful and flawed, plays a major role? What do you think these stories mean for how we think of women?
5. Do you feel any empathy for Pandora or mankind after reading this myth? Do you think they deserve what they got or not? Why?
3. No, but rather that hope was not relinquished. For this myth represents that we have lost control of the evils, and that we no longer have a hold on them, but that hope is something never to be lost, which we will keep hold of even up to the point of death. Hope, being both a blessing and an evil, is only great if it prevails. Hope, also, is decidedly not a comfort. For death is comforting, but the want of continuing to live, and the possibility that it might be happen, that is a force to be reckoned with.
ReplyDeleteIn Pandora's story, the Gods create her to be dangerous because of her beauty. Similar to this story, in the movie "Snow White and the Huntsman", the evil queen is both beautiful and deceitful. When the king sees her, he wants to marry her as soon as possible (similar to Epimetheus). Shortly after, she murders the king and takes over the kingdom. Unlike the happy times before, she alters the kingdom to a dark, horrible place. This story ties to Pandora's because their flawless appearances cause them to destroy their societies. Because this is a common theme in literature, it displays how humans think that because a woman appears charming on the outside, she must be deceitful, manipulative, and wicked on the inside. This is an example of humans being cynical with altered perceptions.
ReplyDeleteWow, good response. I agree ^
DeleteIn the myth, Pandora's curiosity becomes her enemy when she opens the jar and allows evil to pour out, but in my opinion I think curiosity is a blessing. When someone becomes curious, that is when new ideas or inventions are formed. For example, imagine a person looking out one night and seeing the moon, then all the sudden curiosity overcomes them, and they begin to question everything and anything about the moon. Later that night the curious feeling can not go away. The person then decides they are going to discover a way to reach the moon and investigate, so their curiousness will disappear. However, when they reach they it, they think of more questions and ideas about the moon or other planets that result in new and better ideas. The cycle continues and more ideas arise, because someone can never stop being curious or wondering what if? Although in the myth Pandora being curious is shown as a negative or evil, it is curiousness and wondering that allows our world to grow and prosper. Many amazing inventions or concepts that have improved life tremendously have started with the simple blessing of curiousness that we all have.
ReplyDeleteIs curiosity a blessing or an evil? Curiosity is one of the best traits that the human race has obtained. What made Homo Sapiens so dominate in the ancient world and made us thrive was our ability to try and exploit our natural enviroment, which no previous species has accomplished before.
ReplyDeleteCuriosity is what drove all of our great thinkers and inventors. It makes us question our surrounding environment and helps us create an elaborate answer.
Is curiosity a blessing or an evil?
ReplyDeleteI think curiosity can be both an evil and a blessing. With curiosity man will all ways be wondering why, such as in Adam and Eve. If Eve had no curiosity she would have not eaten the fruit. Therefore man would still be immortal. Or if a parent says not to do something you will always wonder why. Therefore you if your curiosity is strong enough you will probably break their rules and most likely get in trouble. If Columbus had no curiosity then he wouldn’t have found America. Without curiosity Thomas Edison would have never made electricity and without electricity the world would be a harder place to live in with more deaths. So I think curiosity is a mixed blessing.
1. Curiosity is a blessing. Although Zeus intended for curiosity to be a punishment in this myth, I believe that curiosity is what drives humans to discover, invent, and create new things. Curiosity has benefited our society.
ReplyDeleteDo you feel any empathy for Pandora or mankind after reading this myth? Do you think they deserve what they got or not? Why?
ReplyDeleteI do not feel any empathy for Pandora. Zeus told her not to open the box and she did. It is a real shame that mankind has to deal with all of the evils of the world just because of one girl. Pandora deserved to have all the evils of the world but mankind did not. Mankind definitely deserved to keep hope though and it is a good thing that they did.
5. Mankind did not get what they deserved. They listened to their creator and took a gift from him, fire, and when they were given another, Pandora, they accepted it too. Who wouldn't accept a gift? NOt only is it rude and obnoxious but the last thing you'd ever want to do is make powerful gods that can easily kill you mad. FOr accepting two generous gifts they were plagued with the evils of the earth that kill them off and cause pain and sorrow. Before the world was a happy place, but then people knew the different evils and it became a constant battle that to this day still hasn't ended.
ReplyDeleteCuriosity is a blessing because humans would not be where they are today without curiosity. Curiosity is what drives humans to discover new technologies, start different kinds of companies, and even change the way our government works. Without curiosity, Christopher Columbus wouldn't have sailed to the Americas, Alexander the great wouldn't have spread his empire to India, and there wouldn't be a United States of America without curiosity.
ReplyDelete1. Curiosity is defiantly a blessing. It's a blessing because that's how people found out about things that have now become big parts of our lives. It's the reason that emotion or action has been given to us, so that we might be able to figure different things out and be able to use those things for a gain for everyone. People were given curiosity for a reason, because of that, we must use that ability. Without it, we are lifeless and not able to have the need for a new adventure of finding. For example, Benjamin Franklin was so curious that the man walked outside with a key and a kite and found out about electricity which is one of the biggest contributions to the human race. We need curiosty to further our technology and to become better at providing things that are a neccesisty to our everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteDefiantly is totally a different word from definitely.
DeleteCuriosity is a blessing though it may come off as a curse. What comes off as a curse is just a lesson and a lesson is what leads you to improve. Anyways curiosity is what leads a humans to figure out new things! Curiosity is a strong trait of humans. It is what moves our mind and heart forward. Questioning others drive us towards answers and answers help us invent, which leads us to discover. The trait leads us to the truth even though it may not be the most appealing.
ReplyDelete1. Curiosity can go either way in my opinion, but in this myth curiosity is a curse. In Pandora the myth Zeus gave Pandora the "curse" of curiosity because he knew that is what would drive her to open the box with all of the evil curses. But curiosity in the modern world is a blessing because if there was no curiosity nothing would drive humans to do anything, such as we probably would not have electricity. So in a way Zeus gave the humans a blessing although at the time it may have looked like a curse curiosity drove the humans to want to figure things out and make sense of things. Sometimes the best of things come with some consequences such as in this case all of the evil that came out of Pandora's box
ReplyDeleteI believe their is a stereotype about men in this myth. It shows the stereotype about how men do not care what is on the inside but only care about outer beauty. When Pandora was "crafted" she was made stunning, but the Gods did not care about who she was on the inside. Also, the God who married Pandora did not care about her inner beauty but fell in love with her outer beauty and married her before even saying a word to her. This shows the Gods, who are representing men, only cared about her angel like outside and did not care who she was on the inside, which released immoral sins to all of mankind.
ReplyDeleteI believe "there" is a stereotype about this myth.
DeleteI believe curiosity is a blessing. In the story of pandora it is depicted as a bad thing however, with out curiosity where would we be today? If people never wondered, then there would be no inventions or discoveries, our world would cease to move forward. Curiosity drives us to think about how things work and how to improve them. This drive pushes us constantly, so people are always creating and discovering. Yes, curiosity can bring about problems but its benefits trump its consequences by a long shot.
ReplyDelete....as a bad thing; however, with out curiosity...
DeleteSince hope is left in the jar it could be taken that mankind has no hope. I presumed when people were making this myth a long time ago there was a lot of heart ache and sorrow going on. So since they saw all of this corruption they must have thought that the gods must have not let hope into the world. Just because hope was left in the jar does not mean it is a curse. If things like hope is a curse then that means sickness and pain is a blessing. Hope is not a curse, it should be something that you lean or look on when you are in a tough predicament.
ReplyDeleteIf things like hope "are" a curse....
Delete1. Curiosity is an overall blessing to humanity. If no one was ever curious then we would have never made any discoveries or tools to improve our way of life. As an individual, sometimes curiosity can be risky, pointless, or even deadly, but sometimes it is necessary to contribute to yourself and everyone else by solving your curiosity, whatever it may be. In the myth of Pandora, curiosity obviously had a very negative outcome. It did not seem very necessary to open the jar and many humans would have seen it that way and left it alone, but Pandora was made in a way where that was her only meaning so she had no choice. Curiosity is a great factor im humanity to make progress, but was used by the gods to damage humanity in a way that no one could avoid.
ReplyDeleteCuriosity can be a blessing and an evil it depends in which situation. In some cases such as this one, it can be an evil because we may unearth something that we did not want to experience. However, curiosity can lead to major discoveries in life that can benefit us and our society.Therefore curiosity can be a blessing, an evil or even blessing in disguise.
ReplyDeleteThat first sentence is a run-on. Either make it two sentences or add punctuation.
DeleteFor example: Curiosity can be a blessing and an evil. It depends on the situation.
1. I believe that curiosity can be a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing, because it means that things are important to you, and you like to gather new information. It is a curse because sometimes there are reasons for not knowing information, like if the info could hurt you. Also, like Pandora, your curiosity can get you in trouble, if it lets out things that are meant to stay where they are.
ReplyDeleteCuriosity can be called both a blessing and a curse, but it all depends how you look at it. In "Pandora", curiosity is a curse. When Pandora was created by the gods, Zues new that the curiosity that he gave her would lead to the death and destruction of humans as he intended. He wanted revenge for Prometheus giving the humans fire, but also wanted a way to keep the humans in check, so something like this wouldn't happen again. So, by creating curiosity, Zues was capable of attaining both goals. However, if you look at curiosity in a different light, it could be considered a blessing. A good example of this is the curiosity of learning. Curiosity allows us to come to class every day and learn something that we didn't know. All and all, curiosity could be both.
ReplyDeleteIs curiosity a blessing or an evil?
ReplyDeleteI think curiosity can be both a blessing and an evil. Curiosity will make you question a certain object or idea. When you question, you tend to want to find an answer. Finding an answer makes you grow intellectually and also expands your knowledge about life. It also changes the future of things. Early scientist were curious about the way life and organisms functioned, so they proceeded to finding answers. Through these, the Earth and it's people have come to know more of their surroundings. However, in Pandora we read and take in the fact that "curiosity killed the cat." In other words, Pandora was curious about the box and though when being told not to open it, she did. The Pandora's box released sickness and sorrows, therefore opening the box was a mistake, or so others may say. When sickness and sorrows were released people came to know feeling such as sadness and sickness helps regulate population in different parts of the world.
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ReplyDeleteSince Hope is left in the jar in this version of the myth, does this mean man is denied Hope? Since the jar contains only evils, was Hope meant to be an evil or a comfort?
ReplyDeletePandora’s jar represents the qualities inside of all of us. We can think of each of us having our very own Pandora’s Jar. Pandora releasing the jar is symbolic of us giving in to lust, jealousy, hubris, and other evil things that reside inside of that jar. Those are values that we try day after day to get rid of, but it’s just really hard. When we let hope out of the jar, that means that we have to let hope go. But unlike lust, greed, and jealousy, hope is a good thing. When the bad seeds have taken a hold of you, and you have opened the jar and let the good seed out, the good seed will float away and you will lose hope. However, we, as human beings, need to be careful about hope. Hoping for the right things, like doing well on a test or playing well in a game, is positive and should be practiced by everyone. But some kind of hope is bad. If you find out that you did poorly on an exam, and you hope others do worse than you so you look better, that is morally wrong on so many levels. If you are playing a soccer match, you should never wish ill for you opponent or hope that they lose. You should just play your best and try to win. Pandora’s story teaches us an important lesson about the importance of good values and why need to hold on to them dearly.
Curiosity is a desire. A desire to learn, a desire to investigate, and a desire to explore. Often great discoveries were simply out of curiosity; when a kid threw a stone in a cave to hear the cracking of pots holding Dead Sea Scrolls, or when Newton was curious about how forces work and created his three laws- each discovery started with curiosity. So I undoubtedly believe a passion to inquire about the unknown is certainly a blessing. Curiosity is the reason for society’s advancements, and without it there would be nothing.
ReplyDelete1). I feel like curiosity is a blessing. Without it, we would't be where we are today. In order to be successful in life, you have to get involved, ask questions, BE CURIOUS. Yes, sometimes it is best not to know what we ask or what we have heard, but if you really look deep into it.. it is best to know, in order to be prepared. If you really think what our world would be like without curiosity is similar to a world without light. You need the light to show you the way, to pick you back up when you have fallen down. Right? Curiosity is the same way. It is a part of our daily routine and life in general. It is a major blessing to have the chance and ability to question our surroundings.
ReplyDeleteCuriosity can be a blessing and an evil. It can be an evil like the old saying says, “Curiosity kills the cat.” Sometimes our curiosity can metaphorically kill us because it can cause situations that are not necessarily what we want to have happen. Such as asking the embarrassing question, “Are you pregnant,” to a lady that isn’t. In the myth Pandora, Pandora opens a jar from the lord of high thunder, Zeus, out of curiosity and causes all of mankind to suffer under its curse. Although, curiosity can also be a blessing because it motivates us to do or say things that make a difference in our lives or in others. For example, a lot of conversations would never take place if no one had curiosity. These conversations expand and extend our horizons opening many new doors to us in life. Like, learning about something that can be used in a presentation or finding ones soul mate. Sometimes Curiosity can be a blessing and sometimes curiosity can be an evil.
ReplyDelete1. Throughout the myth of Pandora, the idea of curiosity is portrayed as evil which leads to the release of the major evils that plagued mankind. On the other hand, the trait of curiosity is one of the most basic necessities for a human being to develop. Without curiosity, mankind would never have discovered new technology, written myths to explain phenomenons, or progress through evolution. One must be curious in order to discover and question "why?". Curiosity is the sole reason this story was created in order to portray the unexplainable creation of humans and their characteristics. If curiosity would be thought as an evil, humans would have no knowledge of their surroundings. Overall, I believe curiosity and the consequences that follow must have occurred or else human beings could never have been as successful, prosperous, and advanced as they are today.
ReplyDeleteJust because hope didn't escape from the jar, doesn't mean that mankind is denied of it. Hope is something that is all around us, driving humans to reach further and work harder. Hope is what gets you out of bed in the morning when you haven't studied for the Offy quiz, but you know in the back of your mind you still have that tiny chance that you can just make it. In the case of the hope in the jar along with all of the evils, we can assume that this could have been false hope, but by no means is hope evil.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, curiosity is a blessing to not only mankind, but all organisms. It is curiosity that drives action. The want for knowledge drives us to explore, investigate, and most importantly, learn. If we all simply didn't care, the world wouldn't be half of what it is today. A simple desire to understand what lies beyond our reach can lead to the discovery of a new land. This example is one of the millions that prove how much of an impact a simple emotion can bring. In the case of Pandora, although her curiosity led to evil spirits being unleashed upon the world, I think it was our curiosity that led us to understand them fully and try our best to prevent them.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea in your last sentence.
DeleteCuriosity is a blessing. Without it, nobody would have ever discovered anything at all. If not for curiosity, we would still be hunting and gathering in Eastern and Southern Africa. Curiosity is also the driving factor in modern society. It is what leads to every academic, scientific, and technological discovery. Our intense passion to understand the world around us is driven by curiosity. We are always eager to learn, to discover, to create. On a personal level, I am an extremely curious person; I’ll ask a million questions, and after I’ve done that, I’ll ask a million and one. Curiosity is absolutely a blessing. I value curiosity and so should you. It’s why you’re here.
ReplyDeleteZach,
DeleteIf you feel that way, then take this answer one step further. We assume curiosity is a positive thing, so why might the ancient Greeks have disagreed? What was the underlying message of this myth? How might the culture have differed from ours, for example?
1. Curiosity is a blessing not evil. It is what makes humans prosper and grow as a community. It makes people understand things and want to learn more. Curiosity has led the world advances in technology. Even if people think that their ideas are far fetch its the curiosity that helps them drive to achieve our goals. Yes, its true "curiosity can kill the cat" but what would the cat be doing all day without the curiosity. It's curiosity that makes relationships start up, that makes more job opportunities, projects grow and people to change their outlook on life.
ReplyDeleteHi,
Delete"Far fetch" should be "far-fetched." I like your last summary sentence.
After reading this myth, I do feel a small sense of empathy for for Pandora, but not for mankind. Pandora, although she released many bad things into the world and put mankind in difficult conditions, she could not help herself from opening the jar. When a person is diagnosed with curiosity, they become rather tenuous and it is very difficult to overcome. Therefore, Pandora could not exactly refrain herself from opening the suspicious jar. Mankind on the other hand, slightly deserved this punishment because of their lacking ability to judge women. Mankind automatically inferred that because Pandora was so beautiful on the outside, that she would not contain any evil. However, when they unknowingly put her to the test, she proves them wrong. Pandora did not turn out to be the stereotypical women that they all expected, but rather perturbed instead.
ReplyDeleteHi Mia. This is a thoughtful response, but I'm not sure I always understand your word choices. What do you mean, for example, when you write "when a person is diagnosed with curiosity"? Diagnosed by who? A doctor? Also, what do you mean by "perturbed" in the last sentence?
DeleteIn the myth "Pandora", stereotypes can be seen for both genders. Zeus represents one of the male stereotypes in the myth. The myth portrays Zeus as an all-knowing god; superior to other gods such as Hephaestus and Hermes. For example, when Zeus commands Hephaestus to create Pandora, he requests "I want her to be beautiful enough to be a blessing, yet evil enough to be a punishment for mankind" (113). In this moment, Zeus is instructing his son, while also insinuating that this new woman will cause chaos to mortals. Another male, Epimetheus, depicts the foolish, incautious side of men. He accepts Pandora with open arms, disregarding the fact that Prometheus had warned him of the dangers of receiving gifts from the gods. Pandora, the focus in this myth, pictures women as curious, yet appealing. Hephaestus crafts her into one of the most attractive mortal women, and Hermes gives Pandora an interested personality.
ReplyDelete1. In the myth of “Pandora”, we can see curiosity portrayed as an evil. This becomes very evident as man, as well as Pandora herself, are curious to what is inside of her jar. The evil of curiosity is mostly seen when Epimetheus accepts the gift given to him from the Olympians, because he was curious of the contents of the box. Epimetheus thought that someone like Pandora, who is a very beautiful person, could never house these great evils of man.
ReplyDelete