An Argumentative Essay About Persephone

Persephone

Persephone is the daughter of Zeus, the god of lighting, and Demeter, goddess of harvest and fertility. She is the goddess of springtime. She is also the Queen of the underworld for a certain amount of time, it is debated to either be six months out of the year or four months out of the year.

Hades had fallen in love with Persephone, and wanted to make her his wife so he planned to kidnap her. He asked his brother, Zeus, for help and together they created a plan. While Persephone was playing with her friends, the ground split beneath her and she fell all the way to the under world. Hades successfully kidnapped her and made her his wife. When Demeter heard about this, she did everything to get her back. She searched all over the earth to find her daughter, until Hecate, the goddess of wilderness and childbirth, told her to go

get help from Helios, the sun god. Helios apparently saw Persephone get taken, but kept quiet so that he wouldn't start a fight with Hades. He told her what happened and Demeter was furious. She had heard of what Zeus did and then punished the gods by letting the earth dry up and animals and crops die. Zeus couldn’t let her do this so he had to come up with a plan. He told Demeter that if she went down to the Underworld and could prove that Persephone was staying with Hades against her will, she could return. If not, she stays there.
When Hades heard of this agreement, he tricked Persephone, who had not stopped crying since she had gotten there, to eat a few seeds from a pomegranate.

Since this was a food of the underworld, if she would eat it then she would be able to leave, but would miss it eventually. When Persephone was taken up to Zeus and asked where she would like to live, she had said that she wanted to stay with Hades. Demeter was angry and accused Hades of tricking her daughter, and this had started a fight. She said that she would never let the earth grow, and let everyone die. Zeus couldn’t let that happen o he made a deal, Persephone would stay with her mother for a few months of the year, and with Hades for the rest. Neither of them liked the deal, but there was no other way, so they accepted.

People say that eventually Persephone learned to accept Hades and that the tow fell in love, and others say that she was miserable there. While Persephone was down in the underworld, Demeter was sad and the earth didn’t flourish. Yet while she was here, she was happy and the earth was very lively. If you haven’t noticed, this myth explains the

seasons.