Persephone Stereotypes

The Rape of Persephone is a myth from ancient Greece that not only teaches a lesson about morals and gives an explanation for the seasons, but it also reinforces gender stereotypes that were applicable to the era and are also present in modern day society.

The Rape of Persephone is explained as a Dying Vegetation Goddess Myth, meaning that it was used as an explanation for crops flourishing during some months, while they do not produce during others (Turner, 7). Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, is innocently walking in a forest one day collecting flowers, when Hades, the God of the Underworld splits the Earth open and takes her down into Tartarus. Demeter is the Goddess of the Harvest, and when her daughter goes missing she neglects her duties while searching for her. Meanwhile in the Underworld, Persephone is persuaded into eating pomegranate seeds. A common belief of the

The first one being that men are given the right to do whatever they please to women, and this is tolerated. In comparison, women are forced to do what the man says, and they will eventually accept it. Hades had no punishment for abducting Persephone. In fact, he was rewarded by Zeus allowing him to betroth her and keep her as a pet for half of each year. Persephone had no choice in the matter; her fate was left to these men. They assumed that she would go with whatever they decided, because as the weaker sex, she had to follow their verdict. Another lesson that goes with this is that women are seen as nothing more than a submissive servant. This myth tells women that this type of behavior is acceptable. Women hearing this myth are taught that this is the only way of living. This is another lesson for a modern reader. In this era, it may have been that this was the only way a woman could survive. Gender stereotypes have not changed their basic structure, but our lives are much better now than they would have been at this