The Incarnation Of Hades Among Us

Claudia Oviedo Meléndez
Professor Cartín
Response Paper #1
28 Mar. 2012
The Incarnation of Hades among Us
Is it possible that an ancient Greek myth can portrait a current reality with anincredible exactness? The answer is a resounding yes. In “The Seven Pomegranates,” Persephone (formerly known as Core) is captured by Hades, and that act makes Demeter so saddened that she does not let anyplants grow, causing many animals and people to die. Due to an agreement between the gods, Persephone would be far from Demeter only three months per year, and that is how the months of winter cameinto existence. Hades takes Persephone to the Underworld against her will, rapes her and forces her to marry him. Some people agree with this action by saying: “To be Persephone, to be this goddess,Persephone must be raped. I feel I understand now how Persephone moves from defense against Hades to love for him” (qtd. in Whitehead 150). But is it the rape of Persephone a mere isolated story with norelation to our contemporary society? Not in the least. Nowadays, many women suffer nameless pains every day and some of them even die due to men who act just like Hades.
Now more than ever, Hades’behavior is very much present. Women are the object of rapes, tortures and many kinds of mistreatment and abuse because some men consider they have the power to do whatever they want with women.According to these men, women are born to be subjugated and to please as they decide is appropriate. These individuals obviously have psychological disorders that transform them into what we know asstalkers, kidnappers and rapists. As Hades, they consider that they have the right to condition their victims’ lives to their plans and preferences, without taking into account their victims’ will. Hadesforced Persephone to live into a dark, cold, gloomy atmosphere: the Underworld. It is exactly the same for women who have been victims of physical, verbal, psychological or sexual abuse: they now live...