Most
presentations of Persephone’s myth relegate her to the damsel in distress. Many
even call the myth “The Rape of Persephone.” She has been kidnapped by the
dastardly villain Hades and must be rescue. There she goes on a hunger strike
and cries until she is rescued from his evil clutches. Even Disney’s Hercules
presents Hades as the bad guy. He’s a convenient scapegoat, and his association
with the underworld makes him an easy target.
But as
we’ve seen, Hades has acted with great civility—especially for the Greek gods. The
question must be asked, then, what are Core’s wishes in all of this? Has she
actually been forcibly abducted?
She fasted,
yes, but this may not be due to grief, but rather to the prohibition about the
food of the dead. She would know that to partake of that food would mean she
must remain with Hades no matter what. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but
it would remove her completely from her mother. This would have repercussions
for her status later on.
She cries,
yes, and Hades even remarks that she “seems unhappy” and so will be returned to
Demeter. However, I think there is something greater going on behind all of
this. Core is in an interesting situation, which I think she can capitalize on.