Pandora's Box: Good vs. Evil

Pandora's box is a classic Greek myth originally produced in Hesiod's Work and Days. While the myth is an entirely separate story of its own, it nonetheless requires some background story in order to properly understand the plot. According to Greek mythology, Man was originally created by the Titan Prometheus. Although Prometheus had created Man in the image of the Gods, Zeus was initially displeased with this new creation. Thus, he ordered the other Gods to refrain from interfering in the humans' lives by gifting them with precious knowledge, which Zeus believed the humans to be unworthy of possessing, such as fire. And so mankind suffered, lacking the necessary tools and knowledge that would grant them easy living. Horrified by the mistreatment of his creation, Prometheus decided to steal some fire from Olympus and present it to Man as a gift, thereby easing his Creation's suffering. Zeus, angered by Prometheus' insolence and disobedience, devised a cunning plan to punish his (Prometheus') creation. (Zeus also punishes Prometheus himself, but that is another story.) He commanded his son Hephaestus and the other gods to craft Earth's first woman, Pandora, and endow her with the traits of beauty, cunning, and curiosity. Zeus then presents Pandora to Epimetheus, Prometheus' younger brother, as a bride and gifts the newly married couple with a strange box, which he insists is a wedding present. Prometheus, expecting retribution for his audacious disregard of Zeus' orders, had earlier warned his brother against accepting gifts from Zeus. However, Epimetheus--either blinded by Pandora's beauty or choosing to ignore his brother's advice--accepted the box without question. Before giving Epimetheus and Pandora the box, Zeus insisted that the box should never be opened, since doing so would result in dire consequences. Epimetheus gladly obeyed Zeus' orders, but Pandora, endowed with both the blessing and curse of an insatiable curiosity, could not resist the box's temptations. One day, while her husband was away, she opened the box, releasing all of the horrors and evils present in the world today. Horrified by the contents of the box which she had unleashed upon the Earth, forever to torment and plague mankind thereafter, she quickly closed the box. Unfortunately, all of the box's contents had already escaped before Pandora realized her mistake, all except Hope, which remained sealed in the box forevermore.

While evil is, unquestionably, a bane for any aspiring utopian society, impeding humanity's overall progress, it is nevertheless necessary, or at least inevitable in a world fueled by selfishness and greed. Without evil, there would be no eternal conflict between good and evil, and life would be, admittedly, boring. Now, I do not mean to say that I advocate the perpetuation of evil thoughts and actions. Rather, I believe there should always exist a balance between both good and evil. This balance is crucial, as it maintains the universe at a constant state of equilibrium and order.; after all, too much of a good (or bad) element can ultimately prove detrimental. Contrary to the story's insinuations, I do believe hope exists, though it may not always seem apparent at times. There is always hope that Man will renounce his evil ways, but I do not believe this will ever happen, since his natural tendencies prevent him from ever attaining a true devotion to good, moral behavior. Evil should not be squelched. Instead, it should exist in a balanced state alongside good.

This picture, depicting the duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, perfectly illustrates the eternal clash between good and evil. As a Star Wars fan, I always imagine this image whenever I encounter themes of good vs. evil.