Greek Prophetess-cassandra :: essays research papers

THE CURSED PROPHETESSOracle, in the antiquated Greek world, was a shrine where stackwent to seek advice from prophets or prophetesses (individuals who had peculiar(a) powers to speak on behalf of a god or foretell the future). as wellreferring to an altar, the word seer also refers to the prophet orprophetess, and to his/her prophecy (Cassandra). The old-fashioned Greekswholly believed in these sacred persons. When disease would corrupt acity, the people would go to the shrines to ask a prophet to speak on behalf of the gods. erst the Greeks knew the cause of the plague, they would doeverything in their immortal power to convince the gods to economize themfrom their suffereing. In the same way as Oedipus, the king of Thebes, asked Tiresias (a prophet) to speak for the gods explaining wherefore his peoplewere suffering, in Oedipus Rex. The Ancient Greeks believed their fatelay in the powers and oracle of the prophets and prophetesses. There wasone prophetess, however, that wa s an exception to this belief. AlthoughCassandra was the most beautiful and intelligent prophetess, in Greekmythology, her prophecies were never believed.Stories of gods falling in love with or lusting by and by late beautifulwomen appear everywhere in Greek mythology, and the slip of paper of Cassandrais no exception. Greek gods chose their prey because of somedistinguished characteristic or part of their geneology. Cassandra was alovely young woman, and described by bulls eye as the most beautiful ofPriams daughters. Apollo, similarly, was the most handsome of theyoung gods. Cassandra describes Apollo as someone who struggled towin me, breathing ardent for me (Lefkowitz 15).Cassandra, daughter of queen Hecuba and King Priam of Troy,was a beautiful young woman blessed with the seat of prophecy by the godApollo. In return, she was supposed to love him, scarcely at the last minute sheshunned Apollo. As an act of revenge, Apollo added a change shape to her giftCassandra was do omed to tell the truth, but never to be believed (Cohen50). Cassandra has everlastingly been misunderstood and misinterpreted as amadwoman or crazy doomsday prophetess. She has always been shownin paintings with her long hair flying around her shoulders in what wasconsidered insane fashion, scantily clad, and helpless on her knees in theface of her predicted doom. However, there is so much more toCassandra than her maddened predictions and pitiable treatment. Cassandra was a great, intelligent heroine who was damn by the gods fornot playing by their rules. She is a tragic figure, not a madwoman