Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths

In Pandora's Jar, classicist and broadcaster Natalie Haynes revisits women from Greek mythology whose stories have often been told through the actions of male gods and heroes. Beginning with Pandora and the vessel commonly described as a box, Haynes examines figures including Medea, Jocasta, Helen, and Phaedra. She compares their portrayals in ancient poetry and drama with later interpretations in art, literature, film, and popular culture. The book asks how these characters came to be labeled monstrous, vengeful, or responsible for disasters, and what changes when their motives and circumstances are placed at the center. Combining literary analysis with cultural history, it traces how myths are revised over time and how those revisions shape modern ideas about women and power.