Directions: Read the following myth and answer the questions that follow: The Abduction of Persephone by Hades Persephone was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. As Persephone grew, so did her beauty. When Hades, the god of the Underworld, saw her, he immediately fell in love with her and decided to abduct her. ΠΟΙΜΗΝ According to the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, one sunny day the young Persephone was gathering flowers in a field, accompanied by her close friends, the Ocean Nymphs. The carefree Persephone moved away from her companions in search of the most beautiful flower. When she reached out to pluck a wondrous narcissus, Earth yawned open and Hades appeared in his golden chariot and snatched her away to the Underworld while she was in tears. Demeter was looking in vain for her daughter day and night. The land and crops of the earth began to wither. After a while, the Sun, looking at everything from the sky, felt sorry for the goddess and told her what happened. Demeter went to Zeus and demanded that Persephone be returned, or else she would not let the earth blossom again. Zeus sent the Messenger God, Hermes, to Hades with the command to release Persephone. Before returning her to Hermes, Hades forced Persephone to eat six pomegranate seeds. Hades knew that if someone ate food in the Underworld, they could never really escape the world of the dead. Persephone was shortly after reunited with her mother. However, Demeter was furious when she heard about the pomegranate seeds. Zeus then proposed a compromise: for every seed Persephone had eaten, she would spend a month with Hades. Demeter accepted Zeus' proposal. Thus, Persephone would travel to the Underworld every six months during which time Demeter would mourn and the earth with her. But after six months, Persephone would return to her and Demeter would be happy again and the earth would blossom once again! CS Scanned with CamScannerGive the plot of the story.
Answer (1)
The plot of the story follows Persephone, daughter of Demeter, who is abducted by Hades while picking flowers. Demeter searches for her, causing the earth to wither. Zeus orders Hades to return Persephone, but she has eaten six pomegranate seeds, binding her to the Underworld for six months each year. A compromise is made: Persephone spends six months with Hades and six months with Demeter. This cycle explains the changing seasons—Demeter mourns when Persephone is in the Underworld, causing winter, and rejoices when she returns, bringing spring and summer.
