The Unheard Truth of Cassandra and the Transformative Voice of Persephone

==Introduction==
Cassandra and Persephone are both greek mythology women with each their own unique story. On one hand, we have Cassandra who was given this amazing, full-of-power gift but isn't able to properly use it because of a curse. Now on the other hand we have Persephone who became a double threat and now reflects herself in the seasons' cycles. Both are powerful women yet one is harnessed by her power while the other gained duality from it. In each of their stories we're able to see their voices and how it affected them.
==Origin and Background==
====Cassandra====
Cassandra, “she who entangles men"https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/heritage_floor/cassandra#:~:text=The%20ravishing%20Cassandra%2C%20literally%20%E2%80%9Cshe,one%20would%20believe%20her%20predictions., the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy was gifted the power of prophecy by Apollo, who fell in love with her. However, when she rejected him he cursed her so no one would believe her. In one of her prophecies, she saw the Greek plan for the Trojan horse but no one listened which led to the tragic downfall of Troy. After the fall of Troy, Cassandra was taken as a concubine by Agamemnon, the Greek king who led the expedition against Troy. Later on, she had visions of trouble for both Agamemnon and herself but when she tried to speak to him about it he didn’t listen. Eventually, they were both killed by Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s first wife, and her lover, Aegisthus.
====Persephone====
Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, and Zeus, the king of the gods, was the goddess of spring growth and queen of the underworld.https://study.com/academy/lesson/who-was-persephone-in-greek-mythology.html#:~:text=Persephone%20was%20a%20Greek%20goddess,the%20gods%2C%20Zeus's%2C%20help. Hades fell in love with Persephone and took her to the underworld to be his queen while she was picking flowers in a field. Demeter was so grief-stricken by her daughter’s disappearance that she stopped doing her job and the earth became barren and empty.
When Zeus saw how badly things were going on earth, he sent Hermes to get Persephone back, but Hades tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds that would bind her to him and the underworld. It was then decided she would spend part of the year with Hades and the rest with her mom. Because of this, we have seasons, growth, and decay. Persephone symbolizes the seasons, life, and death.
==Stereotype and Representation==
====Cassandra====
Cassandra is often seen as a symbol of a prophet whose predictions get completely ignored. It's like she's shouting from the rooftops, but nobody wants to listen. Her prophecies end up causing frustration and despair because no-one believes a word she says. Her story highlights the powerlessness of those who can see danger coming but can't change their fate or convince others. Cassandra represents wisdom and truth that just go unrecognized. She's like a metaphor for all those voices that get brushed aside and ignored.
====Persephone====
Persephone's story is all about transformation and duality. At first, she's this innocent maiden, representing purity and the joys of spring. But then things take a turn when she gets kidnapped and ends up ruling the underworld. Suddenly, she becomes this complex and powerful figure, symbolizing both death and rebirth. It's almost like she's got this double life going on, which is often seen as a metaphor for the cycle of life. 
==Modern Perspective==
====Cassandra====
Nowadays many people see Cassandra as a symbol of how women struggle to be believed or taken seriously, despite being intelligent. Her story is important when talking about if we can trust someone when women's ideas are not given much attention. New versions of her story often show the sad fact that she could see the future and the unfairness of her curse. They paint Cassandra as someone who shows strength and warns us about the bad things that can happen when we don't listen to the truth.
This year (2024), Taylor Swift wrote a song called "Cassandra" in which she told Cassandras' story and touched on themes of disbelief, betrayal, and hypocrisy in society. The repeated line, "they killed Cassandra first 'cause she feared the worst and tried to tell the town,"https://youtu.be/0hYY86DmqPY?si=qtLiOGHMQE8sJoFc emphasizes her role as a truth-teller whose warnings were ignored, ultimately leading to her downfall. The lyrics delve into the inner and outer struggles Cassandra faced, symbolized by her cell filled with snakes and the "crack along the wall" that she patched up while losing track of her thoughts. The mention of betrayal from both society and family, with the line "blood's thick but nothing like a payroll," and the stark contrast between the loud accusations ("Burn the bitch") and the subsequent silence when the truth is revealed, encapsulate the ongoing battle for truth and the painful consequences of being disregarded. 
====Persephone====
Persephone's story is now seen in a new light, and it highlights her becoming powerful and independent. Even though her kidnapping is upsetting, today most stories often stress how she comes to terms with and takes on her queen of the underworld role. This new take paints Persephone as a sign of toughness and change showing how she handles living two lives. Her story also becomes a way to talk about how when growing up things always change.
== Their Voices ==
==== Cassandra ====
Cassandra's curse ties to her reputation. People often see her accurate predictions as crazy or just scared talk, which makes her feel left out and alone. Her ignored advice shows us how painful it is when no one listens to warnings. Cassandra tries hard to be noticed and it hurts when her voice goes unheard. Her troubles are like the problems some people have today when others won’t believe what they say.
Cassandras' story warns us of the dangers we face if we turn away from truths that bother us and the sad stuff that comes from not listening. This story also talks about how power and being a woman play a part into it. Cassandra has this amazing power of knowing stuff, but no one believes her because she's a woman in a world run by men.
==== Persephone ====
People treat Persephone's voice differently depending on where she is. In the underworld, as the queen, everyone respects her and listens when she speaks. When she is back on earth, everyone is happy, and her voice stands for fresh starts and growth in the spring. Her story goes back and forth between these two roles making her voice important and respected in both places. Cassandra is not so lucky; people always ignore her. 
Her story tells us about how life always changes, how we can't stop change from happening, and how hard times can sometimes lead to good things. By being strong in both the underworld and on earth, Persephone's story is about becoming powerful and bringing together things that don't mix.
==== Cassandra and Persephone ====
When comparing Cassandra and Persephone we see how Cassandra talks in a way that tells of bad things to come, but no one listens to her. In contrast to that, Persephone shows two sides: she is a queen in the dark underworld and a bright spring goddess. 
Their differences stand out. Cassandra speaks of sad truths that no one hears leaving her alone and leading to Troy's ruin. On the other hand, people respect Persephone's words as she rules below and above the ground. Cassandra stands for what happens when truths are not heard and the fight to be recognized. Persephone shows life’s cycles changing and staying strong in her two positions.
In both of their stories men exert significant control over them. Apollo's curse on Cassandra is a classic example of unrequited love taking a dark turn, resulting in her tragic isolation. In many greek stories negative things happen to the women/goddess and she's seen as the bad guy if she regects a god or a "powerful man", which happened with Cassandra. On the other hand, Hades' abduction of Persephone represents a more intricate interaction, where she eventually embraces her role as the queen of the underworld. In her story there wasn't necessarily a point where she regected Hades. Persephone sort of just got acustomed to what was happening and had to accept it. This lead her to becoming powerful hence she wasn't going against a "powerful man". 
==References==
==Links and Resources==
Cassandra in Brittanica
Cassandra as a metaphor in Performance Philosophy
Medusa in New York Times Article
Video on Persephone and Hades
Song by Taylor Swift "Cassandra"