2.4 Pandora's box

ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE

Grade 4

Fears and phobias

Module 11

Pandora’s box

Here follows the story of Pandora’s Box.

PANDORA’S BOX

Activity 1

To read for detail [lo 3.1.3]

The Greek gods created a woman whom they named Pandora.

When she was given life, she was endowed by the gods with every gift. Venus bestowed beauty on her; Mercury gave her the art of persuasion; Apollo donated the love of music, and the Graces trained her in the social arts.

Then Vulcan fashioned an exquisite box of pure gold into which were put all the evils that have plagued mankind ever since - disease, famine, pestilence, fever, envy, greediness, gluttony, hatred and intolerance. It did not seem possible that a thing as lovely as the golden box could contain so much ugliness.

As they were about to close the box, the gods and goddesses regretted their decision to punish Man. Although they were too proud to abandon the idea altogether, they added one beautiful gift that would lessen the pain caused by all the other disasters. This gift they called hope. The gods tucked it down at the bottom of the box.

Pandora was cautioned not to open the box, which was to be a gift to the man who married her.

Mercury then took Pandora to earth and left her with Epimetheus, who was so struck by her unusual beauty and grace that he gladly took her into his home.

Epimetheus asked Pandora about the beautiful box and what it contained, but she said that she did not know exactly and that it was to be a gift to the man who married her. She placed it on a table and its brilliance lighted the entire room. Epimetheus decided that he needed his brother’s advice on the matter and cautioned Pandora not to look at the contents of the box. He set off to his brother.

It took him a whole day to reach Prometheus who, on hearing the story, suspected a trick and told Epimetheus to hurry back home and hide the box in a place so remote that no one could ever find it.

Meanwhile, Pandora was exploring her new home. She kept herself busy all day, yet each time she entered the house, the shining box caught her eye. Finally, as night closed in, she could find nothing else to do.

She took the box from the table and held it, turning it over and over, admiring its exquisite design. “Surely it can do no harm to open this lovely box just a crack to take a peep inside,” she thought. “Could it hold a crown? A precious jewel? A magic cloak? A gift from the gods must be something beautiful and rare!”

She opened the box just a little and saw nothing. She opened it a little wider and at first saw what looked like an ugly brown cloud. Then, with a loud buzzing sound, hundreds of things resembling small insects escaped into the room!

Terrified, she tried to close the box, but her hands shook and she could not do it quickly enough. It was almost empty when she slammed the lid shut and only one thing remained inside the box. This was hope.

The Greek gods had succeeded in releasing their punishment on Man for accepting the stolen gift of divine fire from the chariot of the sun.

Today we are inclined to believe that our hearts are like Pandora’s box, because no matter what bad things happen to us, hope springs eternal in the human breast.

Did you get the facts?

1. Name three of the horrible contents of Pandora’s Box.

1. Name three gifts that the gods gave to Pandora.

1. Who was Epimetheus’ brother?

1. What was left in the box after Pandora had opened and closed it?

Activity 2

To look for clues from the text to understand the meaning [lo 3.1.5]

Did you manage to read between the lines?

1. Why did the gods make Pandora so unusually beautiful and graceful?

1. Why did Vulcan make the box so exquisite?

1. What did the gods and Epimetheus say to Pandora to add to her curiosity about the box?

What do YOU think?

1. Choose two of the evils listed that you think plague our country today.

1. What characteristic do we all have which often gets us into trouble, but also helps us to understand things better?

Activity 3

To read text looking for detail [lo 3.10.2]

Vocabulary

Complete the crossword puzzle by finding the words to the clues in the story.

Across

1. The gods wanted to do this to Man for stealing the fire.
2. Pandora was told not to do this to the box.
3. A smarter word for gave or granted .
4. Means the same as a present

Down

3. This story is about Pandora’s _______

1. _______ springs eternal in the human breast.
2. Pandora was bored because she had ______ to do.
3. What is inside something?
4. Another word for being sick
5. The gods filled the box with _______ things.

Assessment

LEARNING OUTCOME 3: READING AND VIEWING The learner is able to read and view for information and enjoyment, and to respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts.

Assessment Standard

We know this when the learner:

3.1 reads a variety of South African and international fiction and non-fiction texts for different purposes (e.g. poems, stories, myths, brochures, reference books and text-books);

3.1.3 scans for specific details;

3.1.5 makes predictions, uses contextual clues to determine meaning, and makes inferences;

3.10.2 scans for specific details in texts (e.g. weather reports, bus timetables, maps).

Memorandum

Activity 1

1. Any three of the following:

disease, famine, pestilence, fever, envy, greediness, gluttony, hatred, intolerance

2. Any three of:

beauty

the art of persuasion

the love of music

was trained in the social arts.

3. Prometheus

4. hope

Activity 2

1. They wanted to use her as a tool in their plan to punish Man for accepting the stolen gift of divine fire.

2. It was made to be so beautiful that one would never suspect that it contained such horrible things.

3. They told her not to open the box in order to examine its contents.

4. Any two: disease, intolerance, greed, envy, hatred

5. curiosity

Activity 3

Across

1. punish

2. open

3. bestowed

4. gift

Down :

3. box

5. hope

6. nothing

7. contents

8. disease

9. evil