Persephone in popular culture
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Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter in Greek mythology, appears in films, works of literature, and in popular culture, both as a goddess character and through the symbolic use of her name. She becomes the queen of the underworld through her abduction by Hades, the god of the underworld.[1] The myth of her abduction represents her dual function as the as chthonic (underworld) and vegetation goddess: a personification of vegetation, which shoots forth in Spring and withdraws into the earth after harvest. Proserpina is the Roman equivalent.
- Walt Disney's 1934 Silly Symphony short The Goddess of Spring adapts the story of Persephone's (voiced by Jessica Dragonette) abduction by Hades (voiced by Tudor Williams), and how she returns to Earth for half a year. She is not referred to by name.
- A character named Persephone appears in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, portrayed by Monica Bellucci. She is the wife of the Merovingian, a powerful program that handles other programs exiled from the Matrix.
- In the BBC Television series Spooks the title of Series 3 Episode 6 is "Persephone", referring to character Zoe Reynold's code name during an undercover operation. The storyline parallels that of Greek mythology.
- Persephone appears in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, portrayed by Andrea Croton.
- Persephone appears in The Canterbury Tales, portrayed by Elisabetta Genovese. In the film, Pluto gives the elderly, blind cuckold Sir January his sight back to see his wife cheating. In response, Persephone implants good excuses in the wife May's mind so that she can go unpunished.
- In the television series Once Upon a Time, Zelena, the Wicked Witch, takes the place of Persephone.
- Persephone appears in Class of the Titans, voiced by Tabitha St. Germain.
- In The Simpsons episode "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?", Herb Powell is talking about his company's new car model with the marketing team and they propose calling it "The Persephone." They then explain she was a goddess who ate six pomegranate seeds. Powell rejects the name, stating that Americans want cars named after horses and other tough imagery, not "hungry Greek broads."
- Persephone appears in Kaos, portrayed by Rakie Ayola. This version is unrelated to Hades and resides in the underworld by choice.
- Persephone appears in the 2010 film adaption of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, portrayed by Rosario Dawson. She is depicted as the hot-tempered wife of Hades, and aids Percy on his quest in the Underworld.
In literature
- Mary Shelley wrote a "mythological drama" titled Proserpine, which was published in 1832.[2]
- Algernon Charles Swinburne published "Hymn to Proserpine" and "The Garden of Proserpine" in 1866.[3][4]
- Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote a poem called "Demeter and Persephone" published in 1889.[5]
- Second April, a collection of poetry by Edna St. Vincent Millay published in 1921, contains two poems which make explicit reference to Persephone: "Ode to Silence" and "Prayer to Persephone."[6]
In popular culture
- In John C. Wright's Orphans of Chaos, "the Maiden", a title of Persephone's, is a candidate for the throne of Olympus after Zeus's death.[7]
- Persephone is a major supporting character in the Korean webnovel/webtoon Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint.
- Persephone is a supporting character in the game series Hades by Supergiant Games.[citation needed]
- Persephone is the main antagonist in God of War: Chains of Olympus, and is again referenced by Hades in God of War III.[8]