THE MYTH OF PERSEPHONE AND HADES IN TESS OF

THE D’URBERVILLES BY THOMAS HARDY

07.11.2019

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THE MYTH OF PERSEPHONE AND HADES

In Greek mythology, Persephone (or Proserpina in Roman mythology) is the daughter of Zeus - the
king of sky and thunder and the king of all gods, and Demeter – the goddess of the harvest and
agriculture, presiding over grains and the fertility of the earth. In the myth about Persephone and
Hades, Hades – the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, falls in love with Persephone,
abducts rapes and marries her and that is how Persephone becomes the queen of the underworld.

One day Hades, God of the Underworld, sees Persephone and instantly falls in love with her.
Hades tells his secret to his brother Zeus and asks him to help, so the two of them make up a plan to
trap Persephone. As Persephone is gathering flowers with the nymphs, they cause the ground to split
underneath her. Persephone slips beneath the Earth and Hades steals her to the Underworld where he
makes her his wife. Persephone at the beginning is very unhappy; however after a while she comes to
love the cold-blooded Hades and lives happily with him.

Zeus permits and even helps Hades to abduct her, but Persephone’s mother Demeter begs her brother
Hades to allow Persephone to come back to the livings. When she finds out that Persephone
disappeared, she searches all over the earth. She even forbids the earth to produce or in other versions
of the myth she neglects the earth in despair and nothing grows anymore. Hades consults with Zeus
and they both decide to allow Persephone to live on earth for six months each year, while the rest of
the time she would be on his side in the Underworld.

Before leaving the underworld, Persephone is persuaded to eat four seeds of a pomegranate. In
ancient mythology, to eat the fruit of one’s captor meant that one would have to return to that captor
or country, so Persephone is doomed to return to the underworld for four months of the year. But she
is allowed to spend the remaining two-thirds of the year with her Earth Mother, Demeter. The myth
of Hades and Persephone is associated with the coming of spring and winter: When Persephone
comes to the Earth, it’s springtime. When she descends to Hades, it is winter.

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TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES

Tess of the d’Urbervilles is a novel written by Thomas Hardy, published in 1891. The story begins
when John Durbeyfield learns that he is the descendant of an ancient noble family. Mr and Mrs
Durbeyville decide to send their eldest daughter, Tess to the D’Urberville mansion where she tend
fowls in order to make their fortune. Mrs D’Urberville is no relation to Tess at all; her husband
Simon Stokes simply changed his name. Tess accepts the job because she feels quilty beacuse while
going to the market she falls asleep and the carriage collids with the local mail cart. Prince, the
family’s horse dies in the accident.

Alec D’Urberville, Mrs. Durbelville’s son seduces Tess. Firstly on her way to the D’Urberville estate
Alec drives fastly and tells Tess to hold her waist. Tess asks him to drive more slowly, Alec agrees
only if Tess allows him to kiss her. When Tess wipes the kiss off with her handkerchief they argue
and she continues her journey on foot. Several weeks pass and Tess goes to the market, where a local
fair takes place. Some friend are suppossed to walk her home, however most of them get drunk and
she is forced to let Alec carry her away. Alec goes deep into the woods, they become lost in the fog.
He gives her his coat and goes to look for a landmark. When he returns Tess falls asleep and Alec
takes advantage of her sexuality. Tess does not love Alec so she decides to return home where she
gives birth to Alec’s child, whom she cristens Sorrow. The baby lives only a few days. Tess feels
very miserable at home, so she seeks work at Talbothays Dairy where she meets Angel Clare who
turns out to be the man from the May Day dance from the very beginning of the novel.

Tess and Angel Clare fall in love with each other. Hower Tess postpones and omits telling him about
her past. She confesses before their marriage in a letter, but the letter slip sunder the carpet and Angel
never reads it. Angel, eventhough he himself admits having anaffair with an elder lady, cannot
forgive Tess and goes away to Brazil. Tess forgives Angel, but Angel cannot forgive Tess.

Tess struggles, she has difficulty in finding a job. She is forced to return home, because her mother
becomes very ill, she recoveres and unexpectedly her father dies. The family is evicted and that is
when Alec reappeares bat Tess again refuses his help.

Finally Tess is forced by unfortunate circumstances to return to Alec. They live in a village
Sadbourne in an expensive boardinghouse called the Herons. Angel decides to forgive her, returns,
finds her in the big house with Alec. After their meeting Tess stabs Alec and runs away with Angel.
They hide, and spend a few happy days in a mansion, when they get to Stonehenge Tess is arrested
and killed.

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THE MYTH OF PERSEPHONE IN TESS OF D’URBERVILLE

The myth of Persephone is obviously present in Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of D’Urberville.
Eventhough it can be interpreted in several ways, the myth is present not only in the characters, but
also in the plot of the novel.

1. CHARACTERS

a. Persephone and Tess

Picture 1 Persephone Picture 2 Tess

Both Persephone and Tess are strongly connected to nature and to the earth. Both of them are
beautiful virgins raped by an evil male character. Persephone’s mother Demeter is the goddess of
harvest and agriculture, presiding over grains and the the fertility of the earth. Demeter was often
worshiped as the goddess of the earth. She revealed to man the art of growing and using corn. Her
beautiful and young daughter Persephone is also considered goddess of vegetation and grain and the
queen of the Underworld. When Persephone disappears, her mother looks for her everywhere.
Demeter might have neglected the earth or maybe her anger caused nothing to grow anymore. Finally
when she finds Persephone she makes an agreement with Hades that Persephone spends two thirds of
the year on the Earth. When she comes to the Earth, it’s springtime. When she descends to Hades, it
is winter.

Tess, the main character from the novel Tess of D’Urberville is also strongly connected to the earth.
Tess is a beautiful, loyal young woman. Tess is born in a village, in a family whose members are

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agricultural workers; she is strongly connected to nature, to the field. Fertility however in this novel
dos not refer only to the fertility of the land, but also to her physical fertility. Tess gives birth to a
child, whom she christens Sorrow.

b. Hades and Alec

Picture 3 Hades Picture 4 Alec (Hans Matheson)

Both Hades and Alec D’Urberville represent evil forces. Both of them use the innocence of a
beautiful, young maiden to their own advantage. Hades as well as Alec are not capable of winning
the heart of these pure women. They rape and steal the hearts of these women. Hades, the god of the
underworld at least makes Persephone happy in the end. Alec eventhough has money and can give
financial stability to Tess, he cannot make her happy. In a way Alec takes Tess to in a symbolic
underworld, beacause Tess can never be happy again after the incident. She lives in a harsh society
which instead of comdemning Alec, blames Tess for her misfortune, innocence and lack of sexual
knowledge. At one point in the novel Tess even askes her mother why hadn’t she warned her.

“Why didn’t you tell me there was danger? Why didn’t you warn me? Ladies know what to guard
against, because they read novels that tell them of these tricks; but I never had the chance of
discovering in that way; and you did not help me!”.

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 c. Demeter and Mrs. Joan Durbeyfield

Demeter searches the all earth for her daughter Persephone. In paintings Demeter often appears
with a torch in her hands which symbolizes the search for her daughter. Mrs D’Urberville on the
other hand sends her own daughter into the hands of Alec in order to attain wealth and nobil name.
While Demeter searches for her daughter . Tess’s mother does not even realize how much her own
daughter suffers. She does not take measures to protect her daughter. The pure, innocent girl
questions her mother about why not telling her about the dangers of life.
The myth says that Demeter went mad and haunted her daughter everywhere, she even disguised
herself as an old lady and and with a torch in her hands roamed the earth for nine days nad months.
Finally Helios, the sun god told her where Persephone was. She even begged Hades tot o allow
Persephone back to the livings and they reach an agreement so that persephone can spend two-
thirds of the year with her mother.

2. PLOT

In Thomas Hardy’s novel the myth of Persphone is reused by the author, sine Tess, just like
Persephone is forced to marriage. Tess is called even in the novel by Angel Clare Artemis or
Demeter. However Tess’s fate is even more similar to that of Persephone, Demeter’s daughter.

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Persephone is stolen by Hades while picking flowers with the nymps, raped and forced to marry
Hades. Tess as well is taken by the carriage when Tess escapes him and then by the horse and rapped
by Alec D’Urberville. The carriage or the horse in this novel becomes the symbol of death, they
represent the ride towards death. Persephone is carried away to the Underworld by a chariot, and
metaphorically Tess is also carried away in a world from where she cannot escape anymore. At the
beginning when Alec takes Tess from her home, her forces her tot o kiss him, but Tess resist and
continues her way on foot.

At first Tess manages to escape and she firmly refuses Alec:

„D'Urberville turned his face to her as they rocked, and said, in playful raillery: "Now then, put your
arms round my waist again, as you did before, my Beauty." "Never!" said Tess independently,
holding on as well as she could without touching him.” (Thomas Hardy: Tess of D’Urberville)
There is a film about the novel which appeared in 2008 and was directed by David Blair. The film
also presents the scene where Alec tries to deduce her, but she gets out off the carriage
(https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2739yo part 1:20:00-22).
However when Tess goes to the market and there is a fair, her friends get drunk and nobody can walk
her home, so she is forced to leave with Alec. (https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2739yo part 1
40:00-46:20-47). In the novel the moment of the rape is omitted, but the reader can realise easily
what happened in the woods.
"Tess!" said d'Urberville. There was no answer. The obscurity was now so great that he could see
absolutely nothing but a pale nebulousness at his feet, which represented the white muslin figure he
had left upon the dead leaves. Everything else was blackness alike. D'Urberville stooped; and heard a
gentle regular breathing. He knelt and bent lower, till her breath warmed his face, and in a moment
his cheek was in contact with hers. She was sleeping soundly, and upon her eyelashes there lingered
tears”
While Persephone is saved by her mother and she can go back to spend some time on the earth,
noone really cares for Tess. Tess has to struggle, she takes a very difficult jop to help her family, and
finally she even marries the evil Alec. She sacrifices herself for the sake of her family.
Persephone in the end is happy with Hades and becomes the quen of the Underworld, Tess feels
miserable, unhappy, and she kills Alec and afterward she is muredered as a punishment for killing
Alec.

3. PAINTING AND MOVIE

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Walter Crane, The Fate of Persephone, 1877

The Fate of Persephone is one of Crane’s largest and most important paintings. Hades and his black
horses have just emerged from a volcanic fissure in the earth, and surprised the goddess as she
stooped to pick the fateful narcissus. Her three frightened maiden attendants, witness the scene, The
foreground is covered with flowers, chiefly narcissus and anemones; a mountainous country sloping
to the dark horizon of the sea with blossoming orchards and the walls and towers of a city with a
peak in eruption beyond form the landscape background. A pomegranate tree in blossom in front
suggests the legend of Persephone and the promise of her return to earth, while a tiny figure on the
mountain was meant to indicate the sorrow of Demeter.

In the movie about Tess Alec appears not with a carriage and two black horses but with a white
horse. In the painting it is Persephone and the nymphs seem frightened when Hades appeares with the

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black horses suggesting evil. Alec on the other hand can easily fool the innocent girl, he seems a real
gentleman with the white horse, but he is also as evil as Hades, he takes advantage of the young,
innocent girl. Hades in the painting is dressed up like a soldier which also suggests force, power.
Alec is dressed with a suit, he seems a kind man at the beginning.However both faces look agressive,
upset and evil. Persephone a s well as Tess try to resist but they are determined by their own fate and
society. Tess is raped in the forest, she is surrounded bu nature, Persephone is also on a meadow
with the nymphs when Hades takes her to the underground.

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4. SONG

Merilyn Desire, a contemporary singer from The United States has a beatufil song about Persephone
with the title Persephone’s song/ Marionette. She writes mostly about Persephone as being a
Marionette in his father’s hand, who helps Hades to steal her. A Marionette is a puppet manipulated
from above by strings. It is not a very famous song, but it clearly shows how Persephone becomes a
marionette in his father’s hand. The same happens with Tess, she also becomes a puppet. Her family,
her society and even her fate play a cruel game with her. These are the verses of the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtW2eVz9idU

„I’m a marionette doll Underground

This is all I am in this world He says to m e I’ll be his queen
Tossed aside like a rag doll Can’t leave
At my father’s word I’m in too deep\
Succumbing to the atmosphere
Though I know I don’t belong here In this tattered gown
I just don’t understand I’ll wear the crown
Why my life is not in my hands Bestowed onto me
As the water falls
Refr. As the petals fall I call aut tom y mother All my tears fall
crying „Rescue me” As the torches go aut
At the end of it all All hope’s gone
I’m slowly sinking
Down Down Down Refr. As the petals fall

This song could be referred to Tess, too. Tess also becomes her father’s victim, but she is also
determined by fate and by the society in which she lives. The song presents Persephone as a
marionette.i In case of Tess Hardy presents the injustice of existence. Tess is punished eventhough
she does not commit a sin. She also becomes a marionette like Persephone. Persephone becomes
happy in the end, but Tess is punished for her innocence.
Both Persephone and Tess become the victims of their father, the victims of the society. Persephone
gets a second chance, she is helped by her mother, but Tess sufferes and eventually dies. Both of
them live in apaternal society, dominated by man in which they become just a marionette.

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Bibliography

 Hardy, Thomas Tess od d’Urberville,Corint: 2013

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persephone
 https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeus
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demeter
 https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/myth-of-hades-and-persephone/
 Picture 1 https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Persephone/699443/4575220/view
 Picture 2 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/313DqxMfRxMDsYtNLK5Ygdy/tess-of-the-
durbervilles-quiz
 Picture 3 https://ro.pinterest.com/pin/324681454362095779/?lp=true
 Picture 4 https://www.flickr.com/photos/bbcone/2859518868

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https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/art-masterpieces-to-welcome-spring/