The Judgment of Paris; you can’t escape fate
Babies are abandoned sometimes. Reasons? There are many. Not enough money to support the kid, going insane, just want to party, I could go on and on, but for now, I want to tell you a story about a guy named Paris. Paris was abandoned, left to die, all because of a warning that he would be the downfall to Troy; the city which his parents were the rulers of. Meanwhile, while Paris is living on a lonely island, there is a banquet going on. Eris, the god of discord, was not invited. She was furious. She threw a golden apple into the banquet which had “for the fairest” written on it (Michael Stewart). Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite, seeing the apple, wanted to know which one of them deserved it the best. They went to Zeus to have him judge who would get the apple. Zeus, knowing that if he chose one, the other two would hate him, sent them to Paris. The most beautiful women Paris had ever seen were asking him to judge which was the most beautiful. What a decision! Each of the women tried to bribe him. Hera made a promise that if he chose her, she would make him the ruler of the land. Athena promised that he would be successful in war. Aphrodite had the deal breaker, she promised him the most beautiful woman in the land to fall in love with him. (MMIX Mythica) The interesting story The Judgment of Paris illustrates three themes.
The first theme that I think is mainly illustrated in the Judgment of Paris would be that you can’t escape your fate. Later in the story; Paris chooses to pick Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess because she had promised him Helen; the most beautiful woman in the land. Even though Helen was already married, she would find Paris irresistible. Paris kidnaps Helen, and she falls in love with him. Her family is furious. When they find out that Paris is the son of the Trojan rulers, they decide to attack the city, which consequently resulted in a 10 year war which was the downfall of Troy (Cheryl Evans and Anne Millard 42). Him destroying Troy was the reason his parent’s abandoned him, but yet, he was not able to escape his fate (Kathleen Myers 35).
The second theme that it shows is that gods manipulate and use mortals for their own good. IN the beginning of the story, each of the goddesses; Aphrodite, Hera, and Atehna all try to bribe Paris into picking them to be the most beautiful goddesses so that they will be able to obtain victory of the beauty contest (Cheryl Evans and Anne Millard 41). In this example, the theme that gods manipulate and use mortals for their own good is illustrated.
The third and final theme that the Judgment of Paris elucidates is that beauty can be controlling. Who was the winner of the contest? Aphrodite. What is she the goddess of? Love and beauty (Micha Lindemans). Obviously, love has something rather appealing to it. Paris chose love over success in war (which was a big thing in their time period), over ruling over land. Both of those things could have probably resulted in love sooner or later, and I know this because trust me, ladies like a successful man. But because it was love, he picked it fast. Therefore, my point proven, the theme love can be controlling is also illustrated in the story of the Judgment of Paris.
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