According to Hesiod’s Works and Days, hope remained inside Pandora’s jar after the other evils escaped. Pandora closes the vessel before this final occupant leaves, which explains why hope is still available to humans despite the suffering in the world.
The Greek word used in the poem is elpis, often translated as “hope.” Interpreters have long debated whether Hesiod presents hope as a comfort, as another troublesome force, or simply as a mysterious power held back from humanity. The poem itself does not settle every later philosophical question about its meaning.
The popular version usually treats hope as a blessing preserved for people. That interpretation is widespread, but the myth’s ancient wording is more ambiguous than many modern retellings suggest. Another common mistake is to say that Pandora released hope; in Hesiod’s account, the jar is shut while hope remains inside. Later artworks and adaptations sometimes change this detail.