In Greek mythology, Pandora closed the container before Hope escaped.
Hesiod’s Works and Days says that Pandora opened the storage jar, allowing the harmful troubles inside to fly out into the world. She then replaced the lid, and Hope remained within the container. The text does not present a separate god or hero as the person who closes it.
This detail is often reshaped in modern retellings. Many popular versions say that Pandora shut the box just in time to preserve Hope for humanity, while others claim Hope escaped after the evils. Hesiod’s original wording is more limited: Hope is inside, and the lid is put back before it leaves.
Pandora’s action is therefore part of the myth’s final ambiguity. Humanity suffers from the released evils, yet Hope remains available in some form. The exact meaning of Hope’s confinement has been debated by translators and classical scholars.