In Hesiod’s account, Hermes gave Pandora a deceitful character. Works and Days assigns Hermes the role of placing a deceptive nature and misleading speech in Pandora as the gods prepare her.
This detail fits Hermes’ broader mythological association with cunning, trickery, persuasion, and boundary-crossing. Pandora’s danger is therefore not limited to the physical vessel she opens; Hesiod also links her to persuasive and deceptive behavior.
The story is sometimes simplified into a single act of curiosity, but Hesiod’s version builds Pandora through contributions from multiple gods. Hermes’ gift is one part of that larger construction. His role should not be confused with the god who made Pandora’s physical form: that task belongs to Hephaestus.