In the most familiar version of Pandora’s myth, hope remained inside the jar. Pandora opened the container and released the evils stored within it, but the lid was replaced before hope could escape.
The Greek word associated with hope is Elpis. In ancient Greek thought, Elpis could mean expectation or anticipation, so its role in the story is more complex than the simple modern idea of optimism. Some interpretations view hope as a final comfort for humanity; others ask whether keeping it inside was itself ambiguous.
Hesiod’s account in Works and Days is brief and does not give a complete philosophical explanation of why hope stays in the jar. That silence has produced centuries of debate among readers.
Despite the interpretive questions, “hope remained” is the standard answer in retellings. It is also the source of the expression that humanity retained hope even after suffering entered the world.