Medusa’s Punishment
The punishment extended to Medusa by Athene, the goddess of wisdom, is paradoxical. Medusa is innocent and the victim of the sexual violence committed against her. Instead of the goddess of wisdom punishing Poseidon, who commits the rape offense, she punishes Medusa, the oppressed and victimized. Athene is a misogynist, and she hates fellow women. After converting Medusa into a ferocious monster, Athene plots to kill her using Perseus as the point man.
The irony of the temples
The temples are depicted as places of worship, but the irony is that all the characters are evil, and they use their powers for destructive purposes. As a result, the temple loses its meaning. For instance, the male Greek gods rape mortal victims inside the temple, which is supposed to be a holy place of worship.
The paradox of wisdom
The reader expects Athene to be a woman of astuteness because she is the goddess of wisdom. Even with this, Athene is not sympathetic because she makes her judgment selectively, especially when it comes to solving cases involving fellow women. Athene's act to punish Medusa confirms that she does not have the wisdom she purports to represent.
