So, to start off, I would like to write a little quote (by Laura Strong PhD... in case you haven't noticed I used her website a lot): "Her [Persephone] story is a personification of some of the most universal concepts about life and death."
Now, to the question. I looked up: How did people react and think of Persephone's story? How did they interpret her personality? There are many different ways of interpreting Persephone’s story, as well as her personality and traits. So, some of this is mixed in with different stories, making each version a little more different than all of the others. Some say that she is meant to be feared because she is the Queen of the Underworld. People would call Persephone “grim Persephone” because of this. She is also portrayed as a goddess who can misguide one, just like she was. In one story, she was referred to as “awesome one,” or “dread Persephone.” Other stories state that she is more of a beautiful, flattering light.
One famous story know as the Harmonic Hymn to Demeter describes her like this, and calls the Goddess: radiant, noble, and thoughtful. Some playwrights also referred to her as being full of glory, and one called her: “Persephone, fair young goddess of the netherworld.” Also, in that playwright, they brought up the relationship between Persephone and Demeter, complimenting them on the close relationship even when Persephone is down in the Underworld. Many times, it was said that people interpreted her story as a symbol of duality, and how Persephone had a very strong relationship with her mother, but when she was harshly whisked away by Hades, she had a good relationship with him as well.
When Persephone was younger, she was called Kore, the the grain and corn maiden, because she was always in the fields with her mother who was the real, prime, Grain and corn goddess. But, when she was taken into the Underworld by Hades, she became more of a goddess, and was then known as Persephone. When she was named Persephone, she was referred to as “the goddess of rebirth.” Another interpretation of Persephone's story is that Persephone was a “triple goddess,” and the Greek world was divided into three parts because of her… the sky, earth, and underworld.
Although there are different interpretations of the Goddess story, many see her as a powerful, and radiant goddess, with much positive power. She shows us how one can change, and become more, even if by accident. Also, some see her story as saying that Persephone had no real power until she got to the underworld, and because of Hades. I believe that Persephone’s story is a symbol of change, and the beauty of it… although some do not see it that way… that is my belief. Persephone, the ancient Goddess of the Afterlife, still has much to teach us all today. If we listen carefully to her story, we may even be able to regain some of the ancient knowledge that was lost with the last Eleusinian initiate. Persephone still possesses the power to help us discover the wisdom within that was able to convince many Greeks that "death is not an evil but something good" (Foley 71). (Paragraph by Laura Strong, PhD)
For more info, click here (this is where I got the stuff)!