Do You Believe Me Now: A Feminist Analysis of the Reception of Cassandra in Pop Music

In recent years, the myth of Cassandra has been used as inspiration in pop music. In such politically turbulent times, the figure of Cassandra has increased in popularity, likely as a reflection of the stark polarity of political parties across the world. This paper will analyze the use of the figure of Cassandra in the songs of the same name by Taylor Swift and Florence + the Machine to reflect on the rise in violence and the lack of social infrastructure to protect women. The methodology of this paper will use esteemed literature about Cassandra as the mythological basis, in addition to feminist theories, to demonstrate how her story has become so emblematic for women in recent years. The main conclusion reached is that even though Cassandra’s story took place in antiquity, women share the same frustration of not being taken seriously, even more so now when warning about the harm of patriarchy–to everybody, not just to women.