One hundred years from now, we cannot control how or if we are remembered. If we are among those so lucky enough to be remembered, it will be based upon the opinions of others passed down through generations. I believe that women are the ones who suffer the most from this idea, because their achievements are so diluted. Living in the present day, it is up to us to decide how a person truly behaved in their day, based not upon opinions, but factual evidence. Even fictitious characters face the same scorn of remembrance as those who are real. I've taken four well-known characters in history and literature and have proven that legacies can be twisted by those who've told their stories.

Medea

The tale of Jason and Medea goes like this. Jason had to go through many trials to receive a golden fleece that will allow him to take over his kingdom. Medea, being shot by Eros' arrow because his mother Aphrodite was sympathetic to Jason, assisted him. She used her witchcraft and in return she made him promise to take her with him to his home. So Jason and her have two boys and they live happily until Jason starts getting cozy with this king's daughter and decides to leave Medea and their children. Medea, being in a foreign country with no rights or citizenship, fears for her life. So for revenge she poisons the king and his daughter. Then she murders her children for further revenge and rides off on Helio's golden chariot. Or does she? In the Greek writer Euripides' tale, he added in the murder of the children to shock the audience. In the classic folk tale, the people of the king seek revenge and murder her children. So Euripides took it upon himself to take this classic, powerful character and twist it for entertainment.

Mary Magdalene

She was world's most famous prostitute that was forgiven by the son of God. Except there's a problem: she wasn't a prostitute. Scholars have found evidence that in fact Mary Magdalene may have been a high priestess since she was by Christ's side so often in the stories and he appeared to her first. There is also proof that they may have been married with a child, but you can watch "The Da Vinci Code" for that story. The reason she is believed to be a prostitute is twofold. One, a pope wanted a female figure who has committed a grave sin to be the image of forgiveness for Christ. Two, they did not want a powerful female figure at Christ's side in the bible. You can find out more about her life in the documentary, "Secrets of Mary Magdalene" on Netflix.

Helen of Troy

The myth goes that Paris awarded Aphrodite the golden apple, declaring her the most beautiful goddess, so she rewarded him with the most beautiful woman. I'm not sure who to blame the Trojan War on -- Paris, Aphrodite or the golden apple -- but I sure as hell don't blame it on the "Face That Launched A Thousand Ships." Tell me how this was Helen's fault. In some variations of the story, it is said that Paris stole her away. Even in Homer's "Iliad" there is a part where she is lamenting how she wishes she could go home and return to her family. Everyone says it's Helen's unfaithfulness that caused the Trojan War, but I blame that damn apple. Didn't Adam and Eve teach you not to f*ck with fruit and the gods?

Marie Antoinette

If you don't know that a tabloid of that time period made up the phrase, "Let them eat cake!" then you seriously need to look into a history book. That is one of the biggest misconceptions about the Queen of France. Although her reign may not have been ideal, many people forget that she became the Dauphine in her late teens. Even as a queen, that is not the most responsible time in a person's life. I for sure did not have my sh*t together at that age, let alone be forced into a marriage and have to rule an entire country. Sure, we all didn't have a country to feed, but I say cut her some slack. The French Monarchy all seems to fall on Marie and her love of desserts; it seems people forget that there was a King of France, who was also a teenager, handling the expenses as well. That's just a natural disaster in itself.

Virginia Woolf said, “I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.” These are only a few of the many examples of people, especially women, whose names have been diminished over time. So it's best to research a character before deciding on your own opinion of them, because this can continue the cycle. Like the Grammy Award-winning musical" Hamilton" sings, "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story." I invite you all to tell the right story.