JAUCIAN, ALLEAH JOY A

AB Political Science

The Torch of Human Civilization

  The Myth of Prometheus in ancient Mythology highlights more than just taking fire from
the Gods; it dwells on how far a vanity may go once it is shattered. From Hesiod’s account, the
narrative begins with Zeus assigning Titan Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus the
responsibility of creating all living creatures. While Epimetheus made all living creatures in the
ocean, sky, and land, Prometheus created humans. However, Zeus merely wants to keep humans
vulnerable so that they may continue to adore the gods of Mount Olympus from below. Still,
Prometheus feels that human creatures have a higher purpose than being servile. Although the
mythology recognized Zeus as the ruler, defender, and father of all gods and humans, an in-depth
analysis of the myth reveals that it even requires a Prometheus who continues to rebel against
him to achieve liberty and allow civilization to flourish rather than remain submissive. Zeus was
initially portrayed as domineering and mighty, but as the narrative progressed, he was proved to
be little more than a self-centered god.

Prometheus prepared a trick that would benefit humanity; he deceives the head of god to
acquire a more significant chunk of the food for humans. To offer to Zeus, he slaughtered a bull
and split it into two halves. He presented Zeus with a false sacrifice that contained a choice
between bones and meat, which enraged Zeus and forbade the use of fire as a kind of vengeance
for Prometheus' deceit. The event is strikingly analogous to the Disney adaptation of Snow
White, in which Humbert the Huntsman drags Snow into the woods and tries to kill her from
behind, but instead delivers the queen a pig's heart and warns snow about the queen’s intention.
In this case, it demonstrates the necessity for a hero to triumph over influential figures who will
attack others to sustain their superiority. On the other hand, there is a passing resemblance
between the Prometheus Myth and the Garden of Eden. According to the article in Blue Letter
Bible, Satan inhabited the snake, a genuine creature, to deceive Eve by eating the fruit of
knowledge. Both stories' characters essentially went against the Gods' will and were brutally
punished as a result. However, the parallel ends there. Prometheus acted for the welfare of
humankind, but Eve and Adam were the catalysts of human sins. This event was the beginning of
Prometheus's heroism, as well as the beginning of Zeus's pride being wounded.
JAUCIAN, ALLEAH JOY A
AB Political Science
Moving forward, Prometheus cannot sit back and witness Zeus' oppression of people by
eliminating the gift of fire. The fact that he took the fire from the gods and then returned it to
humanity after hiding it in a hollow fennel stalk demonstrates how much he cares about them.
This had a tremendous impact on humans' existence, "this gave them the power to harness nature
for their benefit and ultimately dominate the natural order.” This event mirrors the historical
event in the Philippines known as the People Power Revolution, in which Filipinos regained their
independence after it was taken away during the Marcos regime. It is reasonable to claim that
Corry Aquino, former President of the Philippines, plays the role of Prometheus by
metaphorically returning fire on the Filipinos. This was also the beginning of the country's
revitalization. It will take a brave soul and a genuine heart for humanity to restore the light that
was forced to be extinguished by the dictator.

Ironically, Zeus is said to punish liars, while he is the most deceptive god in Mythology.
The name Prometheus implies foresight, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary, foresight
is the ability to see the future, an in-depth analysis of the myth reveals that it is not the wrath
from Zeus that he foresees but rather the evolution and advancement of civilization as a
consequence of his heroism. A similar event occurred in Dr. Jose Rizal's novel, Noli Me
Tangere. Crisostomo Ibarra, the narrative's protagonist, aspires to educate poor Filipinos by
building a school because he sees education as a means of combating injustice. However, the
Spanish friars kept sabotaging this objective out of fear of falling under the control of the
underprivileged Filipinos. Tragically, Ibarra is ultimately unable to complete his mission because
he is labeled a rebellious heresy before the school is fully constructed. Another illustration of
how powerful people obstruct societal progress.

They argue that having power leads to supremacy, to the point where being powerful and
controlling might destroy civilization. If it weren't for Prometheus, Zeus' desperation to
neutralize power might have continued to hinder political and social progress. And these
phenomena still occur in society today. Given the parallels, we might conclude that in every
account, fiction or nonfiction, there is always an oppressor and a victim. Fortunately, we always
have Prometheus in all of our narratives. However, having a hero should not be romanticized;
rather, it should be a must to create a society where no one becomes another sacrifice due to their
hierarchical rank and weakness.
JAUCIAN, ALLEAH JOY A
AB Political Science
REFERENCES:

Hare, March, and View my complete profile. “The Huntsman.” Morbid March Hare: The
Huntsman, 25 Nov. 2012, morbidmarchhare.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-huntsman.html.

“How Do We Understand the Serpent in the Garden of Eden?” Blue Letter Bible,
www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_705.cfm. Accessed 27 Nov. 2022.

“Origins.” Origins, origins.osu.edu/milestones/people-power-revolution-philippines- 1986?

language_content_entity=en. Accessed 27 Nov. 2022.

“Definition of FORESIGHT.” Foresight Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster, 5 Nov.

2022, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foresight.

LitCharts. (n.d.). Education theme analysis. LitCharts. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/noli-me-tangere/themes/education