Prometheus

Bound
Aeschylus
 The Myth
 meaning "forethought”

 A Titan, the second generation of divine being

 defies the gods by stealing fire and giving it to humanity

 Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, sentenced the Titan to

eternal torment for his transgression
 The immortal Prometheus was bound to a rock, where
each day an eagle, the emblem of Zeus, was sent to
feed on his liver, which would then grow back overnight
to be eaten again the next day.
 Conflict with Zeus
 Although Prometheus had fought on the side
of Zeus in his war against Cronus, the two
mighty gods soon came into conflict once
Zeus had assumed supreme power.
 Their antagonism began when Prometheus
dared to match wits with Zeus. There was a
quarrel between mortals and the gods,
apparently about how the parts of the
sacrificial animals should be apportioned.
 The Conflict
 Prometheus divided up a great ox and for
his creatures, mortals, he wrapped the
flesh and the rich and fatty innards in the
ox’s paunch. For the gods, however, he
deviously and artfully wrapped up the
bones of the ox in its enticing, rich, white
fat. He asked Zeus to take his choice
between the two portions, and Zeus,
unaware of Prometheus’ deception, chose
the bones attractively wrapped in fat.
 The Fire
 Zeus was enraged at Prometheus’ attempt to
deceive him and wreaked  his vengeance
upon mortals, the creatures of Prometheus.
He took away from them fire, essential to
their livelihood and progress.
 Prometheus and Fire
 Prometheus, defiantly champion of human cause,
once again tricked Zeus by stealing in a hollow
fennel stalk fire from heaven and restoring it to
earth. Zeus was stung to the depths of his heart by
Prometheus’ outrage and “contrived an evil thing for
mortals in recompense for the fire,” namely, the
woman Pandora.
 The Punishment of
Prometheus
 Zeus had the wily and devious Prometheus bound in
inescapable bonds to a crag of the remote Caucasus
Mountains in Scythia, with a shaft driven through his
middle. And he sent an eagle to eat his immortal liver
each day, and what the eagle ate would be restored
again each night.
 Generations later, however, Zeus worked out a
reconciliation with Prometheus and sent his son
Heracles to kill the eagle with an arrow and release
Prometheus
 Greek Tragedy, Features

 Myth as source of  Three unities

plots
 Anagnoris,
 Tragic hero peripetia
 Hamartia – tragic  Catastrophe
flaw
 Catharsis
 Chorus
 No suspense
 Episodes
 Tragic irony
 The Play
 perhaps the last play Aeschylus wrote
 for production in Sicily (where he died)?
 the new king of heaven, Zeus punishes the
Titan Prometheus for giving fire to humankind
 opening scene: Hephaestus reluctantly nails his
fellow “Titan” to a rock
 from there on throughout the play,
Prometheus never moves!
 Characters

 Prometheus – the protagonist

 Chorus

 Strength, and Violence/Force (Kratos and Bia)

 Hephaestus, (the craftsman of the gods)

 Io – a woman turned into a heifer by Hera

 Hermes – messenger of Zeus

 Plot
 a chorus of Oceanids (sea‐goddesses) and
Oceanus (a fellow Titan) try to convince
Prometheus to apologize to Zeus and
reconcile with him
 is this the staunch democrat Aeschylus’
condemnation of tyranny?
 Many were so incensed by the negative
depiction of Zeus as a tyrant that they wrote
derogatory verses in the margins of the text
The Arrival of Oceanus
L184-395
Oceanus arrives , seated on a four-footed, winged creature

He has come to “visit” Prometheus, he has sympathy for him

and holds him in “respect”.

Oceanus wonders what he “should do to help”, him, declaring

that he is a firm friend to Prometheus.

Prometheus wonders if Oceanus has come to “gaze at what I

suffer”. To witness the pains he suffers under the discipline of
Zeus.

Oceanus says he has come to give Prometheus “the best

advice”. He tells him to accept the new situation, the new
reality, “Throw off this angry mood” and seek pardon from
Zeus
 Prometheus and Oceanus
 Oceanus tells Prometheus that his situation is hopeless, “inescapable”.
He tells him, “we are ruled by one whose harsh and sole dominion
none may call to account”, (i.e. Zeus has absolute control). He urges
Prometheus to keep quiet, “don’t rage a storm”, and adds he will do all
he can to help him etc.
 Prometheus tells him that Zeus is “immovable” and instructs Oceanus
to look out for “yourself”.
 Oceanus tells that Prometheus gives others better advice than he
gives to himself. Prometheus repeats that Oceanus can do nothing to
help him, and that he should take care, “stay clear of danger”.
 Prometheus says that he is to suffer, just the same as Atlas and
Typhon, who have been punished by Zeus. Prometheus says that
Oceanus’ pity for him may make an “enemy” of Zeus.
 Oceanus is ordered away by an impatient Prometheus. Oceanus
departs saying that he has no need to “shout” at him. He then departs
on his winged creature, having failed to achieve anything.
 The Chorus
 “I weep Prometheus for your deadly plight, tears flow from my
eyes”.
 They ask Prometheus to save himself from his torments.
Prometheus tells the Chorus that not even Zeus can escape his
fate.
 The Chorus are also respectful of the Gods, including Zeus, “may I
never grow weary in worshipping the Gods with pure offerings of
bulls” (L527)
 When Io arrives they let her tell Prometheus her story, before they
allow Prometheus tell them about what is to happen to Zeus.
 They also pity the suffering of Io. They ask Prometheus to tell Io
her fate, “it comforts those in pain”. The Chorus overall
demonstrate good qualities.
 The IO Episode
 Io stumbles on stage, wandering along, trying to escape a stinging
gadfly that is chasing her.
 She has horns on her head.

 She is also hounded by the ghost of Argus who is dead, (Argus

was a multi-eye headed monster, sent by Hera, Zeus's wife ,to
keep an eye on Io.)
 Hermes killed him and Hera used his eyes to decorate the tail of a
peacock.
 Io wonders why Zeus has put on her such a “yoke of torments”.
She prays for relief, and for death to end her sufferings
 .Prometheus welcomes Io, who asks for guidance and help. He
tells her he is the one who, “bestowed on mankind the gift of
fire”. Io wonders why he is chained to the rock.
 IO Scene
 Io persuades Prometheus to tell her about her future, but before he does
this the Chorus ask Io to tell them about what happened to her.
 Io says that at night time she had dreams, informing her that Zeus
“longed” to unite with her in “love”. That Zeus wanted to take her virginity.
In the dream she was informed to go out to the pastures of Lerna, where
her father’s cattle graze, so that Zeus can cast his eyes on her “and be
satisfied”. When she told her father about these visions, he sent
messengers to the oracles. One of them commanded Io to be turned out
of her home “to wander homeless”. If her father refused he would suffer
the fiery thunderbolt of Zeus.
 When Io was locked out of her home and set packing from the land, her
shape changed into that of a horned creature, (a heifer). She was chased
by a stinging gadfly, to keep her on the move, and watched over by Argus,
“with his thousand eyes”.
 Prometheus then tells Io what is in store for her.
 Io Scene (contd.)
 From “this place”, Prometheus tells Io, she will go to the land of the
nomad Scythians.
 He advises her to “keep well away from them” because they have
powerful bows. She will then arrive in the land of the Chalybes, these are
“savage” who do not welcome strangers.
 Io must then cross the river Hybristes, at the peak of the Caucasus, where
she will find a pathway leading south, (a crossing anywhere else would be
too dangerous). Having crossed the river at this pathway, Io will find
herself among the Amazons, who will “gladly guide her on her way”. When
she arrives at the Cimmerian Isthmus, she must cross and leave the land
and head for the Maeotic strait.
 This place will be called the Bosporus “to commemorate” Io. “Thus from
Europe you will reach the Asian continent”.
 At this point Io loses hope and prays for death. Prometheus tells Io that
he is not fated to die and that Zeus will be deposed from his throne.
 IO Scene (contd.)
 Prometheus tells Io that Zeus will plan a union with
a unnamed person and bear a son “more powerful”
than him. (Heracles) Prometheus knows this and
could set Zeus “free”.
 Prometheus continues to tell Io about her Journey.
When she has crossed into Asia, she will press on
to Cisthene. There she will meet the Phorceys and
their three winged sisters. Prometheus advises Io
to be aware of the sharp beaked griffin, and the
tribe of one-eyed horsemen –”do not go near
them”. Next, Io is to go to the Ethiopian river. She
must follow this until she comes to the Nile delta.
Here her journey will end, because it is fated that Io
and her descendants will found a "far-off colony”.
 Io Scene
 At the city of Canopus, Zeus will restore Io to her original
form and with a “gentle touch” shall impregnate her. Her
“dark-skinned” child will be called Epaphos. Five
generations from Epaphos, a family of fifty women shall
return to Argos, desperate to escape the forced marriage
to their cousins. They will be followed by the “young men”,
whom they had been married to. During the night the
brides will murder their husbands – plunging their sharp
sword in to their throats. However one bride will spare the
life of her husband and she will live in Argos with him, to
bear kings. From this line of kings a “fearless hero” will be
born, a skilled archer who will free Prometheus from his
chains. Prometheus tells Io that he knows this from his
mother Themis. After being stung again by the gadfly, Io
exits the scene.
 Importance of Io Scene
 We see how indiscriminate the gods are to the mortals. Io is lusted after
for her beauty and is then punished by Hera because Zeus fancied after
her. This was hardly Io’s fault! Prometheus is compassionate, and clearly
does not want to cause Io pain. He explains how her suffering will
eventually end and also gives her well placed advice in the journey ahead.
 In the Io scene, Prometheus demonstrates his gifts of fore-knowledge, he
knows Io’s future and his own, and outlines this in detail. We discover how
Prometheus will be set free and how Zeus will need his help.
 The Io scene offers readers a full geographical description of the ancient
world. This adds variety and interest to the drama. Prometheus tells us
that Io’s destiny and his own are intertwined, i.e. it is through Io’s
descendants, her children's children, that Heracles will be born. This same
Heracles will free Prometheus from his torments a thousand years into
the future. Finally after the Io scene Prometheus’ behaviour becomes
erratic, he is full of righteous fury.
 Note his brazen treatment of Hermes, his refusal to tell Zeus what he
knows, even the Chorus advise him to accept Hermes’ advice. Hermes
thinks Prometheus has gone “insane”.
 Chorus
 The Chorus ask, who is the one that will bring “Zeus to his
knees” .(L930)They advise Prometheus to be cautious
against speaking out about Zeus or he might “invent
some worse agony for him”.
 When Hermes comes on stage, the Chorus ask
Prometheus to take his advice and not to show
resistance.
 At the end of the drama they say they will not desert
Prometheus who is a friend, even though Zeus’ anger has
strengthened against Prometheus.
 They don’t seem to heed Hermes’ warning to “get away”
from the place. Preferring instead to stay loyal to
Prometheus
 Hermes Episode
 Hermes arrives on stage, addressing Prometheus as “you
thief of fire”.

 Hermes declares that Zeus wants to know about this

marriage Prometheus has spoken off, and how it will bring
Zeus down.

 Hermes says he wants no “riddles” – he has come on Zeus’

behalf for an answer. Prometheus dismisses Hermes as an
“underling” and informs him that he and his “crew” have
just gained power.

 Prometheus says that he has already seen two dynasties

“hurled from those same heights”.

 He tells Hermes that he shall also see a third, (Zeus) fall to

earth. This will be “shameful” and “soon”. Prometheus ask
Hermes to “trot back” to where he came from, “you’ll find
out nothing here.”
 Hermes Episode (contd.)
 Hermes dismisses Prometheus’ stubborn conduct. Prometheus
says that he would not trade his “painful plight”, for the “servile
humility” of Hermes.
 Prometheus acidly declares to Hermes, whom he calls, the “trusted
messenger of Zeus”, that he hopes to see the day when his
enemies enjoy the “luxury” he is enduring, i.e. the punishment and
trials he is now suffering.
 Hermes asks Prometheus if he is to be blamed for his suffering,
and declares to him that, “your sanity is far advanced”.
 Hermes finally acknowledges that Prometheus will tell Zeus nothing
of “what he wants to know”. Prometheus tells Hermes that no
torture will get him to reveal what he knows, “nothing will force me
to reveal”.
 Hermes implores him to weigh up his situation whilst there is still
time. Prometheus tells him he is wasting his breath.
 Hermes Visit
 Hermes then warns Prometheus of the “punishments” that await him,
if he does not tell Zeus what he knows.

 Hermes says that Zeus will entomb Prometheus underground while

still chained to the rock.

 After a “long age” he will return to the light. Along will come a “savage
eagle” , an un-invited banqueter and all day long “will rip your flesh in
rags and feast upon your liver, gnawing it black”. He will only be
released from this torment when some god is found, “to take your
pains upon him and of his own will descend to sunless Hades”. This
prophecy relates to Chiron, the Centaur. He is wounded by an arrow
from Heracles. He asks Zeus to relieve him of his pain. Zeus allows the
Chiron to enter Hades and along the way he takes Prometheus’ pains
with him. Hermes asks Prometheus to think again, “wise council is
always worth more than stubbornness”. The Chorus urge Prometheus
to act on this good advice.

 Prometheus tells them that he knew what Hermes was going to say.
Prometheus acknowledges that what is to take place must happen,
 The Ending of the Play
 Hermes gives up, believing that Prometheus has gone utterly
insane.
 He even urges the Chorus to “get away quickly from this place”. The
Chorus say they will remain Prometheus’ friends – they will not
desert him like “cowards”.
 Hermes utters these words of departure to the Chorus, “You know
what is coming, it is neither sudden or secret”. The Chorus’ own
folly will entangle them “in the net of destruction”. He tells them
that they should not blame Zeus when this happens, but
“themselves”.
 Prometheus hears the sound of lightening, the “earth rocks”, the
sky and sea rage together. The “cataclysm” is upon him. The drama
ends with Prometheus praying aloud to his mother, “earth”
declaring, “you see how I am wronged”.
  Prometheus as a “Tragic
Hero”
 Prometheus has many noble qualities and is clearly the central figure in
this drama, however he does contribute to his own downfall and can
avoid the punishment dished out to him by Zeus.
 Prometheus saves humanity from destruction, “ I pitted mortal men”. He
stole Zeus’ fire to “save them”.
 He is a champion for the mortals. He also gave mankind a range of skills
and gifts to elevate them from their brutish state: “Blind hope”, the
power to heal, (medicine), the skills to write and use numbers, “the
primary science”, the ability to build and mine metals and to yoke and
harness animals to ploughs, (farming).
 Prometheus aided Zeus in his battle against the Titans. He is very
sympathetic and caring to Io, “I shrink from shattering your heart”.
 Prometheus has principles and will not be bullied by Hermes or Zeus,
“you waste you breath” , he says to Hermes .Prometheus as a “Tragic
Hero”
 Prometheus as Hero
 However –Prometheus is arrogant (Hamartia), he refuses any
help from Oceanus, who comes to visit him, he ends up telling
him to look after himself and to “go get out”.

 He dismisses Hermes as an “underling”. A lackey of Zeus.

Prometheus refuses to tell Zeus about who is to dethrone him,
even though Zeus has the power to inflict torture on him,
“consider now what punishments will burst inevitably upon you
like a storm”.

 Prometheus is both brave or foolish in equal measure. At the

end of the drama , Prometheus dismisses the advice of the
Chorus who endeavour to get Prometheus to think about
Hermes dire warning about the horrors to come, “to us it seems
what Hermes has said is sensible”. As the drama ends
Prometheus is still convinced about his own righteousness, (he
seems alone on this?) and utters to his mother Themis, “You
see I am wronged”. Throughout the Drama Prometheus has
control of his own destiny. At any time he can avoid the
 The Play
 A play in a trilogy about Prometheus, the other
two of which are lost
– Aeschylus, The Prometheus Bound
 Zeus eventually learns to rule with justice
 Note also that mankind was allowed to evolve by
Prometheus: he taught them all the civilized arts
 shelter, farming, seasons, math, letters, using
animals for work, sailing, medicine, interpretations
of dreams and sacrifice, mining for precious metals
 His Contribution

“Before [me], they had eyes that blankly

gazed, ears hearing empty sound. Shapes
in a dream, they blundered through long
years . . .”
 He gave us understanding, and thereby all
the arts
 Greek view of human evolution
 Essay Topics
 Prometheus Bound as a Greek tragedy.

 Prometheus as a tragic hero.

 Io’s character

 Role of Chorus

 Plot and structure of the play

 Major themes in Prometheus Bound – Defying power,

freedom, pride, fate, foresight, sympathy, fortitude
 Prometheus as a tragic hero
 Noble birth  Draws the sympathy of the
Chorus
 A Titan, godly
 Though chained, verbally and
 Courage in the face of mentally active
adversity
 Target of tragic irony – unable
 His foresight to predict his future

 Generous to mortals, Io, etc.  Victim of God’s wrath

 Hamartia – his pride  Eloquent, poetic, rebellious

 A victim of fate  Between Zeus and

Prometheus, very little to
 Symbol of creativity choose in the paly
 Short Notes
 Kratos, Bia and Hephaestus

 Dramatic Irony/Tragic Irony in Prometheus Bound

 Allusions in the play

 Oceanus

 Hermes

 Hermes Episode
 Hephaestus
 Myth: Hephaestus is the Olympian god of fire and technology.

 One of the servants of Zeus

 Physically powerful, expert in metal work

 A dramatic device to provide one episode

 Brings in the perspective of Olympians

 To underline the tyranny of Zeus

 Like the two other gods (Kratos and Bia) who carry out
Prometheus's punishment, readers don't learn too much about
him—but they do get the sense that he's not a particularly
powerful god.
 Hephaestus
 Even though Hephaestus claims that he doesn't
want to imprison his kinsman Prometheus, there's
not much force or confidence in the words.
 When Power starts to menace him, he changes
his mind pretty quickly. Sure, he might complain
that he "hate[s] [his] craft skills" (46), but he
doesn't exactly try to stop the punishment from
being implemented.
 Hephaestus
 Hephaestus also says something interesting: he
says that "the mind of Zeus is stubborn—and
everyone is harsh when new to power" (35).
 This sounds a lot like an excuse for Zeus’s
tyranny, and it also helps readers see the war
between the Titans and the Olympians as a real
conflict.
 After all, what does one do when one wins a war?
One punishes the traitors.
 Hephaestus

 Like Oceanus, Hephaestus is an obedient but unwilling servant.

He bows to Zeus's force, but wishes he did not have to.
 Hephaestus first introduces pity and friendship into the tragedy
while chiding Zeus's servants for their insensitivity.
 Yet Hephaestus does what he is told, showing him to be closer
to Kratus than to Prometheus in his outlook. Hephaestus,
however, seems to obey more out of fear than out of a complete
identification with his ruler, which seems more the case with
Kratus and Hermes.
 Hephaestus: Functions
 Functions:

 Adds to the variety of characters

 Expresses emotional solidarity with Prometheus

 A note of revolt against Zeus

 Adds the perspective of the vanquished

 Articulates his displeasure

 A complete contrast to Kratos and Bia: not mindless like them

and has an identity and opinions
 Symbolic value: power and tyranny of Zeus
 MCQs
1.Zeus was very angry with Prometheus and
ordered him chained to the side of a
mountain for all eternity. Prometheus was
rescued__________________.

a.when the ravens came and saved him

b.when Heracles came and released him

c. the sun melted the chains

d. mankind came with fire and burned the

chains and rescued him
 ________ wrote the Greek tragedy Prometheus Bound?
A.) Aeschylus
B.) Pindar
C.) Sophocles
D.) Euripides
 Prometheus is branded as a ______ figure because he is a
god who takes the side of humans.
  a. Lethal
 b. Traitorous
 c. Liminal
 d. Mortal
 MCQs
Heracles frees Prometheus by killing the ___________ that is
torturing him.
 a. Eagle.
 b. Hydra.
 c. Lion.
 d. Amazon.

The Chorus of Prometheus Bound consists of:

  a. Frogs croaking in Hades
 b. Theban men warding off a plague
 c. Furies avenging Prometheus' murder
 d. The daughters of Oceanus
 Prometheus is punished by being...
A.) Exiled from Olympus
B.) Chained to a rock
C.) Confined to Hades
D.) Walled up in a cave
 Greek plays took the action of...
A.) One year
B.) One week
C.) Main character's lifetime
D.) One day
Prometheus Bound is________________.
A. the first play of a five-part cycle
B. only partially intact, with fifteen
percent of the text undoubtedly corrupt
C. the only surviving play of a trilogy
D. the longest of all Greek tragedies
Prometheus is the son of__________________
A.Thetis
B. Thomus
C. Themis
D. Thamus
Prometheus enters restrained by____________.
A.Sappho And Pellegrini
B.Zeus And Poseidon
C.Might And Violence
D.Hermes And Apolo
Prometheus is chained by____________.
ARES
HEPHAESTUS
APOLLO
APHRODITE
The daughters of Oceanus come to______.
a. TORMENT PROMETHEUS
b. MATE WITH PROMETHEUS
c. COMFORT PROMETHEUS
d. BE HEALED BY PROMETHEUS
 During his prolonged stay on the mountian,
Prometheus gets a visitor. Who is that?

 a. Hepheastus
b. Io
c. his mother
d. Perseus
1. Who says?: (Hephaestus)

Power and Force, where you two are concerned,

what Zeus commanded us has now been done.

2. Who says? (Power)

Why do you not despise this deity

who is so hateful to the other gods?

He gave your special gift to mortal men.

 3. Who says?: (Prometheus) It is easy for someone
whose foot remains unsnared by suffering to give
advice and criticize another in distress.
 4. Who says?: I have had my fill of all this wandering,
this roaming far and wide—and all this pain!
I do not know how to escape the pain!
Do you not hear the ox-horned maiden call? (Io)