The Literary Analysis of Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound by Lene Ododomu

THE LITERARY ANALYSIS OF AESCHYLUS' PROMETHEUS BOUND BY LENE ODODOMU A STUDENT OF ENGLISH AND LITERATURE' IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA

Text title: Prometheus Bound

Author: Aeschylus

Genre type: Play (drama)

Play type: Greek tragedy

Year of publication: 430 BC

CONTENTS

1. Author's background

2. About Greek tragedy

3. The main focus of the play

4. Introduction of the play

5. Structure of the play

6. Plot Summary

7. Characters

8. Themes

9. Literary techniques

10. Setting

11. Conclusion

                ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Greek dramatist Aeschylus (c. 525 - c. 456 BCE) is considered one of the greatest tragic playwrights of his generation. He is often referred to as the “Father of Greek Tragedy .” Older than both Sophocles and Euripides , he was the most popular and influential of all tragedians of his era. Aeschylus authored over 90 plays; both tragedies and satyrs. Unfortunately, aside from a few fragments, only six complete plays have survived. Among his most famous remaining works are The Persians , Seven against Thebes , and Agamemnon , part of the Oresteia trilogy. A seventh surviving play Prometheus Bound is the subject of some dispute. As part of a trilogy together with Prometheus Unbound and Prometheus Firebringer, it was written

around the time of Aeschylus' death ; however, some scholars claim it was actually written by someone else, possibly his son, Euphorion.

According to history, that Aeschylus was born to an aristocratic family in 520 BCE near Athens in the town of Eleusis. Although he performed and composed some of his plays in Sicily and he lives his entire life in Athens. Little is known of his wife and family; however, both of his sons, Euphorion and Euaion were playwrights. According to classicist E. Hamilton, he was profoundly religious but somewhat radical, pushing aside the trappings of traditional Greek religion . The gods in his plays are seen as shadows, “questioning how a god can be considered just when people are allowed to suffer.” (193) For example, in Prometheus Bound Zeus is portrayed as a tyrant. This was the exact opposite of Hesiod 's Zeus where he is depicted as a god of justice. Politically, Aeschylus was a strong supporter of Athenian democracy , a lover of freedom and justice. He fought against the Persians at Marathon in 490 BCE and at Salamis in 480 BCE. It was not until the early 490s that he began to write, participating in his first competition in 499 BCE, and finally winning his first victory in 484 BCE. Eventually, he won a total of 13 first-place victories, second only to

Sophocles. He  continues to write until his death.

Like his contemporaries, his plays were often composed for competitions at various rituals and festivals and performed in outdoor theaters. The purpose of these tragedies was to

not only entertain but also to educate the Greek citizen, to explore a political, social, or ethical problem. Along with a chorus of singers to explain the action, there were actors who wore masks and costumes. As with Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound and Sophocles' Oedipus the King , the audience was usually well aware of the story behind the play.

According to translator and editor, D. Grene, Aeschylus played a major role in “developing tragedy to its pinnacle of dramatic sophistication and moral power.” Prior to Aeschylus, a play's dialogue was hampered with only one actor. With the introduction of a second actor, plot construction was given more freedom. Likewise, the intricacy and subtlety of

plays increased. Unlike Sophocles and others, Aeschylus designed costumes, trained his choruses, and may have even acted in some of his own plays.

             ABOUT GREEK TRAGEDY

Greek tragedy is any form of drama whereby the principal character suffers a great fate or destiny due to his inbuilt flaw (tragic flaw), but does not really die at the end of the play but suffers instead. A good example is Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus and in this play the main character, Prometheus, suffered a great fate when he was chained on a rock where an eagle comes everyday to eat his liver and this was caused by his stubbornness for rescuing mankind from the wicked hands of Zeus. Prometheus was known as a very powerful god who had the knowledge of predicting the future of others but he couldn't escape his fate that led him to the gruesome punishment of Zeus.

Greek tragedy is widely believed to be an extension of the ancient rites carried out in honor of Dionysus , and it heavily influenced the theatre of Ancient Rome and the Renaissance . Tragic plots were most often based upon myths from the oral traditions of archaic epics . In tragic theatre, however, these narratives were presented by actors. The most acclaimed Greek tragedians are Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides . These tragedians often explored many themes of human nature, mainly as a way of connecting with the audience but also as way of bringing the audience into the play.

      THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE PLAY

In short, the main focus or x-ray of the play is the conflict between Zeus and the principal character, Prometheus. Prometheus created the conflict by rescuing humans from the wrath of Zeus who wants to enslave them but failed.

         INTRODUCTION OF THE PLAY

The play, Prometheus Bound is a part of trilogy and is a sequel of three. It was written by Aeschylus in 478 BC. In the course of time the other two parts could not survive unfortunately, so we have only Prometheus Bound in full text. The lost of  literature hampers the understanding of this play though but keeps us thinking about the other parts and development of the story. It is said that the first play of the trilogy such as Prometheus Bound could survive as a complete play but the other parts, Prometheus Unbound and Prometheus the Fire Bringer are available only in fragments. To start with the story, the main character, Prometheus, is a Titan, the son of Mother Earth and she imparted to him that future lay with intelligence rather than oppression. Titan Prometheus is seen as the saviour of mortals from the punishment and the wrath of Zeus. Zeus, the antagonist who is invisible in the play wants a dispose of the mortals and create a new superior race as Prometheus is half human through his connection with the mother earth and he naturally has sympathy for the mankind. Prometheus steals fire from heaven and  gave it to the mankind. He also teaches them the basic mental and physical skills of living and gives them hope for the future. But this act of Prometheus naturally angers Zeus who decides to punish him.  The play begins  with Prometheus who is chained up on a rock and his liver is being eaten by an eagle everyday but unfortunately the organ grows again overnight and this leads to a never-ending pain to him as the eagle keeps on coming. Zeus cannot kill Prometheus because of the knowledge that Prometheus had got. Prometheus knows the reason for the downfall of Zeus and this secret is like a saving grace for him. The entire play contains a series of speeches by Prometheus and other characters. It has a little action since the protagonist, Prometheus is not able to move because of his inactive and immobile throughout the play.

 

              STRUCTURE OF THE PLAY

From the structural point of view as still as follows classical norms and the Aristotle concept of tragedy, classical tragedies are composed in such a way that they had a defined structural framework. The characteristics of Greek classical tragedy are, the plot should have unity of time, place and action. This is the first prerequisit for a Greek tragedy. Then the protagonist should belong to a high strata of society. The protagonist should have a tragic flaw that causes the downfall or suffering. The protagonist should struggle and get into a conflict which is the essence of a classical tragedy. And finally, the role of a man in the universe should be the theme of the play.

The classical drama was a highly stylized art form. Usually the actors used to wear masks and the performances were incorporated with songs and dances according to Prof. C. Mba. The main function of the chorus was to deliver information in poetic form about various developments and themes that would take place as a part of the play but in general it was meant to represent a group of characters. 

In the case of Prometheus Bound, the chorus is comprised of the daughters of the sea consistent with the norms of Greek drama. Prometheus Bound is not divided into act. The present play follows all the characteristics of the classical Greek tragedy. From the structural point of view, the play has thousand and ninety three lines comprising many scenes, stories and episodes which are parts of the larger  story. It is composed of speeches and contains little action because we have already seen the protagonist, Prometheus being chained in a mountain and he is immobile because he cannot move (there is no mobility in the protagonist). So that leads to more of speeches than any action and it also has a prologue, monologue, paradox, three episodes which are subsequently followed by three stars Munoz and the play ends with anacs orders.

The play has a plot of extremely limited possibilities for action. Prometheus uses the power of prophecy and knowledge of the secret of the fall of Zeus as a powerful tool to bargain with him when he was undergoing his suffering. It creates a kind of suspense and interest in the play. Structurally the secondary characters are responsible for the division of the play in two episodes but they have connection with the protagonist and not among themselves and that is an interesting part in the play and all the characters serve to bring out the character of Prometheus more vividly. That is the purpose of adding more characters that they present the protagonist in a better and more vivid clarity.

                

                  PLOT SUMMARY

First of all, plot is the arrangement of the various actions of characters or events in a play or any other work of art. It is also the outline of a play. The events that constitute the play are logically and sequentially arranged.  However, the play begins at a desolate crag in the Caucasus Mountains. A henchman of Zeus, Might, speaks to Hephaestus, the god of fire:

“It's your job, now, Hephaestus, to carry out the commands the Father laid on you, to nail this malefactor to the high craggy rocks in fetters unbreakable of adamantine chain” (Grene, 173). 

But Hephaestus is reluctant and says he does not have the heart to do it, apologizing to Prometheus, warning him that he will neither hear nor see anyone and be burned by the sun's rays. He adds that nothing to say will change things, for “… the mind of Zeus is hard to soften with prayer, and every ruler's harsh whose rule is new” (174).

Might taunts Prometheus, saying the gods made a mistake when they called him "Forethought". He asks him what kind of help his mortals can offer to save him now. However, Prometheus stays strong defending what he had done for mankind, saying he will bear what fate has given him. Alone, he speaks out loud of his gift

of fire to mankind:

"I hunted out the secret spring of fire

that filled the fennel stalk, which

when revealed became the teacher of

each craft to men, a great resource"

(178)

This was the crime for which he is being

punished. Speaking to the chorus, he laments, wondering why he had not been cast down into Hades instead. Bound to the crag, he is now the plaything of the winds. His enemies will be able to laugh at his suffering. However, he cries out that Zeus is savage and keeps justice according to his own standards. However, down deep, Prometheus knows that Zeus will one day be broken and come to him.

The chorus admonishes Prometheus, saying he speaks too freely. They continue, asking Prometheus to tell the story behind Zeus' punishment – why is he to be punished “so cruelly with such dishonor.” The Titan speaks of how he had followed his mother's advice and helped Zeus overthrow his fellow Titans; however, after ascending the throne, Zeus awarded each god with their “several privileges” but to humanity he gave nothing, intending on blotting them out. 

"I rescued men from shattering

destruction that would have carried

them to Hades' house and therefore I

am tortured on this rock" (183)

He had felt pity for mortals but found none for himself. The chorus leader responds that his own heart was now pained. Riding in on a sea monster, the god Ocean gazes at Prometheus' plight, telling how he shared in the god's pains and wondered how he could be of help. Somewhat defensively, Prometheus questions if he was there to stare at his misfortune or offer pity. Ocean begs him to be silent, for if he continues to speak out, Zeus will hear and bring more pain. He begs him to “… give up this angry mood of yours and look for ways of freeing yourself from these troubles” (187). Ocean says he will make a plea to Zeus to free Prometheus from his torment, but Prometheus responds, telling him not to bother. He adds that just because he is unlucky he does not want anyone else to be unlucky as well. He says that his heart was already sore. Prometheus relates the plight of his brother Atlas who supports the earth on his shoulders. He tells Ocean that he will bear the pain that Zeus has given him until the “mind of Zeus shall ease from anger.” He warns Ocean to be careful and that speaking to Zeus would be useless. With that, Ocean leaves.

Prometheus turns to the chorus and speaks of his kindness to mortals. He had found them mindless and made them intelligent, “masters of their own minds.” They had eyes but did not see any purpose; they had ears but could not hear. Speaking to the chorus he boasts that all

human arts came from him.

With horns like an ox on her head, Io arrives. She asks Prometheus if he can hear the voice of the one-horned girl. Prometheus greets her and relates how the Zeus' desire for her made him turn her into a cow to avoid the wrath of his wife, Hera . Now she is haunted by a never- ending gadfly sent by Hera to punish her. She asks him why he is being punished. He replies that he was done telling that tale. Simply put, he is the giver of fire to man. Instead of speaking of his own dilemma, he asks her of her plight. She replies,

"Why do I not throw myself at one

from this rough crag to strike the

ground and find release from all my

troubles" (202)

 Prometheus informs her that he will be

released from his own problem when Zeus falls from power. Io asks how this will happen. Prometheus answers that Zeus will make a marriage that he will regret. His wife (it will not be Hera) will bear a son that will be mightier than his father. And, this person will be a descendant of Io. Prometheus gives her instructions: she is to go to Egypt where Zeus will restore her mind and touch with a hand that “brings you no fear.” In future generations, a descendant of that child will overthrow his father, Zeus. To the chorus, Prometheus speaks:

"Yet shall this Zeus, for all his

arrogance, be humble yet, such is the

match he plans, a union that shall

drive him from his power and from

his throne" (209)

After Io leaves, Prometheus declares aloud that only he can tell Zeus how to avoid his destiny. Prometheus would not be alone for long. He is joined by the messenger of the gods, Hermes. Zeus has learned of the prophecy, but when Hermes asks, Prometheus refuses to speak of it.

Hermes tells Prometheus that his attitude is what got him his present condition.

Prometheus says that there is nothing Zeus can do to change his mind until “these atrocious shackles have loosed.” Hermes informs Prometheus of Zeus' curse upon him - to have an eagle come each night to eat his liver. Hermes adds that the proud Prometheus must heed the warning and not to blame Zeus but himself for what the future may bring. As Hermes leaves, there is thunder and lightning in the background. Prometheus ends the play saying,

"Such is the storm that comes against

me plainly from Zeus to work its

sorrows. O holy Mother, O Sky that

circling brings light to all, you see

how unjustly I suffer" (216)

                     CHARACTERS

Characters are the imaginary people a writer or playwright creates in his work. It is the duty and responsibility of the playwright to make his characters look real and this will promotes credibility of the story. Characters are classified according to their roles in the play. Viz; major and minor characters. Moving on to the characterization in the play, Prometheus Bound, we start by discussing the protagonist, Prometheus.

Prometheus: Prometheus is the protagonist of the play as everything in the play circles around him. He is the son of Mother Earth and she imparted  him the intelligence which plays a crucial role in the future against the oppression of Zeus. Prometheus is half human being genetically connected with the earth and he has sympathy for mankind. He always wants to help the mankind in some way or the other as much as possible for him he wants to do some kind of help to the mankind and he has the power of prophecy and also the knowledge to think ahead. He steals fire from heaven and gives it to mankind. He also teaches them intellectual and physical expertise of living and gives them a hope for the future. This  his act of behavior angers Zeus who decides to punish him.  The play opens with Prometheus suffering on the rock as part of the punishment that he receives from Zeus but it is only his knowledge of prophecy that saves him because Zeus knows that he is aware of the future and this makes the character elated. Prometheus with his tragic flaw is still elated in the play despite his suffering.

Zeus: Zeus is the antagonist of the play. He is somehow invisible in the play. He opposes the main character, Prometheus. He is the god of gods, a tyrant ruler. He wants to remove human beings from the earth and replace them with an entire new superior race. According to the play, when Zeus was newly made king, men were informed as to the day of their death and were judge alive, with all their clothes. Zeus always wants to be an absolute and makes all others his slaves. He wants to be completely free and alone in the world. His followers follow him in order to save from his rap, not out of love for him but it is because of the fear that they have from his punishments and ill treatments. As a character, he does not appear in the play as he is described invisible above but has unseen presence has definitely makes an influence on the development of the plot. He was angered by Prometheus for saving the mankind from his wrath. So he ordered his followers to chain Prometheus on a rock and to intensify his suffering he sent an eagle to eat his liver everyday. Zeus finds himself in a difficult situation when Prometheus refused to reveal the secret of his downfall and he was  to be overthrown by a descendant of lo.  He intend that  Prometheus would reveal the secret if he increases his suffering, but he fails in making him to reveal anything about his future.

The Chorus: Another important part or aspect or character of the play was find in chorus. The daughters of Oceanos form the chorus in this play. They are beautiful winged minior goddess who give lot of comfort and confidence to Prometheus to stand by his words and conviction. They build in a kind of confidence in him to fight against the evil. Towards the end of the play, they put their life at risk and support Prometheus. Their encouragement and moral support give Prometheus energy to stand against Zeus and his tyranny activities.

Hephaestus: Hephaestus is the god of Forge and one of the followers of Zeus. He follows the tyrant Zeus not out of interest but unwillingly because he is forced to. He chained Prometheus into a rock reluctantly not out of interest because he finds helpless. He has sympathy for Prometheus and he want to help him but at the same time being a follower of Zeus and being afraid of the wrath of Zeus, he finds himself helpless and he follows the instructions of Zeus.

Might:  Might is a demon God and one of the slaves and strong arms of Zeus. He follows his master blindly and he also has a belief that whatever his master orders is just, fair and cannot be wrong and he has to simply follows his master's orders.  He is so blind about his master. His words are like a principle to him which cannot be violated. He follows them blindly without applying any logic because that is a strong conviction that he should follow his master. He has no ideology of his own, no logic and he always tries to convince others to follow Zeus and tells them that they are not supposed to go against Zeus so as to save themselves from his wrath. He has completely surrendered himself to Zeus and his authority and he does not fell bad about it.

Bia or Violence: Violence is another obidient and dedicated slave of Zeus. He also follows his master blindly just like Might. He helps Might to chain Prometheus and he also adds on the order of fear and violence so as to bully Prometheus. But all these he does only to follow his master's instructions and not out of his own will and wish.

Oceanos: Oceanos is an old god who helps Prometheus and wishes to help him further. He represents the case of Prometheus and talks on his behalf to make free from all these tortures and sufferins that he is undergoing because of Zeus. He morally support and encourage Prometheus not to bow down before Zeus and his tyranny.

lo: lol is former and future companion of Zeus. She was transformed into a cow as a result of Hera's jealousy. She is linked with Prometheus by luck. She suffers along with Prometheus and in one of the predictions it is said that her descendant will break the chains of Prometheus one day and make him free from the prison and live a better life.

Hermes: Hermes is the fleet-footed messenger of gods. He appears only towards the end of the play. He comes to the cliff rock where Prometheus was chained up and he threatens him on behalf of Zeus. He tried to motivate him to fight against Zeus and he talks in support of Zeus.

 

              THEMES OF THE PLAY

First of all, theme is the subject matter of a play. Apart from being the subject matter, it is also the underlying message which the playwright wants to pass across to his audience. The theme serves as the purpose or intention of the dramatic piece. It is the overall idea of the play.

The themes of the play are:

1. ) Theme of tyranny and oppression

2. ) Theme of fate

3. ) Theme of intelligent and knowledge

4. ) Theme of conflict

5. ) Theme of pain and suffering

6. ) Theme of love and sympathy

Theme of Tyranny and Oppression: This theme of tyranny and oppression revolves around Zeus. However, Zeus is the character that does not appear on the stage. He is unseen but he plays the very crucial role in the play. He is the god of gods and a tyrant ruler. Here he represents tyranny and oppression. The theme of tyranny and oppression reveals his tyrannical behavior to dispose the entire human race and wants to set up a new superior race of humanity. This theme shows his ambition to have an absolute command over the universe and earth, and he inclines to be free and alone in the world and all others should be his slaves. He expect all mankind to be under his control by following his orders and instructions. All his followers  follow him to save themselves from his wrath not out of interest, not out of respect but it is out of fear that they tried to follow him. His treatment of his followers and also the main character, Prometheus, is a clear indication of his temperament and as a tyrant.

Theme of Fate: The theme of fate is the integral part of the play and it basically revolves around the main character, Prometheus. However, Prometheus suffered a great fate when he was chained on a rock where an eagle comes everyday to eat his liver and this was caused by his stubbornness for rescuing mankind from the wicked hands of Zeus. Prometheus was known as a very powerful god who had the knowledge of predicting the future of others but he couldn't escape his fate that led him to the gruesome punishment of Zeus. He thinks  that this is all he has got by fate. So whether it is fortune or misfortune, human beings are basically predestined. So it is obvious that fate and destiny have a powerful influence on the life of the protagonist. Also, Zeus is fated to be overthrown by a descendant of lo and he was not aware of the secret of his future but Prometheus does and refuses to reveal it to him despite his struggle to force him. 

"For he too cannot escape what is fated. What is fated for Zeus rule eternal?

You cannot know that yet; do not entreat me" (158)

Theme of Intelligent and Knowledge: The theme of intelligent and knowledge basically talks about the conflict between  the brute forces of Zeus and the intelligence of Prometheus. Prometheus represent intelligent and knowledge because of his gift of predicting the future of others. Being the son of Earth, he has connection with mankind.

Theme of Conflict: This theme talks about the conflict between Prometheus and Zeus. However, Prometheus always wants good for humans and want them to have a free life without being enslaved by any god, but Zeus opposes him and put him on a deadly punishment for saving the humans that he wants to enslave. This conflict was seen from the beginning to the end. This conflict is important because it is one of the major theme we find in the play. Zeus wants to destroy human beings and Prometheus wants to save humankind. So this conflict is observed as a major theme in the play.

Theme of pain and Suffering: In short, the theme of pain and suffering basically talks about the torture or punishment of the main character, Prometheus, who was chained on a rock by Zeus for trying to save mankind. Throughout his stay under the punishment,  Zeus sends an eagle to eat his liver which causes him a serious pain but he had no option than to endure. 

Theme of Love and Sympathy:  Prometheus has sympathy for the mankind because of his love for them. His sympathy and love for them made him to betray the gods by stealing fire from heaven and gave it to them. He did this to enable them have freedom and save from the wicked hands of Zeus who wants to enslave them. But this leads him to a deadly punishment "......you see me a wretched God in chains, the enemy of Zeus, hated of all, because of my excessive love for man" (pp 120). Also, Oceans and Hephaestus have a sympathy for the suffering Prometheus who is chained on a rock and eaten by an eagle everyday. They feel his pain but helpless to help but instead begged him to submit to Zeus in order to be freed from his wrath.

Theme of Fearlessness: Fearlessness is when somebody is brave and dare to face challenge or difficulty. This theme is linked with the main character, Prometheus, who is bold and fearless to take risk and confront injustice. He fearlessly stole fire from heaven and gave to humans. Despite the fact he was under a deadly punishment of Zeus, he still boldly stands by his words. 

"Yes, he shall suffer worse than I do now.

Have you no fear of uttering such words?

Why should I fear, since death is not my fate.

But he might give you pain still worse than this.

Then let him do so; all this I expect" (174)

                 LITERARY TECHNIQUES

1. ) Dramatic Irony: First of all, dramatic irony is a situation where a character is ignorant of his action while his audience understand the true situation of what is happening on the stage. It creates an effect of foolishness on the side of the actor, because he is lost in ignorance.  However, Zeus, the antagonist of Prometheus Bound could be seen as a character who is lost in ignorance. He is fated to be overthrown by a descendant of lo, but he was ignorant to predict his future except Prometheus who angered him more by refusing to reveal the secret.

2. The use of Symbolism: Symbolism is an image or word that stands for something other than the literary meaning. However,  Zeus is shown as a symbol of the evil power of oppression and wickedness, while Prometheus has been shown as a symbol of an angel. Prometheus also represents intelligence and knowledge. Also, the fire that Prometheus stole from heaven and gives to the humans symbolizes freedom and peace.

The use of Flashback: It is the presentation of past actions or events by the dramatist. The actor recalls past occasions to the present scene so as to enhance comic effect. In the play, Prometheus Bound, the flashback occurred when Prometheus recalls an event from his memory and narrates the story of the war between Zeus and Titans.

He tries to bring it to the notice of Zeus who wants to replace the mankind with a superior race.

The use of Hyperbole: Hyperbole is an overstatement or a device that exaggerates the actual situation being represented. It is a figure of imagination that falls under the same category with personification according to Tony Duru.

The example used in the play, Prometheus Bound is "I shall wrestle ten thousand years of time".

The use of Metaphor: Metaphor is a figure of speech that shows indirect comparison with two object with another. Example used in the play, Prometheus Bound is "your words declare you mad". 

The use of Personification: Personification is a figure of speech that represent and object or abstract notion that possesses the attribute of a person or human. It is a figure of speech that present non-living object that functions as human. Example used in the play, Prometheus Bound is "you shall be glad when Night  comes with her mantle of stars and hides the sun's light.

......And other techniques.

      THE SETTING OF THE PlAY

Setting is the physical environment or place in which a play is set. It includes the time in which the action of a work takes place. Generally, setting in drama refers to the serous element through which one knows the location and period within which a dramatic work takes place.

However, the play is set in a remote uninhabited desert in Scythia, at the far ends of the earth; in the middle of the stage, a rocky hill or cliff overlooks the Ocean, the river which encircles the world.

                     CONClUSION

This analysis of Aeschylus's tragedy Prometheus Bound has helped us to understand the various themes of the play and how a Greek tragedy represents the times of that period. It becomes a series of speeches and dialogues because Prometheus, the protagonist is immobile and so a lot of speeches are given in the play which adds more glory to the Greek tragedy, Prometheus Bound.

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