Resumo de Prometheus Bound

Aeschylus? ?Prometheus Bound?, written about 430 BC, is a Greek tragedy said to be first of a trilogy, the second being ?Prometheus Unbound? and the third ?Prometheus the Fire Bringer?. It is set after the overthrow of the Titans, the older race of Gods led by Cronos, Zeus? father, by the Olympian Gods led by Zeus. Prometheus and his mother were the only Titans supporting Zeus. The setting of ?Prometheus Bound? is a mountainous craggy country, supposed to be in Scythia, an area around the Caucasus Mountains that the Greeks thought was the ends of the earth. The Dramatis Personae are Kratos, Bia, Hephaestus, Prometheus, Chorus of the Oceanides, Oceanus, Io and Hermes.

The narrative action can be divided loosely into sections, beginning with the opening as Kratos and Bia bear Prometheus in and Hephaestus shackles and nails him to the rock. The opening is important for revealing the background leading up to the current action; Prometheus? character as aiding mankind and defying the Gods in stealing fire and handing it to man, undeterred by the daunting plight in store for him; and Zeus as a newly enthroned tyrant.

The play moves on to the entry of the Chorus, the daughters of Oceanus. Their dialogue with Prometheus plays out the punishment, Zeus? iron will and his anger at being unable to get Prometheus to talk and how Prometheus aided by his mother Themis used guile and strategy to help Zeus dethrone Cronos. Zeus wanted to destroy man and build a new race but was thwarted by Prometheus. This bit includes an element of spectacle with the winged chariot and its descent to the ground, continues the high drama and emotion and establishes Prometheus as the benefactor of man through his description about how he removed man?s foreknowledge of his own death from his mind, gifted hope and fire. Prometheus is revealed as clever, using ?guile? to aid Zeus. His admission that he acted out of his own will is extremely significant.

With the entry of Oceanus on a monster, a fresh angle towards tyranny is adopted. Oceanus swears friendship to Prometheus and advocates asking for forgiveness from a tyrant, in opposition to Prometheus? defiance. Oceanus warns Prometheus to curb his pride and tongue, but Prometheus only reminds him of the fate of dictator?s lackeys and sympathizes with Atlas shouldering his burden of heaven and earth and Typhon felled by a bolt.

The next section emphasizes the drama and the scale of the tragedy again as the Chorus describes the earth, heaven and underworld lamenting the downfall of old majesty and of Prometheus. Prometheus reveals in greater detail how he raised man by giving him a mind, knowledge and teaching him astronomy, metallurgy, writing, medicine and domestication of animals. The contrast between his past glory and current situation is obvious. The Chorus sadly compares him to a physician who has fallen sick and cannot prescribe a cure for himself.

The entry of Io, child of Inachus, and her story of ?angry Gods and brute deformity? shows yet again the heartlessness of Zeus and his wife Hera, who annoyed by her husband?s attraction towards Io curses her to roam around as a horned cow plagued by insects. Prometheus gives her lengthy advice on how to reach Asia and avoid dangers on the way and eventually prophecies the downfall of Zeus through marriage out of which would be born a child stronger than him, Io?s sojourn to the land of the Nile and the return of the fifth generation after her ?touch-born? child Epaphus to Argos. Io exits raving with pain. This part sets out the prophecy, which Zeus was unable to elicit from Prometheus.

Once again Prometheus and the Chorus are left on stage and Prometheus talks of the marriage that will remove Zeus from kingly dignity under the curse of his father Cronos. He taunts the Chorus for its fear of power while he has no fear of Zeus.

The final section of the narration is with the entry of Hermes, sent by Zeus. The exchangebetween Prometheus and Hermes is angry sarcasm and taunts. Hermes refers to Prometheus? wild rash will and impetuousness, Prometheus declares no power can make him disclose Zeus?s downfall to Zeus. Hermes warns Prometheus that Zeus has worse in store for him ? splitting the rock and allowing his eagle to feed by day on Prometheus? liver that will regenerate during the night for a fresh day of misery. The Chorus too advises Prometheus to listen to Hermes and let ?self-will? go.

The play ends with the spectacle of earthquake and thunder as both Prometheus and the Chorus sink into an abyss.

The themes - pride and defiance, individual will, tyranny and how the different characters react to it. Prometheus is defiant, Hephaestus and Kratos are only covertly reluctant, Oceanus openly advocates apology, the Chorus is frightened and saddened, Io is completely overwhelmed while Hermes is the total minion. The questions that arise are: Is Prometheus being punished for his ?grave trespass? of stealing fire to gift man or for his silence on the prophecy that Zeus is very keen to know? Is Prometheus guilty of pride? Significantly, this play with its focus on high born personages and their use / mis-use of power, strong wills is set outside the polis, at the edge of the world, removed from civilization.

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