“Myths Presented by the tales of the Gods”
. The tragedy of “Prometheus Bound” by Aeschylus discusses the story of Prometheus’s punishment for providing the human race with fire. According to Cupitt, “ a myth is “typically a tradition sacred story of anonymous authorship and archetypal or universal significance which is recounted in a certain community … it tells of the deeds of superhuman beings such as gods” (Maurizio 14). In the tragedy, we observe the Greek deity Prometheus being punished by Zeus for giving humans fire. Fire was a key symbol in the survival and advancement of the human race. Therefore, this action angered Zeus since Prometheus’s gift went contrasted Zeus’s of punishing the humans by hindering their technological advancement. …show more content…
The tragedy presents the benevolent hero Prometheus ,who was willing to be tortured for survival of humankind, while Zeus represents the dominant deity who cares very little about the survival of mankind. “ Prometheus Bound,” by Aeschylus presents a classical play of Greek tragedy by utilizing symbols to emphasize the relationship between good vs evil , rebellion, and power.
In the Greek tragedy “Prometheus Bound”, Aeschylus utilizes power to criticize the selfish and oppressive nature of the human condition . Fire was one of humanity 's most important discoveries considering it gave them the ability to cook food, have light, and keep warm at night. Prometheus theft from Zeus in order to gift humanity with fire represents a challenge to Zeus’s authority. As a result, Zeus told his two servants to …show more content…
The discovery of fire was an essential milestone for the survival of humans since it allowed humans to stop prioritizing survival in order to focus on discovering their environment. Prometheus’s deed therefore symbolizes a step forward for humanity Zeus was not ready to accept. The author illustrates the cruelty behind tyrants like Zeus by emphasizing his nefarious intention in halting human progression. Aeschylus states “You gave mere people what people should not have Prometheus” (119). The quote, by emphasizing Zeus’s desire to maintain human suffering, serves as a criticism to political philosophies during the era. Due to the actions of Prometheus, Zeus’s authoritarian dominance was in imminent danger. Human advancement through technology will lead humanity to slowly require less from Zeus as they discover technologies to improve their lives, which will start a decline of his power and influence over humans.Similar to any power figure, Zeus has to prevent any occasion where his influence diminishes from occurring, which ultimately leads to the hard punishment of Prometheus as a warning to mankind. It is fair to state that Zeus’s punishment makes Prometheus a martyr for giving up his life to fight injustice. Similarly, the author shows Zeus’s oppressive philosophy in action as Hephaistos states “ no one can say I didn’t do justice to this job ! Except Prometheus,” (121). Although Zeus acknowledges
. The tragedy of “Prometheus Bound” by Aeschylus discusses the story of Prometheus’s punishment for providing the human race with fire. According to Cupitt, “ a myth is “typically a tradition sacred story of anonymous authorship and archetypal or universal significance which is recounted in a certain community … it tells of the deeds of superhuman beings such as gods” (Maurizio 14). In the tragedy, we observe the Greek deity Prometheus being punished by Zeus for giving humans fire. Fire was a key symbol in the survival and advancement of the human race. Therefore, this action angered Zeus since Prometheus’s gift went contrasted Zeus’s of punishing the humans by hindering their technological advancement. …show more content…
The tragedy presents the benevolent hero Prometheus ,who was willing to be tortured for survival of humankind, while Zeus represents the dominant deity who cares very little about the survival of mankind. “ Prometheus Bound,” by Aeschylus presents a classical play of Greek tragedy by utilizing symbols to emphasize the relationship between good vs evil , rebellion, and power.
In the Greek tragedy “Prometheus Bound”, Aeschylus utilizes power to criticize the selfish and oppressive nature of the human condition . Fire was one of humanity 's most important discoveries considering it gave them the ability to cook food, have light, and keep warm at night. Prometheus theft from Zeus in order to gift humanity with fire represents a challenge to Zeus’s authority. As a result, Zeus told his two servants to …show more content…
The discovery of fire was an essential milestone for the survival of humans since it allowed humans to stop prioritizing survival in order to focus on discovering their environment. Prometheus’s deed therefore symbolizes a step forward for humanity Zeus was not ready to accept. The author illustrates the cruelty behind tyrants like Zeus by emphasizing his nefarious intention in halting human progression. Aeschylus states “You gave mere people what people should not have Prometheus” (119). The quote, by emphasizing Zeus’s desire to maintain human suffering, serves as a criticism to political philosophies during the era. Due to the actions of Prometheus, Zeus’s authoritarian dominance was in imminent danger. Human advancement through technology will lead humanity to slowly require less from Zeus as they discover technologies to improve their lives, which will start a decline of his power and influence over humans.Similar to any power figure, Zeus has to prevent any occasion where his influence diminishes from occurring, which ultimately leads to the hard punishment of Prometheus as a warning to mankind. It is fair to state that Zeus’s punishment makes Prometheus a martyr for giving up his life to fight injustice. Similarly, the author shows Zeus’s oppressive philosophy in action as Hephaistos states “ no one can say I didn’t do justice to this job ! Except Prometheus,” (121). Although Zeus acknowledges