Prometheus Bound Quotes

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Aeschylus’ play Prometheus Bound is a distinct tragedy in the sense that it tells a story in which humans are relived as opposed to being punished. The main character of the play, Prometheus, defies the almighty Zeus by giving humans the gift of fire. Zeus, dissatisfied with the humans, had intended to exterminate them and create and entirely new human race. With his gift, Prometheus is giving the humans an essential tool for their survival and the key to their freedom. Infuriated by the situation, Zeus severely punishes Prometheus. However, in defying Zeus, Prometheus gives the humans the most significant gift and becomes the ultimate symbol for human resistance to tyranny. In giving humans the gift of fire, Prometheus provides them with …show more content…

One the most important gifts the humans received from Prometheus was courage, which allowed human beings to discover their freedom. Throughout the play, Prometheus maintains that he was the only one who “had the courage to halt men in their walk of death and to extinction” (pg. 35) and to defy the all-powerful Zeus. In doing this, Prometheus becomes the ultimate symbol of resistance to tyranny because he goes against the ruler of mortals and immortals in order to defend what he believes is right. Despite being chained to a rock and having his liver eaten daily by an eagle, Prometheus is determined to endure the suffering to prove his actions were not in vain. Thus, teaching humans the concept of courage. Initially human beings led lives in which they “…had eyes to see, but never saw; [had] ears for hearing, but never heard. Like huddled shapes in dreams, they used to drag their long lives through…” (pg. 46). Yet with fire, humans now had instruments that gave them a sense of courage and, in a way, a purpose for living as opposed to a continuous fight against death. Now, humans had courage through physical mediums and through Prometheus’ actions and

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