Prometheus Bound Quotes

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

the necessary tools for the continuity of their existence and an autonomous lifestyle. Before Zeus could carry out his plan to exterminate the human race, Prometheus went against him and presented human beings with fire, which proved to be a remarkably versatile and significant gift. Fire primarily allowed the humans to have light and heat, which were the basis of their newfound sedentary lifestyle. With this, humans were able to develop methods of agriculture and mining, which led to building and the creation of weapons and armor. Furthermore, humans began to have the need for letters and language, which later led to the need for numbers. Soon after, humans had the arts as a means to create culture, give life meaning and have various mediums for self-expression. Prometheus also gave humans astronomy and nautical instruments, which gave them the ability to sail. Through the gift of fire, humans—infamous for living their lives consumed by the preoccupation of death—could now live for longer and brighter days.
Apart from the material benefits that Prometheus’ gift brought about, the humans also acquire a resonating message from Prometheus’ actions and suffering regarding their very existence.

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

sufferings.
Not only did Prometheus go against the ultimate ruler and give the human race the essential tools for their survival, but in doing so, he handed them the key that would set them free. Fire allowed the humans to begin a sedentary and self-sufficient lifestyle, which gave them courage and a purpose during their lives on Earth. Yet, it was through this courage that the humans were able to become aware of their autonomy and their freedom. Prometheus made them realize there was hope for life despite Zeus and the gods and therefore they could live without being suppressed by a tyrannical figure.
Prometheus’ material and non-material gifts were of utmost importance because they permitted the survival of the human race and essentially set them free from their past miserable existence and from the gods’ oppression. By giving the humans their freedom and suffering the consequences of his actions, Prometheus became the most significant symbol for courage and for human resistance to tyranny.