To start, this story is not in the proper order that it should be. I don't know how I overlooked it and did the "Agamemnon" review first. :P
I'll trust the majority of my readers have heard the name "Prometheus" before, if only the title of the the Ridley Scott film. In case anyone's wondering, I did like it. Especially after reading the article "Prometheus Unbound." It's really amazing! But I digress.
This play recounts the beginnings of Prometheus' punishment for betraying the laws of Zeus, the now reigning god after the defeat of the Titans. His most famous of crimes was bringing fire from the forges of Hephaestus to man. But he did so much more. He claimed to have given man pretty much everything: art, agriculture, sailing, reading, writing, etc. He also gave us hope. That's my favorite.
So, before Prometheus, man was nothing but a naked, cultureless pile of flesh with a constant paralyzing fear of the future. I'm glad he decided to help us out. And it was a big deal since Zeus wanted us all dead. And that is Prometheus' full crime, helping the people Zeus wanted dead.
But for all his aid and wisdom Prometheus was quite responsible for this unfortunate predicament. During the Titans vs. Gods battle, he started out with the Titans, if only because he was one. But he became frustrated that the Titans wanted nothing to do with his scheming. They were all about full-frontal assault. But the gods were more than happy to make use of his strategies.
Once the battle was won by the gods, it was too late to go back. Zeus became an unyielding tyrant. And Prometheus was on his own in opposing his tyranny. So, that led to his imprisonment being chained to a rock until Zeus forgives him his crimes.
After being chained Prometheus makes known his gift of prophecy; so, he must endure the suffering since no one can escape fate. I respect this attitude. Fate is fate. All those movies/shows where people fight against it are annoying in that respect. You can't fight against it because that fighting will have been a part of it from the start. But I digress.
He then has his first visitors, The Chorus, daughters of Oceanus. They profess sympathy for his suffering, and he responds by prophesying that one day Zeus will have to beg Prometheus' assistance if he wishes to prevent his downfall. Then the Chorus asks how he came to this predicament, and he recounts the War of Gods and Titans and the aftermath concerning his aid to man. Oceanus enters to ask Prometheus to stop antagonizing Zeus with his stories so that Oceanus may have some hope to plead with Zeus to free Prometheus. But Prometheus only says that it's futile; he shouldn't bother trying.
His second visitor is Io. She was a woman lusted after by Zeus before he turned her into a cow, and then cursed by Hera to wander the world while being goaded by the stinging bite of the gadfly. Gods and humans do not mix.
She sympathizes with Prometheus. Then she entreats him to tell her the future of her sufferings. But first she recounts her past sufferings as the request of the Chorus. Prometheus then tells of all the places she shall wonder before eventually having Zeus heal and impregnate her. The twist: one of Io's descendants will be the one to free Prometheus. Then Io resumes her wandering being unable to remain stationary and listen to Prometheus due to the sting of the gadfly.
Prometheus in a moment of rage over the sufferings that Zeus causes proclaims that Zeus' own son will be his downfall. Hermes arrives at Zeus' command to extricate the name of this son who is destined to depose him. But our stubborn Prometheus refuses to comply. Even after the threat of being flung down to the dark depths of Tartarus to have an eagle eat his liver only to have it grow back and eaten the next day for all time (unless another god agrees to take his place), Prometheus refuses. Then this sad little tale ends with Prometheus calling on the elements to witness his suffering.
One part I really liked, which I didn't include earlier, was the Chorus scolding Prometheus for helping man since man cannot have any hope to aid him in return for his help. This makes Prometheus one of the most respectable characters in all Greek mythology. There are so few already. He didn't help us expecting anything in return but gratitude. It was a selfless act that one can see reflected by the Engineers(to a point) in Ridley Scott's "Prometheus." So, that gives some sense to the title.
Hope you've enjoyed. See you next time. (^w^)y
