setting (time) Pre-history—sometime after human invention of agriculture and development of mining.

Unable to rule through any means other than brute force, Zeus is presented as a perfect example of a fairly stupid but powerful tyrant who shows no regard for others not because he is evil but because he hasn't given it any thought.

Make your voice heard on Election Day Second, Prometheus clearly does not trust Oceanus, telling him much less than he had told the Chorus only a moment ago. He rules by his own laws, creating a world where no one but him can be free. Many scholars now believe that either an unknown follower of Aeschylus wrote it, or that Aeschylus wrote part of the play and a follower finished it. Her descendant will free Prometheus, bonding their fates together. Though he does not appear in the play, Zeus clearly deserves mention as a major character. Until the end, the Oceanids maintain two moral orientations. in-depth analysis of Zeus. Hermes appears in sharp contrast to Prometheus. SparkNotes is brought to you by Barnes & Noble.

time and place written Believed to be around 456 B.C., give or take a few years. Kratus cannot understand how someone might fail to hate an enemy of Zeus. Prometheus opposes Zeus because of his anger over his punishment, bolstered by his anger over the mistreatment of his brothers and Io. This is foreshadowed by Prometheus's prophecy, repeated mentions of eventual deliverance, the repeating theme of friendship, and the rising excess of Prometheus's defiance, suggesting that a reversal will occur as in other tragedies by Aeschylus, tone Varying between fearful, sympathetic, and defiant, symbols Fire is the dominant symbol; the tragedy does not rely much on symbols, themes Tyranny, defiance, friendship, force and thought, human progress, excess and moderation, motifs Yoke and harness, deliverance from suffering, time and related notions such as generations, new rule, Fate, and waiting for the right moment, unusual features Characters are almost all divine beings; involves cool special effects.

The play was probably written either in Athens or in Sicily. He agrees that Zeus is too harsh and extends his sympathy to Prometheus with an offer of help. SparkNotes is brought to you by Barnes & Noble. Suggestions for essay topics to use when you're writing about Prometheus Bound. Comfortable in his service to Zeus, Oceanus believes that one should not rock the boat but simply obey. Visit BN.com to buy new and used textbooks, and check out our award-winning NOOK tablets and eReaders. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes Prometheus Bound Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays.

setting (place) A rocky mountain in the Caucasus, falling action Chorus vows to stay with Prometheus; Zeus conjures up a storm and an earthquake to encase Prometheus in the rock and bury him under the earth, foreshadowing Throughout the play, hints are dropped that eventually reconciliation between Zeus and Prometheus will take place. Zeus's rule demands that his servants surrender any trace of individuality in obedience to his will. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes Prometheus Bound Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays. climax Hermes threatens Prometheus with Zeus's wrath if he does not reveal his secret, but Prometheus defiantly mocks his inquisitor, vowing to reveal nothing, antagonist Zeus, represented by his servants Kratus, Bia, and Hermes. in-depth analysis of Prometheus. genre Tragedy; mythology. Important information about Aeschylus's background, historical events that influenced Prometheus Bound, and the main ideas within the work. The protagonist of the play. A victim of Zeus's love. Like Oceanus, Hephaestus is an obedient but unwilling servant. His friendship for humanity is the cause of his punishment, but he views as equally important Zeus's inability to recognize the importance of friendship.

We can assume that what holds for Kratus holds also for Bia. Second, they counsel him to bow down to a greater power and tone down his defiance since nothing good can come of opposing Zeus. Prometheus aided Zeus against his fellow Titans only to be punished for giving fire to human beings ... Zeus.

Prometheus shows that if intellect and force cannot work together, then intellect must oppose force, since it is useless if dominated by power.

First, he suggests that one should simply give up and accept injustice rather than fighting it—Prometheus should stop being defiant and not provoke a stubborn and excessive Zeus. Yet Hephaestus does what he is told, showing him to be closer to Kratus than to Prometheus in his outlook. He is highly arrogant, but not horribly bright as illustrated in a scene where every insult and accusations he throws at Prometheus gets turned around by the recipient and shipped back in force. Many scholars now believe that either an unknown follower of Aeschylus wrote it, or that Aeschylus wrote part of the play and a follower finished it. Hephaestus, however, seems to obey more out of fear than out of a complete identification with his ruler, which seems more the case with Kratus and Hermes. Like his master, Hermes understands neither friendship nor pity, but only force and obedience. Bia is a silent character, helping Kratus bring Prometheus to the rock to be chained.

A mindless servant of Zeus. He is also driven to opposition by a belief in the value friendship. Serve the proper role of a Chorus in Greek tragedy. The Oceanids advocate adherence to the moral norm to a protagonist who has deviated from that norm. Io is exiled from her home because Zeus wishes to deflower her. Though he comes down from Olympus to question Prometheus about the future threat to Zeus's power, Hermes clearly does not take this threat seriously.

A list of important facts about Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound, including setting, climax, protagonists, and antagonists. Hephaestus first introduces pity and friendship into the tragedy while chiding Zeus's servants for their insensitivity. author Aeschylus, according to tradition. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.

Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Both the objects of his hatred and his love can easily fall to misfortune since Zeus, unfamiliar with sympathy and pity, does not concern himself with the welfare of others. Visit BN.com to buy new and used textbooks, and check out our award-winning NOOK tablets and eReaders. Explanation of the famous quotes in Prometheus Bound, including all important speeches, comments, quotations, and monologues. SparkNotes is brought to you by Barnes & Noble. language Ancient Greek Visit BN.com to buy new and used textbooks, and check out our award-winning NOOK tablets and eReaders. Read an He bows to Zeus's force, but wishes he did not have to. The name Kratus means force, so as a representative of Zeus, this character demonstrates the nature of Zeus's rule. By deviating from the moral norm at the end, however, the Oceanids manage to establish a new moral norm that contradicts Zeus's own laws. Zeus's servants take it for granted that everyone must be taught to love him and hate his enemies.

Zeus's justice, for Kratus, is the only possible justice. Character List. author Aeschylus, according to tradition. Prometheus Bound Study Guide From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes Prometheus Bound Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays. Unlike Hephaestus and Oceanus, Kratus experiences no friendship or pity because he has no value system outside the one imposed on him by Zeus. First, they consistently demonstrate sympathy with the hero's suffering and avow their friendship. Prometheus is expected to learn to like Zeus and stop liking humans. Hephaestus, whose job it is to bind Prometheus to the mountain, groans that he finds it difficult to do this to a fellow god. Transformed into a cow, she wanders the earth awaiting salvation. full title Prometheus Bound. The protagonist of the play. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.

Something about Oceanus's advice and his demeanor seems a little off-putting, however.

The listed critical essays and books will be invaluable for writing essays and papers on Prometheus Bound.

He shows an absolute identification of a slave with his master, taking Zeus's thoughts as his thoughts and Zeus's orders as his maxims. As the only human, despite being technically bovine, in the play, Io ties the cosmic conflict of gods to known human history and geography as Prometheus documents her wanderings and the future of her offspring. Read an