Preview

Force In The Play 'Prometheus Bound' By Aeschylus

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
377 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Force In The Play 'Prometheus Bound' By Aeschylus
Prometheus Bound

In the play “Prometheus Bound” by Aeschylus, it states ideas about the concept of power through force. The play deals with conflict between force and intelligence which realates to the main concept of power and force. At the beginning of the play, Hephaestus is joined by Kratos, who represents power, and Bia, representing force. Heaphaestus chains Prometheus while Kratos abuses him and Bia stays silent throughtout the enchaintment. While Hephaestus has sympathy for Prometheus, Kratos reminds him that this is Zeus’ punishment for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to mankind. When Prometheus tried to use his intelligence to help humanity by giving them the gift of fire, Zeus responds by using his force to punish Prometheus.


You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the play Bacchae, Euripides describes a world filled with hypnotized citizens—Thebes; a world that consists of a god spreading his religious beliefs and views. For instance, Dionysus, the protagonist of the play, is portrayed as a divine god—god of wine, theater, and happiness. This divine god prevents the young King of Thebes—Pentheus, from governing his society. In addition, in order to maintain a successful and stable society; the citizens of a society must obey the laws and its leader. Therefore, one is able to argue that King Pentheus is no longer the King of Thebes—Dionysus is the new king. The citizens, especially the women, in Thebes began to ignore the laws of their society; the moment they began to worship Dionysus—a god who King…

    • 166 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The concept of power almost automatically denotes the idea of undeniable strength and might. In societal terms, it results from the fear of force, in which the ruler (or state) possesses a high level of strength, and thus the individual behaves based on concern for the penalties of noncompliance. According to Socrates, however, true power involves more than mere physical force, and this philosophical argument becomes the main focus of "Gorgias," his dialogue with Greek philosopher Callicles. Basically, the question arises as to whether a powerful ruler is one who controls based on his/her personal will, backed up by the force of an army, or one who fairly uses power to help his/her subjects. In the realm of literature, Nurse Ratched of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest provides a more dramatic example of this dispute regarding the true definition of "just power."…

    • 1594 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Prometheus Bound Quotes

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages

    throughout the years, there have been many communist leaders – humans who dictate what the rules are and expects everyone in their community to comply. Controversial leaders such as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Kim Jong have dictated many and changed their countries entirely. Zeus, a Greek god also holds a high power due to his tyranny. Zeus’ absence plays a significant role in the play despite not being in it, he rules by his own laws and does not consult to anyone, and his servants use intimidation and punishment instead of cooperation and kindness. In the play Prometheus Bound, Zeus displays a strong dictatorship, despite not being present.…

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Power is one of the most critical themes illustrated in the Odyssey and is a dominant value in Greek…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Prometheus was an odd character if one considers his story, that of no violence or death. This Titan, ironically, could not stand to see the humans suffer with the fate Zeus and his fellow Titans commanded, so he disobeyed authority and gave mankind fire. As punishment, Zeus killed him over and over and after being unsatisfied, chained him to a large tree to never move, but only able to watch the humans. Zeus was not satisfied, however, so he punished Prometheus’ brother, Epimetheus. This happens in the story of Pandora’s box. Yet, symbols and characteristics that have inspired authors around the world come from Prometheus, which can be called the good heart, or some similar things. Heroes can’t only fight, kill, and claim…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    People suffer for many different reasons, and they cope with the suffering the only way they know how. In addition, sometimes people seek their own justice for their suffering. There is always controversy about what is justified and what is not. In Oresteia, Aeschylus portrays suffering for many characters; however, Clytemnestra suffers the most. Therefore, Aeschylus illustrates Clytemnestra’s suffering when her husband is at war, and then to add to that suffering, the sacrifice of her daughter, so she murders Agamemnon claiming it was justifiable in avenge for…

    • 894 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    * Prometheus represents on who has defied and challenged the natural order; one who has transgressed on forbidden territory. His actions are not couched in connotations of courage or heroism but recognised as reckless and without any thought to the possible consequences.…

    • 935 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ayn Rand's 'Prometheus'

    • 317 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “Prometheus” begins by saying, “Prometheus and Epimetheus were spared imprisonment in Tartarus because they had not fought with their fellow Titans during the war with the Olympians. They were given the task of creating man.” Prometheus represents intelligence and human progress and is the protector of mankind. When creating humans he decides to give man a likeness to the gods by having him stand upright and have the gift of fire. His intent is good but not appreciated by Zeus.…

    • 317 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Euripides’ play starts by introducing us to one the two main characters: Pentheus, king of Thebes, whose characteristics can be immediately noticed, like his rationality and his will to enforce law and order in his city; thinking that this will help his people prosper and his kingdom…

    • 309 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Prometheus Research Paper

    • 563 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The story of Prometheus changes a bit thru history, starting out that Zeus was tricked by…

    • 563 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Free Will In Oedipus Rex

    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This play dates all the way back to the 5th century B.C. when Sophocles was alive (1). The audiences back then related to this theme because the fact that the gods had omnipotent power was the majority belief of the time. However, this ideology was threatened at the time the play was written, and this is why Sophocles made a point of emphasizing the gods’ power in this play. The people of the world today can relate to this theme, because the very foundation of whether or not there is a God or gods is now under widespread contention. People today debate this theology every day; and this is why they can easily relate to this play.…

    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    great gatsby

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Prometheus, of Greek mythology, was a Titan, the forerunners of the Greek gods, who stole fire from Zeus and gave the fire to mortals. Prometheus was horribly punished for this crime against Zeus and against order. He was also the god of forethought and the molder of humankind from clay. It was his desire to better the existence of humans that led to his conflicts with Zeus. And Prometheus was a man punished in the underworld by being shackled to a rock and having his organs eaten by vultures every day to have them grow back the next.…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Power is the control over one’s self or another person or thing. In the poem “Adam and Eve” by Tony Hoagland a man and woman strived mentally for power over each other. Instead of having the happy and loving relationship that couples are “thought” to have, at the first sign of disagreement these two instantly worked against each other to have a personal gain of their own. In this poem the speaker, Adam, and the woman, who is assumed to be Eve, struggle for power over one another to make themselves superior to one another. They use their reactions and emotions against each other to steal and regain power.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fleeting power

    • 827 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Power is dominance. Power is influence. Power is a virtue and power is a vice. In the poem entitled “Ozymandias,” author Percy Shelley brings to life a tale of power and how it holds up, or fails to hold up, through time. The poem describes the wreckage of a stone statue built by a past ruler; “And on the pedestal these words appear: My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings” (9-10). Through the following lines, “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” (11), it is clear that Ozymandias was a sort of conqueror. However, Ozymandias’ rule did not withstand time and, as Shelley states, “Nothing besides remains” (12). Through the wording of these four lines, author Percy Shelley is able to clearly express the theme of the poem, which is that of tyrants and temporary power.…

    • 827 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Power, In Medea and Lysistrata emphasizes the different forms of power as well as a different purpose of power through magical events, but both of the poems reveal an output of power. Lysistrata uses power to present her dominance by persuading the role of women. Power occurred in Medea happened naturally and revealed the characters divine qualities through a multitude of magical events. The roles of power are different in both of the poems, but they have similarities such as the character’s manipulation to men and their passion.…

    • 88 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays