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The Ancient Greek Tragedy Prometheus Bound tells the story of Prometheus, who has been chained by Zeus for both stealing fire and giving it to the humans, and for preventing Zeus from eliminating humankind. The Oceanids try to comfort Prometheus by talking to him during his imprisonment. Prometheus tells the chorus that he gave humankind the gift of fire and the gift of civilized arts including astronomy, agriculture, writing, mathematics, and medical supplies.
Prometheus is also gifted with the power of foresight. When Io visits him, Prometheus tells her that Zeus will stop tormenting her when she goes to Egypt and has a son. He also tells her that one of her descendants will rescue him from his torment. Hermes visits and Prometheus refuses to tell Hermes who will overthrow Zeus, so Zeus hits Prometheus with a thunderbolt and he falls into the abyss.
The play is usually attributed to Aeschylus, but some modern scholars believe that it was not written by him, but during a much later period. It was the first part of the Prometheia trilogy, but only fragments of the other two parts Prometheus Unbound and Prometheus the Fire-Bringer survived.
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Fast Facts:
- Since the 19th century there has been doubt about authorship
- Takes place during one day
- Popular in antiquity
- Originally written in Ancient Greek
- Fire is a dominant symbol
- Written around 456 B.C.
- Set on a rocky mountain in the Caucasus
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Lord George Gordon Byron wrote poems on same theme
- Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote a poem titled Prometheus Unbound
Important Quotations:
- For somehow this is tyranny's disease, to trust no friends.
- Words are the physicians of a mind diseased.
- There is not a torture or an engine wherewithal Zeus can induce me to declare these things, till he has loosed me from these cruel shackles. So let him hurl his smoky lightning flame, and throw in turmoil all things in the world with white-winged snowflakes and deep bellowing thunder beneath the earth: me he shall not bend by all this to tell him who is fated to drive him from his tyranny.
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Wikipedia: Prometheus Bound
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Dia Center: Prometheus Bound Audio Book
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Video: Trinity High School Theatre production of Prometheus Bound Preview (Time 04:11)
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SparkNotes: Prometheus Bound Study Guide
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Wikiquote: Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound Quotations
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Project Gutenberg: Prometheus Bound Online Text
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Amazon.com: Prometheus Bound Merchandise
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Wikipedia: Prometheus Bound
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Prometheus Bound on Twitter Powered by Twitter
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@smosier just heard the new smodcast. Ever read Prometheus Bound?
@Cylence1 | November 09, 2009 08:34 PM -
Photo: Prometheus Bound and Other Plays: The Suppliants; Seven Against Thebes; The Persians - Aeschylus Added... http://tumblr.com/xsh3xg24o
@usmanmalik | November 09, 2009 02:01 AM -
My brains in turmoil and my hearts no where to be found. You stole it and broke it in two. During the play, prometheus bound.
@HiThereJakey | November 08, 2009 02:11 AM -
Check out our upcoming reading of Prometheus Bound!! http://www.artshound.com/event/detail/33199 http://www.classicaltheatre.org/
@CTCHouston | November 06, 2009 06:45 PM
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Prometheus Bound - $0.99
Prometheus Bound is an Ancient Greek tragedy. It is the story of Prometheus the titan that steals fire from the gods and gives it the the humans and is punished.
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Prometheus Bound and Other Plays: Prometheus Bound, The Suppliants, Seven Against Thebes, The Persian (Penguin Classics) - $12.00
Aeschylus (525-456 BC) brought a new grandeur and epic sweep to the drama of classical Athens, raising it to the status of high art. In "Prometheus Bound", the defiant Titan Prometheus is brutally punished by Zeus for daring to improve the ...
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Prometheus Bound - $16.95
PROMETHEUS Think not that I for pride and stubbornness Am silent: rather is my heart the prey Of gnawing thoughts, both for the past, and now Seeing myself by vengeance buffeted. For to these younger Gods their precedence Who severally dete...
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The Ancient Greek Tragedy Prometheus Bound tells the story of Prometheus, who has been chained by Zeus for both stealing fire and giving it to the humans, and for preventing Zeus from eliminating humankind. The Oceanids try to comfort Prometheus by talking to him during his imprisonment. Prometheus tells the chorus that he gave humankind the gift of fire and the gift of civilized arts including astronomy, agriculture, writing, mathematics, and medical supplies.
Prometheus is also gifted with the power of foresight. When Io visits him, Prometheus tells her that Zeus will stop tormenting her when she goes to Egypt and has a son. He also tells her that one of her descendants will rescue him from his torment. Hermes visits and Prometheus refuses to tell Hermes who will overthrow Zeus, so Zeus hits Prometheus with a thunderbolt and he falls into the abyss.
The play is usually attributed to Aeschylus, but some modern scholars believe that it was not written by him, but during a much later period. It was the first part of the Prometheia trilogy, but only fragments of the other two parts Prometheus Unbound and Prometheus the Fire-Bringer survived.
-
Fast Facts:
- Since the 19th century there has been doubt about authorship
- Takes place during one day
- Popular in antiquity
- Originally written in Ancient Greek
- Fire is a dominant symbol
- Written around 456 B.C.
- Set on a rocky mountain in the Caucasus
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Lord George Gordon Byron wrote poems on same theme
- Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote a poem titled Prometheus Unbound
- Important Quotations:
- For somehow this is tyranny's disease, to trust no friends.
- Words are the physicians of a mind diseased.
- There is not a torture or an engine wherewithal Zeus can induce me to declare these things, till he has loosed me from these cruel shackles. So let him hurl his smoky lightning flame, and throw in turmoil all things in the world with white-winged snowflakes and deep bellowing thunder beneath the earth: me he shall not bend by all this to tell him who is fated to drive him from his tyranny.
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