Today I attempted to argue that Prometheus is not the freest character in the first half of the text. I referred to his almost insufferable self-pity and submission to his own fore-knowledge/fate. He, I believe, felt bound long before he was physically chained to the rock. In both classes though, I alluded to my belief that Prometheus changes in this text and ultimately becomes free. In this vein then I ask two questions. You are "free" to answer both or only one.
For those who agree with me that Prometheus laments and suffers fate and is therefore bonded or enslaved by fate, how do you think this changes in the second half of the text? Does he change at all in fact? If so, how do you think this transformation comes about and how do you think Io is related to this change?
Or
For those who believe that Prometheus always represents true freedom, what role does Io play in the text? Why do you think she was an important character for Aeschylus with regards to the plot and "moral" of the story. Here I want you to think about the similarities between Io and Prometheus. How are these two characters lives intertwined and why would such a relationship be important in a text were issues like free will, fate, destiny and the human relationship with the Gods, particularly the tyrannical Zeus, are constantly invoked?
See you soon guys,
Dr. Layne
Throughout the text, I believe Prometheus was as noble as possible. True, he laments and complains but if I was chained up against a rock being tortured, I would behave similarly. Prometheus risked himself because he knew he had to save mankind. Io plays an important character because like Prometheus, she too suffers a horrible fate unfairly. Io is in some sense helpless. I believe Io is Aeschylus’ the symbol of mankind, powerless. Prometheus gives Io blind-hope when he told her his mother’s prophecy. Now Io has the chance to create her own destiny and the ability to over power Zeus.
ReplyDeleteBoth Io's and Prometheus' lives are negatively affected by Zeus in the story. Zeus was once friendly with both at some time or another. Because Zeus cannot have Io, he decides to turn her into a cow so Hera won't find her, with no regard for what she wants. Though it would seem Zeus and Prometheus have a friendship, Zeus almost seems blind to their previous friendship.
ReplyDeletePrometheus continually refuses to reveal to Zeus the prophecy of one of Zeus' sons surpassing his fathers power. He exercises his free will by standing by his decision of giving fire to mankind.
I agree that Prometheus was, in a sense, enslaved by fate by submitting quietly to it. He did not feel that his giving of fire and technae to humans was noble, but merely a necessity dictated by fate. His sense of agency in this seems to have been completely null.
ReplyDeleteHowever, after the relaying of Io's tale, he seems to gain a sense of rebelliousness. He is no longer lamenting and groaning about his destiny, but is instead gaining the emotions of anger and frustration. His evident anger and frustration leads to a change in his prophecy. Rather than biding him time until he and Zeus reconcile, he merely prophecizes about his downfall. He is no longer passively waiting, but actively refuses Heremes relayed order to get the prophecy from Prometheus even in the face of worse agony.
I think Prometheus' character undergoes a major evolution after hearing Io's tale in the second half of the text. Whereas Prometheus busied himself lamenting both his fate and Zeus' impassable authority throughout the first half of the story, it is not until Io shares her tale of suffering (indirectly) at the hand of Zeus that he realizes the one, inevitable limit to Zeus' power: his prophesied dethroning by a future son. Furthermore, Prometheus also is able to recall a prophecy that his mother, Earth, had told him, which details how Io's family line will produce a son who will free Prometheus from his bonds. As if Io's suffering puts Prometheus' into perspective, he is able to revolt against fate because he realizes the senselessness and capriciousness of Zeus' control over it. When the power that Prometheus assumed Zeus had is revealed to be fickle, he smartly recognizes the consistency in his mother's prophecies and decides, even against the threats of Hermes and further torture, to follow them. Not only is this an incredibly liberating decision, it is a heroic one that ethically and logically supports Prometheus' civil disobedience
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Prometheus changed, I think he still goes on and on about his enslaved fate. I don't think that he should have told Io about her fate because now she is going to think about it nonstop and she would be better off not knowing. I personally would not want to know my fate because if it was something im not happy with then I would dwell on it everyday and not live my life the way I would want to. I think if Prometheus is fated to suffer then he should go out like a man and stop whining about Zeus because if he can't stop him then stop talking about it.
ReplyDeleteyes, i think he does change. of course at the beginning he is lamenting and is almost pathetic with self-pity, but that change comes with his change in his perception of what is going on. Instead of focusing on his chains and bondage, he sees the bigger picture and how humans will benefit greatly from what he has done in many ways. Lo is connected because now she is able to choose whether or not she wants to follow in prometheus's footsteps and make her own destiny or to stay obedient and refrain from causing change in the order of things.
ReplyDeleteTwo fates are intertwined in Prometheus Bound, one of eternal struggle against the gods, and one of hope and redemption. Prometheus divines that Io, another victim of Zeus's oversized ego, will eventually establish the bloodline that will one day overthrow Zeus and create a new rule; Prometheus is bound to stay chained until either Zeus changes his mind or until another god decides to assist him
ReplyDeleteI do believe that Prometheus is not the freest character in the first half of the text because of the fact that he is bound of course and in punishment in suffering. He is trapped and cannot really do anything which furthermore establishes his status of being enslaved and not free.
ReplyDeleteThat does seem to change in the second half of the text though, because he understands that in the end humanity will benefit greatly from him. He was always on humanity's side and his good deeds and help that he offers to mankind will play out to benefit him and the humans in a way that will eventually all make this worthwhile.
I believe that Prometheus laments and suffers because of fate and is therefore bonded and enslaved by it in the first half of the text. However, I don’t agree that Prometheus changes to become ultimately free in the second half of the text. Prometheus changes to become more like Zeus; conniving and scheming. In the first half of the text Prometheus frees humans because he feels like he has to, and in the second half he takes charge of his destiny by refusing to tell Zeus the prophesy of his doom, because of his deliberate choice. Still, I don’t think this makes him totally free; physically of course nor spiritually. Lo and Prometheus are similar because they are both victims of Zeus’ “freedom to” and this (along with the intertwining of thier fates) binds them together in this tragic tale.
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ReplyDeleteI feel that Prometheus changes to an extent but he still laments about being bound and complaining. I thought he was the most powerful because of the influence he has, but during the second have and paying attention more to the details of the rest of the book, it shows that he just complains a lot about what is happening to him. He could save himself if he wanted to by telling Zeus the fate that awaits him... Maybe Zeus would be grateful that Prometheus told him what would be his doom and stop the torture and release Prometheus from the chains that bound him, but he refuses to do so and continues to speak about the future to his audience and suffers at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThe lives of Io and Prometheus are intertwined in several ways. First, both characters' lives and fates have been negatively affected by Zeus' egotistical need for total dominance. He has chained Prometheus to a rock to demonstrate his power and to force Prometheus to obey his rule. In addition because he desires Io and cannot not have her, he turned her into a cow so that her father would not find her. The fate of the characters is also intertwined. It is Zeus who will impregnate Io, and it is a descendant of Io that is to free Prometheus. In the second half of the text Prometheus stands up to Zeus, and he exercises what freedom he has by keeping Zeus' fate a secret. Prometheus is bound both by chains and by his knowledge of his own and others' fate. This knowledge is both a gift and a curse to Prometheus. In anger he uses this ability to torment Zeus despite the consequences he will suffer. He is proving that he is free to make his own choices. Although Zeus has physically chained Prometheus to the ground, Prometheus still has the freedom to make a choice and not give into the will of Zeus.
ReplyDeletePrometheus and Io are both, in one way or another, bound by the Gods to suffer. Zeus punishes Prometheus for his vision of someone removing Zeus from the throne. Hera dooms Io to wander endlessly. However there is a difference between them. Io goes to Prometheus to ease her pain by asking him to reveal to her the extent to which she will suffer. I believe that this was her making an attempt to change her fate which is different from Prometheus in that he just accepts his fate.
ReplyDeleteIn the first half of the text, Prometheus laments and suffers his fate. He is therefore bonded by fate, until his revelation. This involves hearing the story of lo, and how she is like him because Zeus has treated them both unfairly. Prometheus is angered and yells out Zeus’s prophecy of his downfall. He refuses to tell Zeus who will overthrow him even in the face of torture. Because of his decision to do what he believes is right, even with Zeus threatening him, I believe Prometheus represents true freedom.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that nothing that can feel pain would ever seek to suffer, I think Prometheus’s refusal to tell Zeus who will bring about his downfall is a sign that Prometheus is in a lose-lose situation. Prometheus is a slave, is chained, no matter what he does. He is both a slave to Zeus and a slave to his conscious at this point. Io’s story relating their two situations is of little consolation. Misery loves company, this is true; however, more than company, the miserable seek to end their misery. For Prometheus, though, there seems to be no end to it.
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ReplyDeletePrometheus (after rereading the initial assignment, then continuing on to the next part...) doesn't really change at all in the second half. Its just now more recognizable how much he truly pities himself. Towards the end, he seems to come to a truth within himself that the end is truly near, and exercises his free will by not giving in to Zeus. This act, as I said in the previous assignment, is what makes Prometheus the strongest character, even though he spends most of his time complaining...
ReplyDeleteI believe Prometheus does change. At the beginning of the story Prometheus feels sorry for himself. He feels as though he is a victim of fate. He complains and agonizes over his fate which is pretty much already determined by Zeus. Prometheus does realize toward the end of the story that the freedoms (math, architecture, astronomy, fire, etc.)he has given to humans was worth the pain and suffering he is going through.
ReplyDeleteNot much of a post but I don't have to do this one anyway.
ReplyDelete"Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny."
— Mahatma Gandhi
During the first half of the text, Prometheus tells his tale and talks about how the gods are tyrants. He also goes on about how he is bound by fate for giving the humans fire and blind hope. Even though Oceanus offered to say something to Zeus about Prometheus' cruel punishment, Prometheus refuses the help because he knows that it wouldn’t make a positive difference. It does seem like he gives up and accepts his fate and waits for the day when he will be free. However, in the second half, he meets Io and hears her suffering story making him angry. Io becomes significant because she allows Prometheus to see himself in her, in terms of always suffering. The only change he makes in the book is that he decides to continue his rebellious actions by not telling Zeus his prophecy.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the play Prometheus is steadfast in his resistance to Zeus' tyranny. Although in the second half of the play Prometheus shows more emotion protesting the unfairness of his and Io's confinement I think that his will to resist Zeus does not change. I agree that Io allowed him to see another perspective of his suffering through another person's experience however I don't think that Prometheus drastically changes, he's just more emotional and stubborn about his views and ironically is more inclined to accept fate.
ReplyDeleteIo was an Argive princess as well as the daughter of Inachus (the river god). Io became the object of Zeus’ lust and affection, which resulted in him changing her into a white heifer to protect her from his jealous wife Hera.However, this disguise did not fool Hera and she requested the cow as a gift from Zeus, and that the cow be securely guarded by the 100-eyed monster named Argus. Hera knew that this was a way to keep Io captive because the monster never slept with all of his eyes closed. Yet, subsequently, Hermes (son of Zeus) was sent to rescue Io. Hermes cleverly bored Argus to sleep by telling him multiple stories. Upon the monster’s dozing off, Hermes took the opportunity to exterminate it. Hera consequently sent a gadfly to torment Io, who wandered the earth in misery. During her journey, Io met Prometheus, who was bound to a rock, in chains. Lo lamented her fate in five verses and Prometheus responded to such with five verses of his own.
ReplyDeleteThis “literary symmetry” had the purpose of emphasizing similarity between the two characters. The conversation that followed, between the, exposed the prophesy of Zeus's collapse, which would benefit them both , and that one day, Io would return to her human form, bear Zeus’ seeds and that one of Io’s descendants, the legendary Hercules, would liberate Prometheus from his torment. The descendants of Io would also make the royal houses of Thebes and Argos. Prometheus and Io are also tied together by fate; Prometheus, a victim of Zeus's hatred, and Io, a victim of his love. As a tyrant governing by arbitrary laws, Zeus inflicts pain on everyone in his path.
As Io describes her affliction, she excludes Hera from her story. She explicitly expresses how Zeus attempted to seduce her while dreaming and cast her out of her father's house. When she explains her transformation into a cow and her being hunted by Argos and the gadfly, Io’s detailed story becomes vague. The reason for this is debatable. Nevertheless, both Argos and the gadfly were commanded by Hera; Zeus changed Io into a cow to escape Hera's detection. Though Hera is mentioned in Io’s story, responsibility for her condition is mostly placed on Zeus. Aeschylus focuses on Zeus making him the tyrant fully responsible for Io's suffering, even though he was only a contributor; however, although to a lighter degree, this resembles Zeus’ role in Prometheus’ punishment.
Mary Mena
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