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A review by gracecrandall
Prometheus Bound and Other Plays by Aeschylus
4.0
This was such an odd little book. Part of me loves it, while the other part of me is still blinking in confusion, trying to reconcile the thousand little rabbit trails of philosophical thought that this play darted down.
The play opens in a dreary wasteland, shortly after Zeus condemns Prometheus to an eternal life bound to a rock. At first it seems to concern itself less with Prometheus and more with his jailers--particularly Hephastios, who has made the Prometheus's chains. Hephastios has a soft heart, and mourns Prometheus's fate; the other henchmen feel no pity for the god they see as a traitor.
The rest of the play is spent with Prometheus himself, dealing with the varied well-wishers or mockers who come to visit him.
Plot-wise, the play made little sense to me. I'm guessing there's a wealth of symbolism and meaning in the various events that I'm simply not picking up on (there usually is).
Personally, my favorite part of this Prometheus Bound is the character of Prometheus himself. It's implied that he is an ancient being, who remembers a time before even the Titans, and who sees Zeus as nothing more than a petty tyrant of a ruler, doomed to fall. this ancientness colors Prometheus's speeches with a kind of bitter irony, which is honestly a joy to read. (Ironic heroes are the best heroes, in my opinion) :)
Contrasting with his age and bitterness is Prometheus's love and care for mankind--'things that live and die', humanity is passed off as insignificant by the other gods, but not Prometheus. his crime against Zeus was loving humans too much--and for that, he refuses to repent, even if it means a life of pain and solitude.
To recap: I really, really loved this play. And if you're in the mood to be confused and emotional over ancient greek myths, I'd definitely recommend giving this a read :)
The play opens in a dreary wasteland, shortly after Zeus condemns Prometheus to an eternal life bound to a rock. At first it seems to concern itself less with Prometheus and more with his jailers--particularly Hephastios, who has made the Prometheus's chains. Hephastios has a soft heart, and mourns Prometheus's fate; the other henchmen feel no pity for the god they see as a traitor.
The rest of the play is spent with Prometheus himself, dealing with the varied well-wishers or mockers who come to visit him.
Plot-wise, the play made little sense to me. I'm guessing there's a wealth of symbolism and meaning in the various events that I'm simply not picking up on (there usually is).
Personally, my favorite part of this Prometheus Bound is the character of Prometheus himself. It's implied that he is an ancient being, who remembers a time before even the Titans, and who sees Zeus as nothing more than a petty tyrant of a ruler, doomed to fall. this ancientness colors Prometheus's speeches with a kind of bitter irony, which is honestly a joy to read. (Ironic heroes are the best heroes, in my opinion) :)
Contrasting with his age and bitterness is Prometheus's love and care for mankind--'things that live and die', humanity is passed off as insignificant by the other gods, but not Prometheus. his crime against Zeus was loving humans too much--and for that, he refuses to repent, even if it means a life of pain and solitude.
To recap: I really, really loved this play. And if you're in the mood to be confused and emotional over ancient greek myths, I'd definitely recommend giving this a read :)